Post Tour Madness

[jaylew]

I'm really looking forward to it this year. No, I'm not talking about those silly fixed criteriums that take place after the Tour, I'm talking about transfer season. Teams start talking to riders after the Tour about contracts. It should be really interesting this year between Team Sky and Radio Shack trying to fill rosters and whatever is going to happen with Astana.

I can't remember - have any major teams announced they are going away next year? Barloworld? What is there, one Pro Tour license available?

Does Petacchi get back with a Pro Tour team? He's got to want to get back in the big races (which his team has even less chance of getting in now with Di Luca getting pinged).

Rassmussen has been given the go ahead by the UCI to come back. Does a big team sign him?

Do half the top guys from the French squads leave like last year or do they actually pick up some top talent?

Just thought it might be nice for a little non-Tour talk.

 

[mr. tibbs]

I'm just excited at the thought of Astana dividing. Even if it just puts Contador, Kloden, Armstrong, and Leipheimer on different teams (or not all on the same team), it'll make next year's racing so much more fun to watch.

I don't think The Chicken will be on any big teams. Which is lame, cuz he served his suspension so wether he admits to doping is irrelevant.

Will Wiggins go to Sky? Seems almost too painfully obvious to actually be done.

The French teams will continue to labor in obscurity with what they have. I don't think any of their riders have stood out enough to warrant another team's deigning to take them now, but watch out for Brice Feillu these next couple of years. If he keeps improving his climbing he may end up in the illustrious Radio Shack train.

(And does anyone have the straight dope on Vino's return? Is he really racing the Vuelta?)

 

[Jayarbie]

Rasmussen will ride for Team Rat Shack. Book it. Lance needs quality support riders, and Bruyneel knows how not to get caught...

 

[Anonymous]

I'll tell you what is going to be funny after the last stage, watching Contador ride around the Champs Élysées with just Zubeldia in tow. The Hog and The Uniballer won't even attend the after party for Contador. I called that at the beginning of the Tour.

 

[Jayarbie]

I'll tell you what is going to be funny after the last stage, watching Contador ride around the Champs Élysées with just Zubeldia in tow. The Hog and The Uniballer won't even attend the after party for Contador. I called that at the beginning of the Tour.

And Paulinho. He was Contador's personal pick for the team (in place of Horner).

 

[Anonymous]

And Paulinho. He was Contador's personal pick for the team (in place of Horner).

Oh yea, right right....

 

[BroDeal]

I'm just excited at the thought of Astana dividing. Even if it just puts Contador, Kloden, Armstrong, and Leipheimer on different teams (or not all on the same team), it'll make next year's racing so much more fun to watch.

I don't think The Chicken will be on any big teams. Which is lame, cuz he served his suspension so wether he admits to doping is irrelevant.

Will Wiggins go to Sky? Seems almost too painfully obvious to actually be done.

The French teams will continue to labor in obscurity with what they have. I don't think any of their riders have stood out enough to warrant another team's deigning to take them now, but watch out for Brice Feillu these next couple of years. If he keeps improving his climbing he may end up in the illustrious Radio Shack train.

(And does anyone have the straight dope on Vino's return? Is he really racing the Vuelta?)

Wiggins has a contract with Slipstream through next season. I cannot see them letting him go. He has been their only real success of the season.

The intrigue this silly season looks good. I hope FLandis tries to get back to Europe. He could join Vino, Kash, and Kessler at Astana. Get the Chicken in there too,and it would be the european version of Rock Racing but with uglier kit.