Quick Step - Davis and Contador

[timbat]

Hmm now reported that Quick Step is short of cash. And despite claiming they can't afford to keep Davis they now say he can't leave for free. Is Lefevre for real ?

And all this time still pursuing the pipe dream of signing Contador ?

Seems most inconsistent from Quick Step!

 

[issoisso]

Hmm now reported that Quick Step is short of cash. And despite claiming they can't afford to keep Davis they now say he can't leave for free. Is Lefevre for real ?

And all this time still pursuing the pipe dream of signing Contador ?

Seems most inconsistent from Quick Step!

His previous statements were that he has a sponsor ready to come on board specifically to pay Contador's salary, which will only happen if Contador signs.

Basically the exact same as Caisse have.

 

[cobblehead]

it's not inconsistent, lefevre told the belgian press a few months ago that he had found extra money to sign contador if he left astana, that money was coming from his sponsors and mostly from specialized (quicksteps then bikesponsor).

After it became clear that contador was staying with astana specialized ended it's contract with quickstep and joined astana (well actually contador, they just took the rest of the team with him), a move that cost quickstep a lot of money and meant that lefevre is feeling a little credit crunch for the coming season (not the only team though teams like saxo are having the same problem)

It's in this context that lefevre has said that stauff will be quicksteps last signing and that he wants davis to buy out his contract if he wants to leave since he only now told lefevre that he's leaving..

 

[moi123]

I don't think Contador would want to go to quickstep, it's not his first option.

 

[isayic]

Some possibilities

I don't think Contador would want to go to quickstep, it's not his first option.

I think he will stay with Astana if everything goes well or he will join Caisse d'Epargne or build a new team with Fernando Alonso.

 

[Archibald]

I don't think Contador would want to go to quickstep, it's not his first option.

why not? it's a fun team, just ask boonen (sniff sniff)

 

[afpm90]

I think he will stay with Astana if everything goes well or he will join Caisse d'Epargne or build a new team with Fernando Alonso.

He didn't renew with Astana when they were offering a tremendous amount of money to him, so it's unlikely that he'll stay with Astana after 2010. Caisse is the most probable choice and there's also Garmin.

 

[Mickey]

It's in this context that lefevre has said that stauff will be quicksteps last signing and that he wants davis to buy out his contract if he wants to leave since he only now told lefevre that he's leaving..

My information was that Alby was told if he could find another team he better do it. And for weeks now, Alby has known he had to buy out his Quickstep contract himself.

 

[karlboss]

So what does alby get if he doesn't buy out his contract? Wages for the year but doesn't ride? I'm confused.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Davis would be a much better fit at Astana. He'd have great opportunities, since Astana has no other viable sprinter. Honestly, though, he may have to depend on others' trains. I'm not sure how much of a sprint train Astana has.

 

[lagartija]

So what does alby get if he doesn't buy out his contract? Wages for the year but doesn't ride? I'm confused.

actually the way i understood it, if he cant buy out his contract, lefevre would force him to ride under the existing contract.....which seems not to be all that great

 

[blackcat]

So what does alby get if he doesn't buy out his contract? Wages for the year but doesn't ride? I'm confused.

buying out contract presumes he has a valid contract, and thus will ride peripheral races.

With Devolder and Boonen there is no room. There is no money to go around. And Wylandt is also a good sprinter.

Davis needs to ride the Tour and San Remo, those are his races, but he has to be second to Boonen in San Remo, and he is not a real leadout rider for the Tour. Davis needs to ride for himself at the Tour, he is a sprinter like Mcewen.

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

Davis deserves a chance to be a leader in the bigger races, making getting out of Quick Step a priority. Boonen doesnt seem to be as strong a sprinter in the past, but still he is their leader.

But it would not surprise me if Davis had been looking for a new team ever since the whole Tour debacle, where he even took part in the presentation before losing his place to Boonen at the last minute. (And what a productive tour Boonen had in his place...)