Team HTC new intake 2011

[sublimit]

Is it me or are the riders arriving there not as good as those leaving? pretty surprised with some of the new riders so far.

Arriving

Matthew Brammeier (An Post-Sean Kelly)
• John Degenkolb (Thüringer Energie)
• Caleb Fairly (Holowesko Partners)
• Danny Pate (Garmin-Transitions)
• Alex Rasmussen (Saxo Bank)
• Gatis Smukulis (Ag2r-La Mondiale)

Leaving -

• Gert Dockx (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
• André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
• Rasmus Guldhammer (Concordia Forsikring-Himmerland)
• Adam Hansen (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
• Maxime Monfort (Team Andersen)
• Vicente Reynès (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
• Michael Rogers (Sky)
• Alekejs Saramotins (Cofidis)
• Marcel Sieberg (Omega Pharma-Lotto)

Maybe there's more riders to come in but I would be concerned if i was an HTC "fan" They still have good riders but it looks a good deal weaker than this years squad.

 

[joy118118]

last year i saw the similar posts somewhere.

in fact i think the leaving ones this year are not as good as last year.

 

[The Hitch]

last year i saw the similar posts somewhere.

in fact i think the leaving ones this year are not as good as last year.

EBH was as good as anyone leaving this year.

But for another year Htc have had too much talent. The worlds 2nd/3rd greatest sprinter.

Last year they still came out the best team. I think this year they will do the same.

 

[Kvinto]

When it's about young talanted riders HTC is unique team. Great choise for Degenkolb. They can regret for Monfort and Rogers but it's not as bad as before 2010 season.

 

[profff]

I see just one important loss, guldammer. rasmus has a great potential.
aniway last year he had a bad year and he did not fit well in the team.
All the other leaving can find asubstitute in the actual roster. greipel is wasted when you have cavendish and goss.

and they signed riders with great potential, as degelkob and caleb fairly.

 

[sublimit]

they're still looking strong but losing Greiple must be quite a loss with the guaranteed wins.

Brammier is a probably decent rider - a Brit riding for Ireland for some reason but I only heard of him properly from the Worlds early breakaway, Dekenkolb looks the best incoming rider.
Yes they always lose riders but they pick them up but I'm not so sure this time. Time will tell i suppose.

 

[sublimit]

When it's about young talanted riders HTC is unique team. Great choise for Degenkolb. They can regret for Monfort and Rogers but it's not as bad as before 2010 season.

Monfort is an unsung hero and a great signing for the Lux team. But I'm surprised they let such riders go on a consistent basis.

 

[El Pistolero]

It seems like OPL bought them all lol.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Monfort is an unsung hero and a great signing for the Lux team. But I'm surprised they let such riders go on a consistent basis.

I really don't understand why they let him go probably because he wanted to climb again and not take sprints... but still they should've let him do that

 

[Old School]

EBH was as good as anyone leaving this year.

But for another year Htc have had too much talent. The worlds 2nd/3rd greatest sprinter.

Last year they still came out the best team. I think this year they will do the same.

Gotta dispute that one...Garmin has gotten alot stronger with their additions...not sure that HTC will get so many victories when Garmin has 3 legit sprinters to battle in all the races.

On paper, Garmin looks stronger...but that's just paper.

 

[kurtinsc]

I don't know if it's much different from last year.

From 2009 to 2010:

Lost:
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky)
Michael Barry (Sky)
Marcus Burghardt (BMC)
Greg Henderson (Sky)
Kim Kirchen (Katusha)
George Hincapie (BMC)
Thomas Lovkvist (Sky)
Morris Possoni (Sky)

Added:
Lars Ytting Bak
Jan Ghyselinck
Matt Goss
Patrich Gretsch
Rasmus Guldhammer
Leigh Howard
Hayden Roulston
Aleksejs Saramotins
Tejay Van Garderen
Martin Velits
Peter Velits


On paper... that was a much bigger loss of talent then this season. But they hit on some of the young guys they brought in.

Perhaps they will again.

 

[ingsve]

On paper... that was a much bigger loss of talent then this season. But they hit on some of the young guys they brought in.

Perhaps they will again.

Ya, at the end of the year the comparison of leaving versus arriving doesn't look as bad as it did at the start of the year. Goss, Howard, TVG and Velits have done some goof things for them this year.

 

[c&cfan]

Ya, at the end of the year the comparison of leaving versus arriving doesn't look as bad as it did at the start of the year. Goss, Howard, TVG and Velits have done some goof things for them this year.

and they will improve (most likely)

they already have someone that can be the other "greipel".. goss.

and this year greipel, farrar and petachi can win a lot. they just have to skip all the races were cav enters with more than 80%fit. lol

 

[Ferminal]

Still a strong team, Rasmussen is a good in and Degenkolb is obviously one to watch for the future. The only considerable net loss is Rogers for stage races and Monfort as a bit of an all rounder.
Greipel only won one stage in the Giro this year, Goss should be able to get that in the one Cav doesn't race. Obviously his overall win record will not be matched, but Cav did have a poorer start to the season in 2010 so combined Cav + Goss (with Degenkolb and Rasmussen) 2011 should be able to equal Cav + Greipel + Goss of 2010.

2Velits, Siutsou and TJvG could all step up for the stage races, maybe even Pinotti and Martin.

They will still be in the top3 whatever way you rank them.

 

[c&cfan]

martin tjvg velits brothers siutsou.. all improving. who needs rogers?

 

[Ferminal]

martin tjvg velits brothers siutsou.. all improving. who needs rogers?

Sky Professional Cycling Team

 

[profff]

as somebody already stated, they have many riders that can improve, like velits, tj, howard, goss, siutsiou...
in this optic the only important loss was guldammer, which is second to none in terms of potential. last year he completely failed, and his talent maybe deserves another chance.. but probably they feel that he does not look ready to stand the challenges of pro cycling.

leaving greipel go is a good move: they solve the dualism with cavendish and I think that he can make a better season this Year. he has probably learnt something in 2010.

leaving rogers go is a good move : he had a great season last year and probably it will be very difficult for him to repeat. better leave tj and the velits free to have thei chances.

the only thing that i do not like is they are loosing every year a vet that knows how the world goes in the peloton , hincapie in 2009 and rogers in 2010.
experience is needed even if you have a talented team.

 

[sublimit]

Rogers would of helped Cav get over the Poggio at M-S-R so i reckon he will do a similar job for Hagen at Sky, Rogers showed a lot of class this year in that race and had so much energy at the end.. Maybe the VelIts brothers and Tony Martin will have to step in to help Cav in that race and drag him over the last climb and set him up for a sprint.

 

[Anonymous]

Could be budgetary constraints. Columbia is gone and I'd imagine they are back to using some of the T-Mobile buy out money.