Teams & Riders The Great Big Cycling Transfers and Rumours Thread

[Eddy Evenepoel]

If this merger happens it will be interesting how they solve the whole “we have like 50 riders on contract” and “we have a whole lot of staff on contracts”

It should be possible to get rid of some riders that other teams would like to take, for example Alaphilippe to a French team.

Then I assume the best solution is to set up a development team and put a bunch of riders there but where they keep their contract/salary and then hope to clean up the mess after next season when more contracts runs out.

 

[RedheadDane]

Then I assume the best solution is to set up a development team and put a bunch of riders there but where they keep their contract/salary and then hope to clean up the mess after next season when more contracts runs out.

QS has a devo team.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

QS has a devo team.

Make it bigger then

 

[samhocking]

Could even be a double-merger. Movistar obviously ends sponsorship this year and looks likely to end as a team with is it 6 riders under contract for next year? So that would merge with Ineos nicely as 15+6 as a Belstaff-Soudal project or something like that. Ineos switch sponsorship over to replace Soudal at Quickstep, the 10 riders or so left over then fit into the two teams and Ineos's or Movistars licence + infrastructure gets sold off or is turned into a womens world tour or dev team we know Ineos have been discussing will happen at some point.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Ineos finally gets a Devo team, and possibly a women's team enabling PFP to return to do some road racing after the Olympics.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

QS has a devo team.

Team should be allowed to set up stagnation and deterioration teams as well. G could be the leader of one of them.

 

[staubsauger]

I thought Movistar was about to find a new additional sponsor and increase budget!? Did that finally fell through?

 

[samhocking]

Team should be allowed to set up stagnation and deterioration teams as well. G could be the leader of one of them.

They'll have a whole team called Movistar for that if they merge lol!

 

[pastronef]

Bruyneel said he's been told that the UCI have a new project registered for 2024 that is the Ineos-Quickstep merger for 2024.

wow, I thought 2024 was too early. the amount of clauses and sponsors deals to be settled is huge

 

[samhocking]

I thought Movistar was about to find a new additional sponsor and increase budget!? Did that finally fell through?

Reposol Petroleum was rumoured to be a second sponsor last year, I've not heard anything more since. Like Ineos, Movistar have little inbound rider movement. 2024 still showing 23 riders out of contract, 7 with contracts but it's still quite early in the season, La Vuelta has to be completed before it all starts moving again.

 

[samhocking]

wow, I thought 2024 was too early. the amount of clauses and sponsors deals to be settled is huge

I guess Soudal-Quickstep as ongoing sponsors could be absorbed easily into an Ineos buyout for whatever terms they have. Ineos just reduce their financial input after merging. I can't imagine Lefevere's sponsors agree to more than a 12 month renewal commitment though, the money is paid monthly usually. Pinarello/Specialized is possibly a bit complex, but I get the sense Pinarello have probable maximised their ROI by now and Remco comes with Specialized as his personal sponsor too afaik?

 

[RedheadDane]

Team should be allowed to set up stagnation and deterioration teams as well. G could be the leader of one of them.

IPT just has their main team function as one...
(No offense to Derek Gee.)

 

[pastronef]

I guess Soudal-Quickstep as ongoing sponsors could be absorbed easily into an Ineos buyout for whatever terms they have. Ineos just reduce their financial input after merging. I can't imagine Lefevere's sponsors agree to more than a 12 month renewal commitment though, the money is paid monthly usually. Pinarello/Specialized is possibly a bit complex, but I get the sense Pinarello have probable maximised their ROI by now and Remco comes with Specialized as his personal sponsor too afaik?

Pina could be moved to his new owner's team, Q36.5

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Reposol Petroleum was rumoured to be a second sponsor last year, I've not heard anything more since. Like Ineos, Movistar have little inbound rider movement. 2024 still showing 23 riders out of contract, 7 with contracts but it's still quite early in the season, La Vuelta has to be completed before it all starts moving again.

Strangely though, there has been in-bound movement on the women's side which is part of the same apparatus.

 

[SafeBet]

The video is a little confusing. At one point he clearly says he doesn't think the merger will happen but then towards the end he states the opposite. He must have received a pretty convincing message from that "little bird" during the podcast.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

The video is a little confusing. At one point he clearly says he doesn't think the merger will happen but then towards the end he states the opposite. He must have received a pretty convincing message from that "little bird" during the podcast.

It seems farfetched to me. Surely Quickstep wouldn't have announced 2 new riders in teh past week if they new they were merging with Ineos.

 

[iBanesto]

The video is a little confusing. At one point he clearly says he doesn't think the merger will happen but then towards the end he states the opposite. He must have received a pretty convincing message from that "little bird" during the podcast.

That is true.

I think Bruyneel was really talking hypothetically about possible scenarios based on what he has heard. Just because there is a "project" doesn't guarantee it will go ahead.

 

[yaco]

My understanding is a few teams are keeping one or two spots vacant in case the merger goes ahead.

 

[samhocking]

That is true.

I think Bruyneel was really talking hypothetically about possible scenarios based on what he has heard. Just because there is a "project" doesn't guarantee it will go ahead.

I saw it that he's been told the UCI have a new team registration for 2024 (deadline for team registration is September iirc), but he didn't seem to be aware Ineos only had 15 riders for 2024. Once he knew that, he seemed to put two and two together, but it's still only rumour.
If they did merge, that would be 24 riders from QS and 15 from Ineos leaving an excess of 9 riders overspill, but then some of those 9 will already be moves to new teams just not announced yet due to La Vuelta still going on.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

But Ineos have probably more than the 15 listed on PCS. For example Carlos Rodriguez isn’t listed there.

 

[samhocking]

True, it might be 10, although his contract and others ending haven't been officially announced yet, Ineos leave it until the riders racing has finished usually so they are not media distracted.

 

[joseph89]

Patrick Lefevere - "Ineos is a closed chapter that never actually was one" i.e remco has got the salary bump he was after, the end.

 

[pastronef]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1703046243549671447

View: https://www.twitter.com/JohanBruyneel/status/1703046243549671447

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Don't know where else to ask the question. What brand will TotalEenergies be racing next year?

 

[pastronef]

Don't know where else to ask the question. What brand will TotalEenergies be racing next year?

KTM