Teams & Riders The Great Big Cycling Transfers, Extensions, and Rumours Thread

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All the signs for me were that Ineos have been deliberately run down over the last two years as Ratcliffe prepared to take over Manchester United, and so hoping to sell the team.

Maybe though it was all part of long-term plan to reduce the budget for Evenepoel's wages and contract termination fees?

Or he now knows the Man Utd deal isn't going through and is panic-buying?

Choose your poison. Option one for me still.
 
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All the signs for me were that Ineos have been deliberately run down over the last two years as Ratcliffe prepared to take over Manchester United, and so hoping to sell the team.

Maybe though it was all part of long-term plan to reduce the budget for Evenepoel's wages and contract termination fees?

Or he now knows the Man Utd deal isn't going through and is panic-buying?

Choose your poison. Option one for me still.
I'm not sure they've run down the team, they still ranked 3rd best WT team last two years. I think their strenth is a little underestimated simply because their progress ended when Froome crashed, quickly turned around with Bernal winning LeTour, but then he had his injury, came back but then crashed out too and all other riders capable of racing at Bernal's level are locked in contracts and not possible to sign. According to Ellingworth they've been busy focusing on development of younger riders and I think it's gonna come together quite well with Sheffield, Turner, Pidcock, Tarling, Hayter(s) & Arensmen if/when Remoco arrives.
 
All the signs for me were that Ineos have been deliberately run down over the last two years as Ratcliffe prepared to take over Manchester United, and so hoping to sell the team.

Maybe though it was all part of long-term plan to reduce the budget for Evenepoel's wages and contract termination fees?

Or he now knows the Man Utd deal isn't going through and is panic-buying?

Choose your poison. Option one for me still.
The cycling team annual cost is too small to have any relevance to the Manchester situation.
Worth half a top players transfer cost at best.
If Radcliffe is to drop one of his sporting interests its more likely to be the sailing team after the next Americas cup, unless they win of course.
 
I know its getting to more speculation
and rumours upon rumours stage now but Daniel Friebe is reporting anecdotally that riders who thought they were on the way there are being told Ineos deals are currently on hold.

At this rate they could announce theyve signed Harry Kane, for Nice
 
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The cycling team annual cost is too small to have any relevance to the Manchester situation.
Worth half a top players transfer cost at best.
If Radcliffe is to drop one of his sporting interests its more likely to be the sailing team after the next Americas cup, unless they win of course.

Plus at present the cycling team are the only ones reall showcasing their Land-rover copy, take that away, no one talks about the Grenadier anymore.

But there definitely feels like something is going on behind the scenes with them.
 
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Contador said that Remco would take some teammates with him to INEOS. Who do we think this might be? Vervaeke and Van Wilder?
I'm wondering what about QuickStep in all of this. Do they even survive as a team? Their classics and sprinting power was already dwindling before this year and for 2024 they've lost Jakobsen and Schmid. It was clear that Evenepoel was their main long term project that they've made some compromises for in other areas and without him the team would look really toothless. And if Van Wilder is one of the team mates that follow him to Ineos, it's even worse. Not the QuickStep we've all got used to for the last 10 years.

Or maybe they'll use the compensation for cancelling Evenepoel's contract to make a big signing themselves?
 
Interesting responses from recent interview with Soudal CEO

Coorevits: 'And if that is the case, then what? Then Patrick has to build a team around another climber. You have to ask him how he would do that. For us there is a long-term vision, and if it is difficult for one or two years, then so be it.'

Your ambition was to reach the podium of the Tour with Evenepoel, right?​

Coorevits: 'It's nice that he's a Belgian. But if a Spaniard like Juan Ayuso comes, that might be even better for Soudal. Our sponsorship is not related to any rider. We can only withdraw if there are doping problems.'

 
Interesting responses from recent interview with Soudal CEO

Coorevits: 'And if that is the case, then what? Then Patrick has to build a team around another climber. You have to ask him how he would do that. For us there is a long-term vision, and if it is difficult for one or two years, then so be it.'

Your ambition was to reach the podium of the Tour with Evenepoel, right?​

Coorevits: 'It's nice that he's a Belgian. But if a Spaniard like Juan Ayuso comes, that might be even better for Soudal. Our sponsorship is not related to any rider. We can only withdraw if there are doping problems.'


Yeah okay, I think it's done. "We're in for the long term, if he leaves we have to focus on developing someone else. And we're belgians but it might be even better for us if it's a spaniard".

It just reeks of copium, but they better be aware that they won't get Juan Ayuso, they will have to be happy with Freakin'Landa for now.

I guess there won't be an official confirmation until after the Vuelta, otherwise it would be chaos there for both parties.
 
Yeah okay, I think it's done. "We're in for the long term, if he leaves we have to focus on developing someone else. And we're belgians but it might be even better for us if it's a spaniard".

It just reeks of copium, but they better be aware that they won't get Juan Ayuso, they will have to be happy with Freakin'Landa for now.

I guess there won't be an official confirmation until after the Vuelta, otherwise it would be chaos there for both parties.
Best bit of the interview

Swerts: 'And that Ratcliffe (the CEO of Ineos, ed.) Would like to steal our Wout van Aert, I hear.'
Coorevits: 'Remco Evenepoel.'
Swerts: 'Yes, I mean that.'

🤣🤣
 
The cycling team annual cost is too small to have any relevance to the Manchester situation.
Get rid of team INEOS to pay for a backup left back = smart.

I do think INEOS. Have mostly been constrained by the three potential Tour winners riding for different teams and seemingly Bering happy being there. Then there is just nothing you can do except waiting until you get an opportunity to sign a better rider or you develop a new star yourself. Or you could switch focus to other bike races.

One could make the argument that Ratcliffe has lost interest because they stopped winning the Tour regularly.





Yeah... this definitely doesn't scream "on his way out" to me. More that he's quite tired of the weird rumours.
Skjeldmose also knew Wout was leaving the Tour when he wasn’t. so I think the riders can also get carried away sometimes.

Overall I am sure there are talks. As soon as teams hear that maybe Remco is on the market they would be fools not to have a look.
Likewise Remco also has to listen to what people offer because he has a career to maximize and if he needs these people to give him a job in five years time it’s better not to hurt their feelings now, even more so if he wants them to do it for next season ofc.
 
Have to say I'm seeing a lot of noise from Lefevere and Evenepoel in the past day but no actual denial in there
Going by Thomas & Remco's chat on the pod and how good mates they are, it sounded like Remco is going to Ineos to me, just how Thomas joked about it and then Remco went totally silent haha! I'd say the agreement is probably there to join Ineos, it's just a financial matter of compensating Lefevre & his sponsors or Lefevre matching Ineos's offer, and some, for Remco to stay.
 
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Going by Thomas & Remco's chat on the pod and how good mates they are, it sounded like Remco is going to Ineos to me, just how Thomas joked about it and then Remco went totally silent haha! I'd say the agreement is probably there to join Ineos, it's just a financial matter of compensating Lefevre & his sponsors or Lefevre matching Ineos's offer, and some, for Remco to stay.

I think Remco had disconnected from the chat, when he started joking about that.