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

Page 437 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Talent doesn't go to Cofidis unless they get overpaid. It's November, I'm not sure why you were under the impression they were going to fill up their selection with anything special? Of course Maas and Ourselin are basically minimum wage, they didn't have any other choices. Look, I'm not sure why they didn't just give an extension to Wood or Mariault instead but neither of them were going to make a difference anyways. Cofidis did their big transfers a while back, not sure why you expected more.
This is exactly the kind of thinking that hinders Cofidis from progressing. I would much rather see the 120 000 euro (at the minimum) used on performance. Like sending riders to altitude camps (they don't even do this as a team before grand tours, only a handful of riders do), hiring performance staff, investing in equipment etc. etc.

What would Visma-LAB do in this situation for instance? Surely not sign old and under-performing riders to fill in spots like Maas and Ourselin. Facilitating the performance around the best riders are much more valuable than having a deep but weak roster. Stagiaires from the french circuit can do this job perfectly well.
 
This is exactly the kind of thinking that hinders Cofidis from progressing. I would much rather see the 120 000 euro (at the minimum) used on performance. Like sending riders to altitude camps (they don't even do this as a team before grand tours, only a handful of riders do), hiring performance staff, investing in equipment etc. etc.

What would Visma-LAB do in this situation for instance? Surely not sign old and under-performing riders to fill in spots like Maas and Ourselin. Facilitating the performance around the best riders are much more valuable than having a deep but weak roster. Stagiaires from the french circuit can do this job perfectly well.

Oh absolutely agree with that, in general I think it's way better to have 27 or 28 riders and spent the rest of the budget on performance related things (like Lotto now for example), BUT you have to take into account that Cofidis probably is in survival mode and their strategy will probably be again to ride a lot of races to make sure they remain in the WT. They are not really in the position now to risk riding less races, and they don't have a devo team. And you can talk about stagiaires, but they can't be used before August. It's pretty simple, n
 
He deserves a pro contract, quality rider. Hopefully he enters the WT again and then it's easier to stick around, even if he does not get a long-term contract with UAE.

Italian PCT scene:
Tonelli and Zoccarato join Polti-Kometa.
Bardiani has confirmed a 23 rider roster (at least for now). That probably means Covilli is staying and Gabburo leaving.
 
Hear tell that Julius Johansen is trading in the famous fluro for the dull whites of UAE, in one of the stranger rumours flying around at the moment.
The rider most famous for the fact that actually Jumbo were trying to sign him, before his DS told them they should give their other less heralded rider a try, Jonas Vingegaard. Not sure why UAE would want him.
 
Twitter, a reliable source claims it was close to being finalized some days / weeks ago.

But usually transfer rumours about random obscure riders tend to be found mainly in the national media of said random obscure rider.

Sure, he's a former Junior World Champion, and got some amazing hair, but he's not exactly an international world beater.
However, EB seems just like that kind of media that would pick that kind of story up, probably calling him a "Star" in the process.
 
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He deserves a pro contract, quality rider. Hopefully he enters the WT again and then it's easier to stick around, even if he does not get a long-term contract with UAE.

Italian PCT scene:
Tonelli and Zoccarato join Polti-Kometa.
Bardiani has confirmed a 23 rider roster (at least for now). That probably means Covilli is staying and Gabburo leaving.
And Zoccarato is once again wasting his time on a PCT team that doesn't race on the cobbles...
 
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He's good on the cobbles? How do we know that? Not from a quick PCS research I made. :p
Breakaway rider with a big engine who can climb rather well, 74kg heavy and he was good in the 2021 Danilith Nokere Koerse as a neopro where he was on the attack.
A strong rider, he was also 3rd in the 2021 Italian NC on the Imola circuit with extreme heat while being in the breakaway all day long (again as a neopro).
Good endurance and power and climbs rather well for a 74kg guy, top 30 on Jebel Hafeef in 2022 and 21st in 2023.

He'd be a cheap workhorse for a gc team, the guy who pulls all day long, doing the dirty work on all kinds of terrain.
 
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Anyone see the Jesus Peña debacle? His manager has basically tanked his chances of signing anywhere next season. He'll be lucky to get a PRT contract. A shame because he's bloody talented, I wish he got an extension over Durbridge or a few others at Jayco.


The report is right in that Jayco tried to terminate him one year into a two year contract. He improved in year 2 and hence, he got a one year extension covering 2025. It was no surprise that he was not renewed by Jayco for 2026. I agree about Durbridge. He's struggled to get the job done in the last two TDF's.
 
The report is right in that Jayco tried to terminate him one year into a two year contract. He improved in year 2 and hence, he got a one year extension covering 2025. It was no surprise that he was not renewed by Jayco for 2026. I agree about Durbridge. He's struggled to get the job done in the last two TDF's.
Yeah he was really good last year, his Slovenia was really impressive. I'd have him in the squad over Hellemose, Double, Durbridge quite comfortably.