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

[dick the quick]

Sajnok (CCC) to Cofidis.

 

[Salvarani]

I dunno. Add Kruijswijk back into that team instead of Jansen and maybe they'd have been able to win. They're also adding Oomen.

Imo, Roglic wins if Jumbo are more aggressive and pay attention to Pogacar earlier instead of Roglic wanting to climb with his friend. Or if they use Dumoulin better to keep him in GC hopes and force others to work more.

Even if they don't change, that team with Kruijswijk there, and it Bennett doesn't get hurt earlier causes pain for every team in the race. I mean Van Aert is the 6th worst climber when they're all fit in that team.

Van Aert was probably stronger than they expected.

Bennett barely had anything to give when Van Aert was done, which might have to do with crashes early on of course.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

There are currently 10 riders without confirmed contracts for next year so 4 will have to depart as the max squad size is 30 riders.

Basso
Ganna
Geoghegan Hart
Knees
Kwiatkowski
Moscon
Narvaez
Sivakov
Stannard
Wurf


wast the limit push from 30 to 32 next year because of covid?

 

[LaFlorecita]

wast the limit push from 30 to 32 next year because of covid?

Yep

 

[Hugo Koblet]

C´mon Bernal had back problems this year. One can´t just write him off because of one bad GT in the corona year..

What has corona got to do with it?

 

[perico]

I didn't see this anywhere, so forgive me if it's already been posted.

Ruben Fernandez is going to Cofidis next season.

Never understood why Movistar let him go. Yeah he was a massive disappointment, but he is good enough to be a strong support rider in the mountains. Maybe he wanted a fresh start and more freedom.

 

[perico]

What has corona got to do with it?

Targeted races and training. It was a weird year and though it was confirmation for certain riders, you can’t really say that riders were able to prepare in the best way to reach the TdF in optimal form. Some guys came on overcooked (Bernal, who put in ridiculous training rides) while others started off undercooked (Mas- who couldn’t follow anyone in the early climbs then was one of the 4-5 strongest riders in the Alps).

Not discrediting anyone’s results, but I have a harder time writing guys off this year because it was such a weird year and they didn’t even know if they would be able to race again.

 

[primoz]

Never understood why Movistar let him go. Yeah he was a massive disappointment, but he is good enough to be a strong support rider in the mountains. Maybe he wanted a fresh start and more freedom.

His manager(Acquadro) could be the reason.

 

[Koronin]

Never understood why Movistar let him go. Yeah he was a massive disappointment, but he is good enough to be a strong support rider in the mountains. Maybe he wanted a fresh start and more freedom.

I think it was more they thought he needed more time to develop at a lower level.

His manager(Acquadro) could be the reason.

When he left it was before the blow up with Acuquadro by a year. However, this would be a reason they won't re-sign him.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Targeted races and training. It was a weird year and though it was confirmation for certain riders, you can’t really say that riders were able to prepare in the best way to reach the TdF in optimal form. Some guys came on overcooked (Bernal, who put in ridiculous training rides) while others started off undercooked (Mas- who couldn’t follow anyone in the early climbs then was one of the 4-5 strongest riders in the Alps).

Not discrediting anyone’s results, but I have a harder time writing guys off this year because it was such a weird year and they didn’t even know if they would be able to race again.

Aight, that makes sense. Good answer, thanks!

 

[Ricco']

When he left it was before the blow up with Acuquadro by a year. However, this would be a reason they won't re-sign him.

It may seem longer given the year we've had, but Fernandez only left Movistar at the end of last season, same time as the others Acquadro riders.

 

[Koronin]

It may seem longer given the year we've had, but Fernandez only left Movistar at the end of last season, same time as the others Acquadro riders.

Ok, then you're right. I thought it was 2 years ago. You're right this year has been very long (for multiple reasons).

 

[Bakkie]

Is DQS complete for next year? Or are there any rumours or opportunities?

 

[WKA311]

Gazzetta reports Kevin Colleoni to Mitchelton.

 

[Berflamand]

Ten riders from Lotto-Soudal have been informed that their contracts won't be renewed next year (Wallays, Van der Sande, Armée, Maes, Hansen, Van Goethem, Marczynski, Mertz, Iversen and Dibben).

Won't be easy for all of them to still find a new team.

They will be replaced by very young riders like Kron, Vervloesem, Grignard, Sweeny, Verschaeve, Moniquet, Conca and Vermeersch.

Apparently Lotto-Soudal has to work with a lighter budget next year. The big guns are not amused because the team loses its entire midfield and they will have to count on very young and inexperienced riders next year who usually need time to adapt.

Source: https://www.hln.be/sport/wielrennen...en-goedkope-neoprofs-als-vervangers~aad0703f/

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

According to PCS Lotto have 23 guys signed for next year and 10 of them are born 1998 or late.. so that is a very young squad.

They will of course be able to put a solid team behind Gilbert in the spring classics and a solid team around Ewan in the Tour, but boy it will be hard to get enough quality in a Giro or Vuelta-team unless Ewan goes there aswell.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Gazzetta reports Kevin Colleoni to Mitchelton.

So both Conca and Colleoni won't respect their contract with Androni.
Their manager is Quinziato, who's a fake nice guy and an unpleasant person to deal with (yes, I really don't like him, despite him being a local guy).

 

[Red Rick]

Is it me or are these agent thingies getting more and more annoying like in football.

 

[42x16ss]

Ten riders from Lotto-Soudal have been informed that their contracts won't be renewed next year (Wallays, Van der Sande, Armée, Maes, Hansen, Van Goethem, Marczynski, Mertz, Iversen and Dibben).

Won't be easy for all of them to still find a new team.

Wow. There are some quality domestiques there. Hansen in particular will struggle to get a new team at his age. A sad way for him to go from a team he gave so much to. At least he doesn't rely on racing as his primary income.

The rest of those riders are going to need some luck, but Marczynski, Armee, Wallays and Van der Sande should be safe you would think.

 

[Anderis]

Ten riders from Lotto-Soudal have been informed that their contracts won't be renewed next year (Wallays, Van der Sande, Armée, Maes, Hansen, Van Goethem, Marczynski, Mertz, Iversen and Dibben).

Won't be easy for all of them to still find a new team.

They will be replaced by very young riders like Kron, Vervloesem, Grignard, Sweeny, Verschaeve, Moniquet, Conca and Vermeersch.

Apparently Lotto-Soudal has to work with a lighter budget next year. The big guns are not amused because the team loses its entire midfield and they will have to count on very young and inexperienced riders next year who usually need time to adapt.

This is an interesting (but unfortunate) development. With so many teams either folding or reducing budgets and, I assume, not many new teams or teams with increasing budget (although I've heard AG2R are indeed increasing their budget) to balance it, it may lead to some strange developments on the transfer market. Teams might now sign some lesser riders cheaply to cut their budgets and better riders struggle to find any team. It might turn out that many of these better riders will need to review their salary demands and it might turn out that teams might regret signing these lesser riders because there will be better riders around without contract and with decreased salary demands available at later dates.

Maybe EF were right not to enter the transfer market early, after all.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Hansen could be a decent option for Michelton perhaps?

 

[Roku]

Wallays & Maes should be interesting for the classics department of any French/Belgian PCT team. Vital Concept, Alpecin, Bingoal... they should not have any problem finding a team.

Van der Sande is also interesting, he could get good results and points in lesser french & belgian races.

I can see Armee at Wanty. Marczinsky might get an option in a Spanish PCT (he lives in Granada and could be an option for Kometa. He would also be an upgrade on any Burgos rider)

For the other riders it will surely be difficult to find a professional contract.

 

[search]

Marczinsky might get an option in a Spanish PCT (he lives in Granada and could be an option for Kometa. He would also be an upgrade on any Burgos rider)

talking about Kometa... also Navarro is looking for a new team, I just read, as Isreal will not keep him. Could he (as an old friend of Contador) be an option for Kometa as well?

 

[LaFlorecita]

talking about Kometa... also Navarro is looking for a new team, I just read, as Isreal will not keep him. Could he (as an old friend of Contador) be an option for Kometa as well?

Honestly both don't seem like very exciting options... I could see Navarro join though
I hope they will focus on younger riders instead

 

[janraaskalt]

I hope they will focus on younger riders instead

Kometa (Eolo) will focus on younger riders, but maybe 1 or 2 experienced riders can help them develop.