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

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I wonder if they plan a raid for one of the Aussie GC riders in a longer term. The contracts of Yates and Groenewegen are expiring after next season. The same for Hindley and O'Connor. Especially Groenewegen is a contract that really shoudn't be extended.

The number one target is Plapp and they also want to get Groves back. It's more likely for Yates, rather than Groenewegen to leave at the end of 2024. Of the GC riders it's more likely to be Hindley.
 
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Agree, but there are other races than the Tour, and based on rumours for next year, I think UAE will prioriotize top climbing talent (Yates, Ayuso, Almeida) who will also ride up there in the GC in TdF. At least 2 out of those 3 would be my guess, so that leaves a spot or two for the Giro. And who knows, maybe they also bring Vine and Mcnulty and throw everything and the kitchen sink into the race which seems to be extremely mountanous and only go with 2 rouleurs.
According to other rumours, Ayuso and Almeida have a clause in their contract which exempts them from ever having to work for Pogacar, so that could cause some trouble.

But I think by now they should know that sticking your team full of climbers isn't the way to win the Tour. Before the Tour everyone was saying how UAE were so much stronger than Jumbo and that they would absolutely dominate in the mountains. Apparently that's not how it works.
 
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According to other rumours, Ayuso and Almeida have a clause in their contract which exempts them from ever having to work for Pogacar, so that could cause some trouble.

But I think by now they should know that sticking your team full of climbers isn't the way to win the Tour. Before the Tour everyone was saying how UAE were so much stronger than Jumbo and that they would absolutely dominate in the mountains. Apparently that's not how it works.
no-one has ever said that.
 
According to other rumours, Ayuso and Almeida have a clause in their contract which exempts them from ever having to work for Pogacar, so that could cause some trouble.

But I think by now they should know that sticking your team full of climbers isn't the way to win the Tour. Before the Tour everyone was saying how UAE were so much stronger than Jumbo and that they would absolutely dominate in the mountains. Apparently that's not how it works.
Show me an example where someone said UAE was so much stronger than Jumbo. I’m waiting.
 
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Sivakov is a funny dude. Always yapping and publicly asking for this, that and the third. He wants leadership here, he wants a free role there. Of course, he never gives any results to warrant such requests. Then goes on to sign with the one team where he will get a grand total of zero races.
He has not lived up expectations. I hope a new team gives him a fresh start, because I do think he's quite good.
 
Yeah De Buyst and Ewan aren't the best friends anymore so that would be weird.

The riders do tend to get over these spats - I remember Ewan and Mezgec had a spat at the 2018 Ride London after Ewan broke team rules by getting in the break - They soon kissed and made up and Ewan tried to get Mezgec to follow him to Lotto Disteny.

I strongly suspect that if DeBuyst is leaving Lotto then he is following Ewan. However, I wonder which team would take Ewan - Israel and Arkea are out. Could it be FDJ or AG2R?
 
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Well, FDJ has been intent in dismantling their sprint train in the last 2 seasons and also made sure a staple of their team for the past decades, a sprinter who needs much less team resources to get results, leave for a rival, so I doubt they want Ewan, and if they want that's a really Madiotic decision.
 
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Jun 20, 2023
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He has not lived up expectations. I hope a new team gives him a fresh start, because I do think he's quite good.
I don't think it is lack of opportunity that bedeviled him at INEOS but his keen ability to crash out of races. Based on various podcasts on which he has appeared, I like Pavel quite a lot and root for him. Although he is talented, I suspect INEOS has grown weary of waiting for him to complete a grand tour.