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

[Axel Hangleck]

Every out of contract Italian + TGH going to Trek. No idea how well that's gonna work out, some of their signings seem a bit retundat and don't make that much sense.

I've been thinking that; none of them appear to have any rhyme or reason (a strategy) for them. A bit of a scattergun approach.

 

[xo 1]

well, if the rumors or Lefevere and Bakala wanting to sell the team I read last month are true...
that would mean a WT license would be free.

I suspect that SQS would do better to sell Remco and whomever else INEOS wants to INEOS and then sell the WT license to Israel Premier Tech (perhaps a merger of the squads) with the requirement that whatever contracts aren't assumed by INEOS are honored by IPT. Lefevere and Bakala could keep the proceeds from two transactions.

 

[pastronef]

I suspect that SQS would do better to sell Remco and whomever else INEOS wants to INEOS and then sell the WT license to Israel Premier Tech (perhaps a merger of the squads) with the requirement that whatever contracts aren't assumed by INEOS are honored by IPT. Lefevere and Bakala could keep the proceeds from two transactions.

tbf both teams have 20 riders each with a valid 2024 contract. so I don't know how this would be possible

 

[Samu Cuenca]

tbf both teams have 20 riders each with a valid 2024 contract. so I don't know how this would be possible

They could always free Landa and make him the leader of the devo team.

 

[xo 1]

About Dani Martinez to Bora, maybe they already want to sign the replacement for Higuita one year earlier? Seems a bit expensive to sign him to replace freaking Konrad...
2022 spring Dani Martinez was actually world class, but went off the rails afterwards. Him on a results based contract makes sense.

Dani is an enigma. He has real talent and seems like a really good guy; he was unbelievable for Bernal in the Giro several years ago. But every time INEOS gave him a chance to co-lead, he flopped. Not sure what his role will be for Bora but I can't imagine a team like Bora trusting him to lead a GC squad. Even his attempts to win stages for INEOS came to nothing. I have no reason to think it is motivation that troubles him; he comes to races in shape then stubs his toe.

 

[xo 1]

tbf both teams have 20 riders each with a valid 2024 contract. so I don't know how this would be possible

I haven't reviewed the contract status of the two teams; I was relying on an observation from a couple of weeks ago that INEOS and SQS each had roughly 15 riders under contract. Obviously Landa has been signed. The question would be how many riders the three squads, counting IPT, would have? Since the IPT riders have signed contracts with a non-WT team, I'm thinking that IPT would have some flexibility to retain some contracts for a non-WT team.

But to what I take to be your bigger point, it is all fantasy. I'm spending other people's money and it would take a lot of it to pull it off. Occam's razor suggests the most likely answer is that INEOS has greatly reduced its budget and ambitions, however unsatisfying that is, and that Remco will be racing for SQS next year, even if he would prefer to tear up his existing contract and sign a new contract at his current market value.

 

[pastronef]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692279054118908142

View: https://twitter.com/Barbuzard/status/1692279054118908142

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

switch Tolhoek for Hellemose who's slowly improving + keep Liepins as well

I agree, Liepins rode a great classics campaign.

 

[Aimar16]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692279054118908142

View: https://twitter.com/Barbuzard/status/1692279054118908142

Pinarello may have a new owner, but they've spent a lot of money in the last year to get into the MTB business. It would be pretty bad marketing to drop INEOS before they officially start selling MTB bikes since INEOS riders won the men's and women's XCO world championships with Dogma XC.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Pinarello may have a new owner, but they've spent a lot of money in the last year to get into the MTB business. It would be pretty bad marketing to drop INEOS before they officially start selling MTB bikes since INEOS riders won the men's and women's XCO world championships with Dogma XC.

It's all as clear as mud at the moment, I did suggest this may be a possibility a few weeks ago with the Ineos / QS gossip and Gasenberg investing heavily in Q365.
Agree with what you say, who knows perhaps Ineos will just become an offroad team and Pinarello continue that sponsorship event.
It does appear something, possibly big, is going to happen.

 

[Peter von]

it's certainly an odd development, apparently George Bennett and Carlos Verona were also supposed to sign Ineos initially, but it's not going to happen now

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692476630214582651

View: https://twitter.com/CharlesMarsault/status/1692476630214582651


so what do we make of this? Maybe Evenepoel doesn't move to Ineos, but the two teams merge, as was rumoured earlier on?

Maybe.

Or maybe INEOS are doing their own heads in because they want to sign a tour winner, but the potential tour winners aren’t coming. So they either overpay for guys like Foss or the start next season with 14 riders.

 

[IndianCyclist]

What's the savings from the fire sale at Ineos? They might merge both teams for Remco

 

[samhocking]

What's the savings from the fire sale at Ineos? They might merge both teams for Remco

Or simply end Team Ineos as we know it and buy the entire QS team. QuickSteps & Ineos's excess infrastructure and staff become an Ineos Womens team or Ineos Development Team and QuickStep's sponsors merge with Ineos as secondary sponsors and Ineos's financial input drops. Remco doesn't need to be bought out of his contract and Lefevre gets to retire.

 

[ScottishBlood]

Or simply end Team Ineos as we know it and buy the entire QS team. QuickSteps & Ineos's excess infrastructure and staff become an Ineos Womens team or Ineos Development Team and QuickStep's sponsors merge with Ineos as secondary sponsors and Ineos's financial input drops. Remco doesn't need to be bought out of his contract and Lefevre gets to retire.

It would make me sad if Ineos was disbanded. I think the cycling world needs a WT team in Britain.

Let's say what you suggest were to happen. What name do you think this new team would operate and ride under?

 

[StryderHells]

I've been thinking that; none of them appear to have any rhyme or reason (a strategy) for them. A bit of a scattergun approach.

That’s not true! TGH, Milan and Konrad make perfect sense, Consonni is a good rider but it all depends on what they’ve hired him for.

 

[joseph89]

Nieuwsblad in a report about ineos mentions Luke Plapp could leave the team after this season.

Jayco?

 

[samhocking]

It would make me sad if Ineos was disbanded. I think the cycling world needs a WT team in Britain.

Let's say what you suggest were to happen. What name do you think this new team would operate and ride under?

I know Ellingworth is keen on adding the womens / development team structure similar to what Jumbo have so it wouldn't have to end as such, just transform to a different category, or Quickstep would and Ineos and Quickstes sponsors carry on as Team Ineos the company. Last year he said the womens team is wanted, but he didn't know when, it will be based on rider availability and licences etc. Let see, lots of departures, but Ineos generally announce new signings twoards the end of the season.

 

[OlavEH]

That’s not true! TGH, Milan and Konrad make perfect sense

How? Now they seem to try to do a bit of everything. And the result is that the support in many races may be only of secondary quality.

 

[yaco]

Nieuwsblad in a report about ineos mentions Luke Plapp could leave the team after this season.

Jayco?

I know that Jayco had Plapp as their number one target for 2025 - He'd be a good addition in 2024.

 

[Salvarani]

I've been thinking that; none of them appear to have any rhyme or reason (a strategy) for them. A bit of a scattergun approach.

Not much you can do when you are not Jumbo or UAE.

You have to try find good value in the market, which I think they have done with their signings so far.

 

[awavey]

I know Ellingworth is keen on adding the womens / development team structure similar to what Jumbo have so it wouldn't have to end as such, just transform to a different category, or Quickstep would and Ineos and Quickstes sponsors carry on as Team Ineos the company. Last year he said the womens team is wanted, but he didn't know when, it will be based on rider availability and licences etc. Let see, lots of departures, but Ineos generally announce new signings twoards the end of the season.

I wouldnt have thought Jumbos womens team is the model to follow, unless you want to do it really half ar**d, Jumbo are basically just a sponsor, which fair dues not an issue with that it provides funding (albeit not on the scale of the mens team), but it hasnt felt theyve developed the team or stepped up since being a pro-conti level team, and they arent signing big name riders and might soon have a Vos shaped hole to fill as well. Ive no idea how they intend to become the best womens team in the world, which is their stated goal.

plus you dont see the same kind of cooperation or links between the teams like you do at say Trek, where they are clearly working together.

 

[SafeBet]

How? Now they seem to try to do a bit of everything. And the result is that the support in many races may be only of secondary quality.

Lidl has obviously upped the team budget and consequently the expectations. This is a team that aims at excelling in every type of race. Tao and Milan both have the potential to be superstars (depending on recovery and development) so they are no brainer targets for a team with high ambitions. Konrad looks like the kind of quality support rider you say the team is lacking.

I guess Felline will be on a very low salary and just wanted to finish his career with Trek after spending many years with them.

 

[awavey]

EF Education-TIBCO-SVB have confirmed what we kind of expected,that the team is set to fold at the end of this year

So contracted riders and staff free to join new teams

but that means going back to the Ellingworth/Ineos/QS grand plan, there's a wwt licence right there for the taking at minimal cost,and no complicated mergers, with staff and with riders though not full compliment anymore. Why not just sponsor them to keep going and gou have your women's team ?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Not much you can do when you are not Jumbo or UAE.

You have to try find good value in the market, which I think they have done with their signings so far.

My impression is that Jayco signings are more focussed than Trek and not all over the place.

 

[Salvarani]

My impression is that Jayco signings are more focussed than Trek and not all over the place.

That may be the case... but I think Trek has found good value in the riders that they have signed. You can can only sign what is available to you. They have riders that could be capable of some good results.