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

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GenericBoonenFan

GenericBoonenFan

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Sciatic said:
I guess I was thinking about how Sweden has produced the best in the world (or the best ever in a few cases) in a diverse range of sports beyond Nordic events: tennis, athletics, alpine skiing, golf, swimming, ice hockey, etc.
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Up untill thirty/forty years ago the Swedes were the most dominant Scandinavian cycling country.
Gosta Peterssen won Il Giro
Tommy Prin finished runner-up twice in Il Giro and won Romanie and Tirreno iirc

But they were probably the most prominent in track cycling back in the days.
 
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ingsve

ingsve

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Salvarani said:
I think just having one again is good though and something to be positive about. Not shoot it down immediately for trying. Getting to higher level will take some time and patience, of course. You need to do well and have the finances.

Just having a team with some backing again is a chance for riders to improve and develop in tougher/harder races. It is key to improve, develop and eventually bring through new riders to the pros.
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It's not like they are the only conti team from Sweden. Motala AIF - Serneke - Allebike has been a conti team since 2022. In the end being Conti doesn't mean much if you can't get invites to races so we'll see how this new outfit is at getting out there.
 
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ingsve

ingsve

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Sciatic said:
Sweden have had great athletes in so many sports over time, it’s always surprised me they have so little representation in the pro ranks. Ya, I know winter sports are a huge focus, but that’s true in Norway as well and they have regularly had top pros?
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I think it has a lot to do with what role models young people have. That's one thing that typically drives the level of minor sports in smaller countries. You get a star like Björn Borg and then suddenly you have a next generation that includes Stefan Edberg, Mats Willander, Anders Järryd etc.

With Norway you have the generations of Hushovd, Arvesen, Kristoff and Boasson Hagen to thank for the current crop of young cyclists taking up the sport and even choosing to go from winter sports into cycling. This is also helped by TV2 in Norway constantly showing the Tour each summer (and other events). That helps to fuel interest and plays on the imagination of young people.

Sweden hasn't really had the level of success in cycling that has taken over the airways and solidified public interest. There has been some hype around the World Championships at best. Even when Bäckstedt won Paris-Roubaix it hardly made any ripples in Sweden at all.
 
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Squire

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ingsve said:
Even when Bäckstedt won Paris-Roubaix it hardly made any ripples in Sweden at all.
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It has to be the Tour or World championships where things happen, really. Preferably the Tour. Non-cycling news outlets aren't too fuzzed about riders winning 'race from random Italian city to random Italian city'. Hushovd podiuming Roubaix or Kristoff winning monuments (even after the interest had soared here in Norway due to Hushovd/Arvesen etc.) was hardly noticed. My mom knows that Kristoff has won Tour stages, but has no idea about Milan-Sanremo or the Tour of Flanders.

Hopefully Jakob Söderqvist can develop into a bit of catalyst for Swedish cycling.
 
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ingsve

ingsve

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Squire said:
Hopefully Jakob Söderqvist can develop into a bit of catalyst for Swedish cycling.
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I bet he'll mostly keep fuelling the interest in World Championships and Olympics by winning some medals in the ITT championships. Then again if he can win ITTs in the Tour then it would be a different matter I suppose. Sort of wish they'd bring the prologue back permanently.
 
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Sciatic

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GenericBoonenFan said:
Up untill thirty/forty years ago the Swedes were the most dominant Scandinavian cycling country.
Gosta Peterssen won Il Giro
Tommy Prin finished runner-up twice in Il Giro and won Romanie and Tirreno iirc

But they were probably the most prominent in track cycling back in the days.
Click to expand...
I wasn’t trying to make a historical summary of Swedish cycling, just what I’ve noted over the past 20 years or so. Good to know about Petersenn’s Giro win—but that was almost 55 years ago, which explains why it wasn’t on my radar.
 
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Sciatic

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ingsve said:
I think it has a lot to do with what role models young people have. That's one thing that typically drives the level of minor sports in smaller countries. You get a star like Björn Borg and then suddenly you have a next generation that includes Stefan Edberg, Mats Willander, Anders Järryd etc.

With Norway you have the generations of Hushovd, Arvesen, Kristoff and Boasson Hagen to thank for the current crop of young cyclists taking up the sport and even choosing to go from winter sports into cycling. This is also helped by TV2 in Norway constantly showing the Tour each summer (and other events). That helps to fuel interest and plays on the imagination of young people.

Sweden hasn't really had the level of success in cycling that has taken over the airways and solidified public interest. There has been some hype around the World Championships at best. Even when Bäckstedt won Paris-Roubaix it hardly made any ripples in Sweden at all.
Click to expand...
Goods points, thanks!
 
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Salvarani

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Sciatic said:
Sweden have had great athletes in so many sports over time, it’s always surprised me they have so little representation in the pro ranks. Ya, I know winter sports are a huge focus, but that’s true in Norway as well and they have regularly had top pros?
Click to expand...
Cycling is more of a recreational sport in Sweden. Very popular in that regard.

Vättern-rundan is a big race of 300km and part of a "Swedish Classic" that involves skiing, running, swimming and cycling. One big event for each discipline, over the course of one year.

Not a really a sport that is popular among the youth though and bikes are expensive. Maybe if a star emerges interest will grow, otherwise there is too many other sports that compete with it.
 
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ingsve

ingsve

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Salvarani said:
Cycling is more of a recreational sport in Sweden. Very popular in that regard.

Vättern-rundan is a big race of 300km and part of a "Swedish Classic" that involves skiing, running, swimming and cycling. One big event for each discipline, over the course of one year.

Not a really a sport that is popular among the youth though and bikes are expensive. Maybe if a star emerges interest will grow, otherwise there is too many other sports that compete with it.
Click to expand...
One positive news I learnt about in relation to the news of the new team is that there are plans to bring back Postgirot Open (Tour of Sweden) under a different name.

The original race was organized between 1982 and 2002 and steadily increased in race ranks. In the last edition it was at the old 2.2 level which was equivalent to the Tours of Denmark, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Luxembourg etc. so today if the race had continued at the same level it would have been either a 2.1 or 2.PS race. My guess is that the new race would likely start at todays 2.2 level.
 
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Salvarani

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ingsve said:
One positive news I learnt about in relation to the news of the new team is that there are plans to bring back Postgirot Open (Tour of Sweden) under a different name.

The original race was organized between 1982 and 2002 and steadily increased in race ranks. In the last edition it was at the old 2.2 level which was equivalent to the Tours of Denmark, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Luxembourg etc. so today if the race had continued at the same level it would have been either a 2.1 or 2.PS race. My guess is that the new race would likely start at todays 2.2 level.
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Yeah, but still they have had the race Vårgårda for a while now.

But if it isnt broadcasted anywhere or marketed... I doubt it will generate much interest from the public sadly. Probably people will just be annoyed if roads are closed, lol.

Depends on how long someone will sponsor the race with money as well, I guess.
 
ingsve

ingsve

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Salvarani said:
Yeah, but still they have had the race Vårgårda for a while now.

But if it isnt broadcasted anywhere or marketed... I doubt it will generate much interest from the public sadly. Probably people will just be annoyed if roads are closed, lol.

Depends on how long someone will sponsor the race with money as well, I guess.
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Ya, I don't have much hope that a revitalized stage race will mean that much for cycling in Sweden in itself. It is a nice opportunity to catch some cycling live however nearby.

Postgirot Open was the first time I was able to see some of my favorites like Thor Hushovd race live at all. I was at the finish in Gothenburg for both the 2001 and 2002 races and at the start in Vårgårda in 2000.
 
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GenericBoonenFan

GenericBoonenFan

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Devil's Elbow said:
Alaphilippe and Hirschi to Tudor, Pidcock to Q36, Lutsenko to Israel, Kron to Uno-X. The PCT level is the most alive it's been in more than a decade, and it's past time all these teams get the wildcards they deserve. If we see Burgos and/or Euskaltel in the Vuelta again next year...
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Doubt it, It's going to be Israel, Lotto, Equipo Kern Pharma and maybe one of the other three spanish conti teams. Don't know if Caja is out of the doghouse yet....
 
Armchair Cyclist

Armchair Cyclist

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awavey said:
Katie Archibald leaving WNT Ceratizit, final races this weekend in the track champions league. No news yet if she's going to take another team, stay just within TeamGB track team or what happens next
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Other than national championships, she only seems to have done 2 races in the last 4 years, so despite her potential, she isn't removing much from the peloton by her absence.
 
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Sciatic

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Salvarani said:
Cycling is more of a recreational sport in Sweden. Very popular in that regard.

Vättern-rundan is a big race of 300km and part of a "Swedish Classic" that involves skiing, running, swimming and cycling. One big event for each discipline, over the course of one year.

Not a really a sport that is popular among the youth though and bikes are expensive. Maybe if a star emerges interest will grow, otherwise there is too many other sports that compete with it.
Click to expand...
Interesting . . . Thanks!
 
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Potomac

Potomac

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