Teams & Riders The Great Big Transfers and Rumours Thread

[Devil's Elbow]

No but then they can decline on an invitation, leaving more wild card spots, like what Total did wrt the Giro in 2019. Actually, that might be my biggest problem with the current structure. Why can there only be two WC teams in a GT?

No guarantee that other teams would follow Total's example, though. And yes, cutting the number of weak WT teams would help a lot with regards to wildcards which I agree is the bigger problem.

 

[Bonimenier]

Well last year, pre-corona they said they could do all they want and wouldn't have to go on all-out expensive shitraces like Guangxi and Down Under where they have no sponsor interests.

Edit: I don't mean Down Under is *** (Guangxi I do mean it), but if you have zero sponsor interests in a country that far and have to pay a shitton to get there it's always more interesting if you don't have to go.

How many teams do have sponsor interests in Guangxi though?

 

[BlueRoads]

How many teams do have sponsor interests in Guangxi though?

I don't get why Alpecin doesn't have a sponsor's interest there... do all men in Guangxi have such good hair?

 

[Sciatic]

I don't get why Alpecin doesn't have a sponsor's interest there... do all men in Guangxi have such good hair?

Well there was a state -sponsored campaign in China to criticize "pretty boys" on social media

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

How many teams do have sponsor interests in Guangxi though?

None, but WT teams are forced to ride there. They can't say no, Alpecin can.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Vai Pozzoooooooo

I hope he doesn‘t retire. I‘m sure he will get a contract on a PCT or CT team. He‘s still good, he could even still ride for a WT team. And he‘s such a fighter. He gets badly injured all the time, and comes back as if nothing happened.

I‘m sad that Qhubeka stops. I somehow liked this project, although this was a rather weak WT team.

Alpecin are super good and improve all the time. They are better than most WT teams.

Quintana at Arkea and Sagan‘s transfer to Total both seem strange to me. Somehow, that doesn‘t really fit. This reminds me of Beloki riding for Brioche in 2004.

 

[Nirvana]

None, but WT teams are forced to ride there. They can't say no, Alpecin can.

The races added to the WT in 2017, so amongst them also the Tour of Guangxi, are not mandatory for WT teams. They only need to not drop below 10 WT teams starting for two years in a row to avoid being downgraded (like happened to the Tour of Turkey).

 

[Vesica]

Groenewegen is leaving Jumbo Visma.

source: link to website and instagram (see below)

wondering which team he got an offer from..edit: according to the homepage, Bike Exchange it is.


http://instagr.am/p/CXVjlkMrvex/
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXVjlkMrvex/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

[yaco]

A great signing for BEX - Have posted for a year that BEX had money in their budget after A.Yates left - Hence Dumoulin previously being linked to BEX - Expect Groenewegen to ride the TDF.

 

[RedheadDane]

A great signing for BEX - Have posted for a year that BEX had money in their budget after A.Yates left - Hence them previously being linked to BEX - Expect Groenewegen to ride the TDF.

Would also prove that they are indeed going full circle back to being a more sprint-oriented team.

 

[Nirvana]

Would also prove that they are indeed going full circle back to being a more sprint-oriented team.

Probabably more taking a chance that suddenly materialized, just a couple of months ago they were after Fuglsang.
Not forget that with licenses expiring at the end of the year and the sporting criterion (aka points scored between 2020 and 2022) added to award new licenses for the 2023-2025 period a number of teams need points scorers if they don't want to be out of the WT. As of today Arkea is very likely to end up in the top 18 and, unlike Alpecin, they are going to submit the request so someone will be left out.

 

[yaco]

Would also prove that they are indeed going full circle back to being a more sprint-oriented team.

They are definitely leaning back to a sprint focus, although at the same time their efforts to woo Dumoulin, focused around him riding GC at the TDF in which Tom was unable to make a commitment - Anyway, BEX has a solid sprint group who will give him more support - Anyway it frees up Matthews to focus more on one day races and classics.

 

[42x16ss]

Bike Exchange needed a good signing

 

[triley36]

Bike Exchange needed a good signing

Let’s hope they don’t plan to use Groenewegen as a lead out for Matthew’s. Watching Matthews lose Mezgec’s wheel last year was absurd to watch. Mezgec must be a real pro to have not raised a fuss.

 

[RedheadDane]

Let’s hope they don’t plan to use Groenewegen as a lead out for Matthew’s. Watching Matthews lose Mezgec’s wheel last year was absurd to watch. Mezgec must be a real pro to have not raised a fuss.

Which "last year" are we talking about? Actual last year, or this year parading as last year?

 

[tobydawq]

Let’s hope they don’t plan to use Groenewegen as a lead out for Matthew’s. Watching Matthews lose Mezgec’s wheel last year was absurd to watch. Mezgec must be a real pro to have not raised a fuss.

Of course they are not going to do that...

 

[Bonimenier]

Which "last year" are we talking about? Actual last year, or this year parading as last year?

You have too much fun pointing this out every time, haven't you?

 

[AlfaLum]

Let’s hope they don’t plan to use Groenewegen as a lead out for Matthew’s. Watching Matthews lose Mezgec’s wheel last year was absurd to watch. Mezgec must be a real pro to have not raised a fuss.

More likely it will be the other way around. Even more likely they will both be captain in different races. Matthews Will probably focus on hilly races because he is no longer a sprinter.

The only races in which they might both want a shot are MSR and maybe some of the easier races in Flanders. But even there I think they are more likely to benefit from each other than anything else.

 

[RedheadDane]

You have too much fun pointing this out every time, haven't you?

This time I'm genuinely confused about when the situation referred to happened.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

This time I'm genuinely confused about when the situation referred to happened.

How could you be confused, when Mezgec wasn't doing leadouts for him in 2020 (at least not intentionally)?

 

[RedheadDane]

How could you be confused, when Mezgec wasn't doing leadouts for him in 2020 (at least not intentionally)?

I'm clearly also confused about which teams riders rode for...

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I'm clearly also confused about which teams riders rode for...

Hmm, I'm beginning to think you don't actually watch every single race... or maybe your account has been hijacked by a David Gaudu lookalike.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hmm, I'm beginning to think you don't actually watch every single race... or maybe your account has been hijacked by a David Gaudu lookalike.

I just don't remember every single detail, and then this time travelling thing makes me confused...

(I actually saw the David Gaudu lookalike at the busstop again yesterday.)

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I just don't remember every single detail, and then this time travelling thing makes me confused...

(I actually saw the David Gaudu lookalike at the busstop again yesterday.)

Can we even be sure he looks like Gaudu? For all we know, you could have confused him with Chris Harper.
Anyway you have to approach him next time to find out what his deal is.

 

[tobydawq]

I just don't remember every single detail, and then this time travelling thing makes me confused...

(I actually saw the David Gaudu lookalike at the busstop again yesterday.)

Didn't you scold him for the possible cloning?