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Teams & Riders The Great Big Cycling Transfers and Rumours Thread

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Cav to DQS is a great move. They are short a sprinter. Their number 3 guy, Hodeg, hasn’t been showing number 2 guy form. Under normal circumstances they bring in a high level sprinter to slot into that number 2 position, but they don’t want to make a move that looks like they are writing off Jakobsen. So they bring in Cav, who clearly isn’t a long term replacement for Jakobsen, who brings a load of publicity and, if anyone can get some of the old Cav back it’s them. Even if he fails completely, they get loads of media coverage for what is probably more or less zero money and on current form they wouldn‘t get much out of promoting Hodeg anyway, so there’s no real risk (sorry Alvaro fans, I like the guy but he’s not showing much).

From Cav’s point of view, well if he wants one last chance, he couldn’t get a better one than at DQS.

I think BlueRoads might block you now, but I agree.
 
The only downside to the DQS/Cav move is that it's keeping a neo-pro or deserving Pro Conti rider from a contract. But as noted, he's probably not getting much money, or maybe has a performance bonus scheme.

How is it denying a neo-pro or a promising pro conti rider a contract? If Deceuninck thougt there was a young rider or someone in pro conti ranks who was worthy of a spot on the team they would have signed them by now. This signing has come very late on in the year, there has been ample time for them to bring someone younger in if they wished.
 
Henao sign in Qhubeka
That made me a bit disappointed because he had been previously linked to EF and EF could really use a good climbing domestique like him to salvage this difficult transfer period. Now they'll be lacking options in the mountains which sucks for a team whose best sprinting options are Hofland, Cort and Keukeleire.

Qhubeka also needed good riders but unless Aru gets back on track (which I slightly doubt given the team's record), Henao might get stuck in a strange limbo where he will be neither strong enough to be a proper leader himself nor have anybody strong enough to support. We'll see.
 
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They question is what they do with Aru. If they tell him to focus on shorter stage races during the first half of the season and then maybe take him to the Vuelta if his results are good then he could get some decent results for them. If they take him to the Giro or the Tour right away he'll probably show nothing in the prep races only to fail again in a gt...
I think the team also needs to keep him on a tight leash an force him to do things their way.
 
Jonathan Milan (the next big TT talent from Italy) will turn pro with Bahrain after the Olympics, where he'll be part of the Italian track cycling team (he was 2nd in the IP at the EC, 3rd in the 1km). He's a Ganna-sized TTer, but he also has a great sprint and has contested bunch sprints in the u23 ranks. Italy is really producing more big engines/good TTers than pure climbers atm.
 
I think BlueRoads might block you now, but I agree.

Blocked, both of you.

But actually it's not a bad thing for Alvaro, I don't think Cav will take away his place but keep DQS from signing another young sprinter. :p Also the press can focus on Cav not getting results instead of Alvaro not getting results. :( And hopefully he can actually teach him something about positioning.
I just hope Alvaro is not still suffering from his crash physically. Mentally he's probably not on the top of his confidence.
Apart from the effect on Hodeg, I do, as I have felt the impact of Epstein-Barr for years now, hope that Cavendish can either have a last hooray or come to terms with the end of racing.
 
How is it denying a neo-pro or a promising pro conti rider a contract? If Deceuninck thougt there was a young rider or someone in pro conti ranks who was worthy of a spot on the team they would have signed them by now. This signing has come very late on in the year, there has been ample time for them to bring someone younger in if they wished.

It's possible there was some flexibility as to the budget and bringing in Cav.

Look, i don't think it's a horrible signing, but nothing Cavendish has done in the past two years merits his being on a WT team. If he had been 23 and having those results he'd have been relegated to Pro Conti or worse.

I do look forward to being proven absolutely wrong, and I sincerely hope that he and Aru can get back to their previous levels. I like to see stars go out on top.
 
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No mention of the would-be Olympic Champion, Sergio Henao's move to the Chewbacca team? He is not what he once was but still. Lasse Norman (an actual Olympic Champion) signs for them as well.
Sergio is not what he used to be. That's true. But as domestique with experience is acceptable. I really don't see a problem with it. he was 15th in last Vuelta. Additionally, I don't think he costs that much.
 
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Sergio is not what he used to be. That's true. But as domestique with experience is acceptable. I really don't see a problem with it. he was 15th in last Vuelta. Additionally, I don't think he costs that much.

Of course, it's just not as good news for them as it would have been three years ago.

It's quite strange to think how he was 9th in his debut Grand Tour back in our beloved 2012 Giro and then never again went top 10 in a GT.

His almost never-DNF-stat is quite cool, though. Before abandoning De Brabantse Pijl this year, he only had three DNF's in his entire career.
 
Oct 27, 2020
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In a Cycling weekly article is confirmed Qhubeka will ride Hunt wheels while the bike sponsor remains te be confirmed. Previous articles the team to be backed by Swiss cycling giants Assos and BMC. BMC did not make sense to me as they will start to supply AG2R as well. Perhaps Giant steps in this gap.

Usually next years kit is presented this time of the year.. waiting for it now DSM kicked-off..
 
It's possible there was some flexibility as to the budget and bringing in Cav.

Look, i don't think it's a horrible signing, but nothing Cavendish has done in the past two years merits his being on a WT team. If he had been 23 and having those results he'd have been relegated to Pro Conti or worse.

I do look forward to being proven absolutely wrong, and I sincerely hope that he and Aru can get back to their previous levels. I like to see stars go out on top.

And now we know, he bought his own seat. Nothing wrong with that, happens in auto racing all the time. Very interesting.
 
Lefevre on ideas of Almeida to UAE (I preserved the dirty quotes in square brackets):

"First of all, I have to read this [bullsh1t], like you guys wrote it. But he has a contract and there’s no [fvcking] way I’ll let him go," Lefevere said.


"I spoke to his manager and he didn’t want to speak about next year or the future. He didn’t want bonuses, he didn’t want anything and then a few months later they say UAE wants him.


"They deserve a penalty because you can’t speak with riders under contract. If, as a rider, you make a deal for 2022, then it’s unfair because how can you perform when you know you’re already going to leave the team. He stays for sure, but maybe if they pay me two million we can speak."

 
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Lefevre on ideas of Almeida to UAE (I preserved the dirty quotes in square brackets):




Money that UAE can give. Uae cleverly builds their team every year. They can wait until next year and then Lefevere will get less money than if he left now. I am sure Almeida will be running in UAE either next year or 2022.
 
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