Transfers and Rumours 2011 > 2012

[King Of The Wolds]

no they didnt. They had been looking at him for a while and it was his victory in the Tour of Ireland that sealed it. Russ has been one of the hardest working domestiques Sky have had, and a key part of the leadout train (rememember back to the cancer council classic, sky's deput, it was downing did the monster turn). He was also if you remember, the first british rider to get a win for the new team. Yes, Russ isnt the most talented rider around, but to say he got the spot because he was british not because he was talented is way off. The guy was a former national champion, you dont win that on guts alone.

As for the new team, its Endura Racing (who are aiming to be Pro conti).

Their full roster for 2012 is now finalised:
Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden)
Alexandre Blain (France)
Dean Windsor (Australia)
Erick Rowsell (UK)
Ian Bibby (UK)
Ian Wikinson (UK)
Iker Camano (Spain)
Jack Anderson (Australia)
Jonny McEvoy (UK)
Jon Tiernan-Locke (UK)
Paul Voss (Germany)
Rene Mandri (Estonia)
Rob Partridge (UK)
Russell Downing (UK)
Scott Thwaites (UK)
Zak Dempster (Australia)

Hmmm, yes and no. Sky need a critical mass of British riders, that's pretty much a given. Russ ticked 2 boxes - he was British and can ride a bit.

Of course, now that they've got Cavendish and Rowe on board, 2 more British riders, they've let Russ go. Make of that what you will.

 

[ingsve]

Hmmm, yes and no. Sky need a critical mass of British riders, that's pretty much a given. Russ ticked 2 boxes - he was British and can ride a bit.

Of course, now that they've got Cavendish and Rowe on board, 2 more British riders, they've let Russ go. Make of that what you will.

Another aspect could be that since Cavendish is coming there will overall be less sprint opportunities perhaps they feel that there is a limit to the number of sprinters they can have (unlike a certain other team).

 

[Captain_Cavman]

no they didnt. They had been looking at him for a while and it was his victory in the Tour of Ireland that sealed it. Russ has been one of the hardest working domestiques Sky have had, and a key part of the leadout train (rememember back to the cancer council classic, sky's deput, it was downing did the monster turn). He was also if you remember, the first british rider to get a win for the new team. Yes, Russ isnt the most talented rider around, but to say he got the spot because he was british not because he was talented is way off. The guy was a former national champion, you dont win that on guts alone.

As for the new team, its Endura Racing (who are aiming to be Pro conti).

Their full roster for 2012 is now finalised:
Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden)
Alexandre Blain (France)
Dean Windsor (Australia)
Erick Rowsell (UK)
Ian Bibby (UK)
Ian Wikinson (UK)
Iker Camano (Spain)
Jack Anderson (Australia)
Jonny McEvoy (UK)
Jon Tiernan-Locke (UK)
Paul Voss (Germany)
Rene Mandri (Estonia)
Rob Partridge (UK)
Russell Downing (UK)
Scott Thwaites (UK)
Zak Dempster (Australia)

As usual the reality is somewhere in between. Downing did get signed because he was British, there wasn't exactly a stampede to get his signature on a contract. However he proved himself capable of mixing it at the top level as part of a medium ranked team. Now that Sky are what Brian Holm describes as a "Super Team", there is no place for him and once again he isn't fighting off potential teams with a stick.

Still he did get his shot at the big time, including riding in a Giro that will go down in history as one of the toughest GTs of its era, and I hope he's able to look back on his time in the top tier with pride.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

As usual the reality is somewhere in between. Downing did get signed because he was British, there wasn't exactly a stampede to get his signature on a contract. However he proved himself capable of mixing it at the top level as part of a medium ranked team. Now that Sky are what Brian Holm describes as a "Super Team", there is no place for him and once again he isn't fighting off potential teams with a stick.

Still he did get his shot at the big time, including riding in a Giro that will go down in history as one of the toughest GTs of its era, and I hope he's able to look back on his time in the top tier with pride.

I think he's been another victim of the collapse and mergers this season. He wouldn't have had a problem getting a world tour contract if HTC were still around and Radio Luxembourg hadn't been formed.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

As for the new team, its Endura Racing (who are aiming to be Pro conti).

Their full roster for 2012 is now finalised:
Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden)
Alexandre Blain (France)
Dean Windsor (Australia)
Erick Rowsell (UK)
Ian Bibby (UK)
Ian Wikinson (UK)
Iker Camano (Spain)
Jack Anderson (Australia)
Jonny McEvoy (UK)
Jon Tiernan-Locke (UK)
Paul Voss (Germany)
Rene Mandri (Estonia)
Rob Partridge (UK)
Russell Downing (UK)
Scott Thwaites (UK)
Zak Dempster (Australia)

That is some line up for a continental team. Great mix of youth, experience and proven winners.

Personally, although I'm disapointed Fonzy won't be riding World Tour next season, it'll be great to see him at the Lincoln again next year (hopefully)!!

Would love to see their race schedule for 2012. They should get some pretty decent invites with a team like that. I wonder if they'll race in Qatar and Oman like AnPost did last year? Should also have a chance of racing some of the Belgian semi-classics

 

[nobilis]

That is some line up for a continental team. Great mix of youth, experience and proven winners.

Personally, although I'm disapointed Fonzy won't be riding World Tour next season, it'll be great to see him at the Lincoln again next year (hopefully)!!

Would love to see their race schedule for 2012. They should get some pretty decent invites with a team like that. I wonder if they'll race in Qatar and Oman like AnPost did last year? Should also have a chance of racing some of the Belgian semi-classics

I think they're good enough for Pro Conti.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

As for the new team, its Endura Racing (who are aiming to be Pro conti).

Their full roster for 2012 is now finalised:
Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden)
Alexandre Blain (France)
Dean Windsor (Australia)
Erick Rowsell (UK)
Ian Bibby (UK)
Ian Wikinson (UK)
Iker Camano (Spain)
Jack Anderson (Australia)
Jonny McEvoy (UK)
Jon Tiernan-Locke (UK)
Paul Voss (Germany)
Rene Mandri (Estonia)
Rob Partridge (UK)
Russell Downing (UK)
Scott Thwaites (UK)
Zak Dempster (Australia)

Good to see Voss has a team he was amazing in the Giro last year

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Good to see Voss has a team he was amazing in the Giro last year

he's been riding in that team this year as well

 

[Libertine Seguros]

he's been riding in that team this year as well

We're still in 2011. Last year is 2010. He was at Milram then and got in a number of breaks early on.

I like the Endura lineup. It might not be enough to be top ProConti, but it will certainly be one of the better Conti lineups if not. Certainly there are plenty of .1 races they can do and should get invites to with that roster. Maybe some of the Basque-Navarrese one-day races thanks to Camaño, some French one-days and stage races like Paris-Corrèze, Tour Med, Ain, Haut-Var, and myriad Belgian and Dutch one-day and stage races. Is Wallonie .1 or .HC? Franco-Belge (or whatever it's called now) is surely on the cards, Drenthe, Driedaagse, maybe Frankfurt and the other lesser German one-day races with Voss around and Downing being able to contend if it's a smaller sprint group, the Tour of Norway's now .1-rated, Settimana Coppi e Bartali is possible as is Madrid, Ruta del Sol, Murcía and Asturias (even Castilla y León? Probably not). They did San Luís last year too.

Of course, if they want to expand and push towards the next level I'd be stumping aggressively to see more teams with progressive aims like them at the Volta, but it's probably unlikely given that a) it clashes with Paris-Corrèze, which they've been doing recently, b) it's an awful lot of effort expended for not a great deal of UCI points, and c) it's probably a bit too close to the Tour of Britain, which is obviously important to the team, for them to be expending that kind of energy.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

We're still in 2011. Last year is 2010. .

There should be a separate calender for us, road cycling fans lol

 

[maltiv]

We're still in 2011. Last year is 2010. He was at Milram then and got in a number of breaks early on.

Sure, but Ryo's point was that he didn't just find that team now, he's been in it the entire year. He's just been largely invisible and hasn't shown any of the talent which won him the Volta a Catalunya prologue in 2010.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

he's been riding in that team this year as well

Didn't know that. But still, would like to see him in WT again

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

There should be a separate calender for us, road cycling fans lol

BH and AH

Before Het Volk
After Het Volk

 

[Anonymous]

I think he's been another victim of the collapse and mergers this season. He wouldn't have had a problem getting a world tour contract if HTC were still around and Radio Luxembourg hadn't been formed.

I would agree with that. Russ had a pretty good shot of getting a wt or pro conti place. It might have helped him if Sky had given him more notice than they did that he wasnt being renewed.

That said, Endura got some good race invites this year and will get some good race invites next year. Its a pretty good up ad coming team to be part of. I thought they had applied for Pro Conti for 2012 but it would appear not, but i cant see them being turned down for pro conti in 2013 if they keep going the way they are. And smith has some damn good race contacts to get invites.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Sky still have 2 spots left on the squad, will they be field?

 

[Eric8-A]

Danny Summerhill's going to stay with Garmin's development team.

 

[Mambo95]

Sky still have 2 spots left on the squad, will they be field?

I think the status of Cioni and Carlstrom is still unknown, so it could be them, again.

 

[daveinzambia]

Sky still have 2 spots left on the squad, will they be field?

i think Downing confirmed when he got dropped that they were looking at lower numbers this year. Pretty certain (unless something strange happens with teams folding) that the squad is completed for next year.

 

[craig1985]

We're still in 2011. Last year is 2010. He was at Milram then and got in a number of breaks early on.

I like the Endura lineup. It might not be enough to be top ProConti, but it will certainly be one of the better Conti lineups if not. Certainly there are plenty of .1 races they can do and should get invites to with that roster. Maybe some of the Basque-Navarrese one-day races thanks to Camaño, some French one-days and stage races like Paris-Corrèze, Tour Med, Ain, Haut-Var, and myriad Belgian and Dutch one-day and stage races. Is Wallonie .1 or .HC? Franco-Belge (or whatever it's called now) is surely on the cards, Drenthe, Driedaagse, maybe Frankfurt and the other lesser German one-day races with Voss around and Downing being able to contend if it's a smaller sprint group, the Tour of Norway's now .1-rated, Settimana Coppi e Bartali is possible as is Madrid, Ruta del Sol, Murcía and Asturias (even Castilla y León? Probably not). They did San Luís last year too.

Of course, if they want to expand and push towards the next level I'd be stumping aggressively to see more teams with progressive aims like them at the Volta, but it's probably unlikely given that a) it clashes with Paris-Corrèze, which they've been doing recently, b) it's an awful lot of effort expended for not a great deal of UCI points, and c) it's probably a bit too close to the Tour of Britain, which is obviously important to the team, for them to be expending that kind of energy.

They also raced the Tour of Utah, I'm sure I remember they have been doing races in Asia as well.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Sky still have 2 spots left on the squad, will they be field?

BMC have 4 but I don't think they will be.

 

[maltiv]

i think Downing confirmed when he got dropped that they were looking at lower numbers this year. Pretty certain (unless something strange happens with teams folding) that the squad is completed for next year.

I really don't see why they didn't renew Downing if they even had room for him...not like he'd be the most expensive rider.

 

[bobbins]

I really don't see why they didn't renew Downing if they even had room for him...not like he'd be the most expensive rider.

Politics. Some riders they 'have' to look after, others, not so.

 

[auscyclefan94]

no they didnt. They had been looking at him for a while and it was his victory in the Tour of Ireland that sealed it. Russ has been one of the hardest working domestiques Sky have had, and a key part of the leadout train (rememember back to the cancer council classic, sky's deput, it was downing did the monster turn). He was also if you remember, the first british rider to get a win for the new team. Yes, Russ isnt the most talented rider around, but to say he got the spot because he was british not because he was talented is way off. The guy was a former national champion, you dont win that on guts alone.

Firstly, his win in the nats was against some pretty average competition. Never rated GB's championships as being that good. Even though now GB has some good riders, the race is dominated by Sky it makes the race almost a joke and unfortunately I see what has happened to the GB road champs happening to a lesser extent with Aus nats. Anyway, it seems to me that GB cycling fans attachment to him originates from being the 'not very talented guy who tries hard' status. Almost like getting the sympathy vote in a popularity contest.

 

[Anonymous]

Sky still have 2 spots left on the squad, will they be field?

not expecting them to be. Carlstrom is the only stray left now but he is expected to retire.

Cioni may ride up until the giro but it is looking unlikely as he has a new role now in the team and will be focussing on that.

For those that are interested in Russ's complete history, I have now updated his bio to cover his career. An awful lot of bad luck has beset him along the way, wrong team choices, teams running out of money, sponsors pulling out. What could have been. If Linda McCartney hadnt run out of cash, if he didnt have visa issues with utd healthcare, if he had joined CC Étupes instead of Nova, if the UCI hadnt blocked his move to Francais de Jeux, or an unnamed French pro team hadnt had their sponsor withdraw last minute in 2006 the story could have been very different.

Thats part of peoples love for Russ. So many times in his career things just didnt work out which was why when he finally got that opportunity everyone was pleased for him. Its not that he didnt have the talent, but time after time hes been screwed.

http://www.teamskyfans.com/downing.html

ACF.. when he won the nationals in 2005 there was no team sky. was very open racing. Read his full bio, you might be surprised.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Minor typo there TSF, you missed the 'n'

http://www.teamskyfans.com/downing.html