Transfers and Rumours 2011 > 2012

[NickBVK]

Evans says he might be a domestique in the Ardennes week, wouldn't mind seeing him going in the days break!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Evans says he might be a domestique in the Ardennes week, wouldn't mind seeing him going in the days break!

He may try, but he will fail. No break with Cadel Evans in it is being allowed to go anywhere, and like in the 2009 Tour, nobody in the break is going to want Cadel Evans there, cos when it comes to the finale if the break is still away, Evans will squash them.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans says he might be a domestique in the Ardennes week, wouldn't mind seeing him going in the days break!

That is as likely as me being apart of the BMC tdf team!

 

[El Pistolero]

Kind of bad timing to announce Gilbert's new team though. If they wanted to make the headlines in Belgium at least.

 

[AussieGoddess]

I'm sure Thor was 100% aware that Gilbert was also joining BMC and that it was their wish to find a team to ride together on.

+1

Thor and Phil are mates and training partners

Phil and Evans are Friends and Phil was very upset that Evans left Lotto as he thought they made a great 2 headed team.

I do think that each will have a goal for the hilly classics and that for those classics BMC will have 3 protected riders. GVA will do a lot of early attacks and then BMC sit back to let the other teams do the work.

Tabby cat cycling team better start finding so guys or Fab will be isolated before the start.

MSR 2012 GVA goes on the poggio about here <snip>

Who in their right mind would drag Phil and Thor to the finsh ?

Totally agree. And yeah - the possibilities for GVA are pretty interesting. Phil will be marked pretty heavily, so if he is willing to be a team player, it makes for some good opportunities for other strong riders to do something

Anyway, this is a forum expolsion with lots of interesting takes here. Here's one: Maybe Phil one day, like in the next couple years, sees himself as a GC contender for the big GTs. The way he is slaying the field, he might be thinking "ok, I've accomplished this and that, and I would like a new big challenge". Not that he's bored doing what he's been doing, but maybe he feels there is not much left to prove in that area. Maybe he would love to accomplish something more. If I was him, that's what I would be thinking. Turning his interest in a few years to the GTs could fit pretty well with Cadel nearing the end of his career, or maybe sooner.

and yeah - I agree with this too.

Interestingly, his interview said he will do the tour to "learn and to support Cadel". Learning how and when to go, how to conserve, how to win a grand tour????????? Cadel would be a great teacher for that. He is a good example of how you dont have to have the most talent to win - just be the smartest and ride to your own strengths.

 

[karlboss]

I am so bored of the BMC chequebook now.

Any idea what they paid their big signings and then everybody else?

 

[hrotha]

I thought his big challenge was winning all five monuments, but I'm afraid that bit about going to the Tour to help Cadel and learn supports your theory. Which is a shame, IMO.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I'm sure Thor was 100% aware that Gilbert was also joining BMC and that it was their wish to find a team to ride together on.

Yeah, I bet he knew. At least knew or asked BMC who else they were considering bringing on. And if BMC wanted to show some respect to Thor, and if I was BMC I would have asked Thor who else he would like to have join the team.

 

[Andre.J]

Terrible move by Gilbert.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Ballan won't be there. BMC have made him inactive for a 3rd time buthaven't made it public as they looked stupid the last time they did this. This is evident by his non participation in la vuelta.

I wonder whether anyone is going to sign Ballan. According to the CQ ranking list his has 50 points that could be usefull for some team seeking a license.

 

[craig1985]

Geox perhaps?

I don't think their standards are that high after a thousand positive tests in the teams they have had over the years.

 

[movingtarget]

Evans will be 37 in three years. Hushovd will be 35. BMC are building for the future. They already have some potential future GC riders but it sounds like they are going to try and nudge Gilbert in the direction of at least some stage races and see how far he progresses. Like Sean Kelly said recently. It's a gradual process but if you can't win the Paris Nice, Tirreno type races you will never be competitive in a grand tour. I think Gilbert will target his usual races but then go into the stage races, not to win but to learn. Van Garderen also if BMC sign him as rumoured. Hushovd and Evans will also be helpful to Gilbert in the Ardenne races while Thor will look for stage wins and the Paris-Roubaix etc. If there is crossover in their roles I don't see a problem. It could be helpful if one or the other has an off day in the classics. Evans has helped Gilbert in the past without a problem and Gilbert always publicly thanked Evans for his help. BMC are looking pretty formidable for next season but of course they will want the results to offset the dollars spent.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Thor and Phil are mates and training partners

Phil and Evans are Friends and Phil was very upset that Evans left Lotto as he thought they made a great 2 headed team.

I do think that each will have a goal for the hilly classics and that for those classics BMC will have 3 protected riders. GVA will do a lot of early attacks and then BMC sit back to let the other teams do the work.

Tabby cat cycling team better start finding so guys or Fab will be isolated before the start.

MSR 2012 GVA goes on the poggio about here

Who in their right mind would drag Phil and Thor to the finsh ?

PS Ballan must be one of the riders looking for a new team.

I'm sorry, but who in their right mind is afraid of Phil & Thor in a sprint finish?

They need to win the race in a break, because Thor isn't winning any bunch sprints anymore.

 

[woodie]

I'm sorry, but who in their right mind is afraid of Phil & Thor in a sprint finish?

They need to win the race in a break, because Thor isn't winning any bunch sprints anymore.

Thor can still win from a small group i'm sure and at the end of 230km it's more about strenght than pure speed in most cases

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Thor can still win from a small group i'm sure and at the end of 230km it's more about strenght than pure speed in most cases

Sure, but I'd back Goss or EBH to beat him in a sprint most times, and I don't think Thor will be able to survive any selection hard enough to drop those guys.

 

[El Pistolero]

Sure, but I'd back Goss or EBH to beat him in a sprint most times, and I don't think Thor will be able to survive any selection hard enough to drop those guys.

Did you watch the Tour this year?

 

[Lanark]

Did you watch the Tour this year?

Yeah, both things actually happened this year (surviving the selection were Hagen didn't (Aubisque stage), and beating him in the sprint after a tough stage (Gap)).

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah, both things actually happened this year (surviving the selection were Hagen didn't (Aubisque stage), and beating him in the sprint after a tough stage (Gap)).

And Superbesse and Mur de Bretagne where Hagen was already long dropped.

 

[hrotha]

And Superbesse and Mur de Bretagne where Hagen was already long dropped.

Those stages probably came too soon for EBH though, because he had been sick.

I'm pretty sure Hushovd can survive MSR just fine, but still, mountains like the Aubisque are not hills. You can tell because there's two separate parameters in PCM.

 

[craig1985]

Santi Botero won the TDF in PCM, and I was like WTF.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Did you watch the Tour this year?

You are very tedious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tour_de_France,_Stage_1_to_Stage_11#Stage_6


Apart from the above, I also saw Thor beat Eddy using a 2 on 1 breakaway, which clearly demonstrates his bunch sprint superiority...


My post said I would back them. It didn't say it was certain. The evidence is pretty clear that both Goss & EBH are faster sprinters than Thor nowadays. Thor clinging on on hillocks whilst wearing Yellow is neither here nor there. In a breakaway stage he managed to survive better by pacing himself properly, which is creditable, but equally EBH managed to drop several good climbers on a later stage.

To bring this back to the original point, I don't believe any team trying to turn MSR in to a bunch sprint will be terrified of Thor Hushovd. Maybe you know better.

 

[woodie]

You are very tedious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tour_de_France,_Stage_1_to_Stage_11#Stage_6


Apart from the above, I also saw Thor beat Eddy using a 2 on 1 breakaway, which clearly demonstrates his bunch sprint superiority...


My post said I would back them. It didn't say it was certain. The evidence is pretty clear that both Goss & EBH are faster sprinters than Thor nowadays. Thor clinging on on hillocks whilst wearing Yellow is neither here nor there. In a breakaway stage he managed to survive better by pacing himself properly, which is creditable, but equally EBH managed to drop several good climbers on a later stage.

To bring this back to the original point, I don't believe any team trying to turn MSR in to a bunch sprint will be terrified of Thor Hushovd. Maybe you know better.

I agree he wouldn't feature in a bunch sprint, in fact both Goss and EBH did beat him in a tough bunch sprint in the tour but I just think it would be silly to ignore him in a select group sprint, not be scared of him but you'd still wanna watch him

 

[Tuarts]

Katusha on twitter have confirmed ACF's Write-off has signed.

 

[Fetisoff]

Katusha on twitter have confirmed ACF's Write-off has signed.

Yep, it's also on Katusha and CN website now too... I wonder how soon he'll start calling him TAAK.

 

[Jamsque]

The Great Aleksandr Krivtsov