Transfers and Rumours 2011 > 2012

[kease7]

HTC break up

Just watching Eurosport and they were saying that HTC may split up, has anyone heard anything about this?

I thought mark renshaw signed a 2yr deal last year???

 

[goggalor]

Fingers crossed...

 

[Tuarts]

Only RAI twitter rumours of HTC not getting funding for next season.

That twit must've worked.

 

[Machu Picchu]

if Highroad really are struggling to find funding then this is a bad sign for cycling no?

 

[Damiano]

Just watching Eurosport and they were saying that HTC may split up, has anyone heard anything about this?

I thought mark renshaw signed a 2yr deal last year???

Read about it on Twitter some days ago. Apparently RaiTV should have said this in "radiocorsa" or something. Alberto Celani posted in on twitter on the 2nd of June in a response to another: http://twitter.com/#!/albertocelani

 

[Lanark]

if Highroad really are struggling to find funding then this is a bad sign for cycling no?

That would be jumping to conclusions. You could easily argue the opposite: if an absolute clown like Gianetti keeps finding sponsors, there must be dozens of sponsors waiting to jump in.

There's more to finding a new sponsor than just having good results. You need a good network, and you need to be a good PR-guy, capable of selling your product. It's always possible that a great team can't find a sponsor, and a 'lesser' team can. But I'm sure Highroad will be alright, they'll probably find someone.

 

[Angliru]

Well they have other good riders who can be domestiques so they can co-lead Or Greg could pull a Nuyens/Pozatto, winning whilst everyone else is minding Boonen (Phille in this case )

Wouldn't that be more of a Devolder?

 

[Angliru]

Just watching Eurosport and they were saying that HTC may split up, has anyone heard anything about this?

I thought mark renshaw signed a 2yr deal last year???

Libertine will certainly rejoice if its true.

 

[Gloin22]

Libertine will certainly rejoice if its true.

Won't matter. He'll hate Sky then

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Wouldn't that be more of a Devolder?

Or Devolder 2008

 

[Barrus]

if Highroad really are struggling to find funding then this is a bad sign for cycling no?

Libertine would argue the opposite

 

[Andy99]

Won't matter. He'll hate Sky then

I always presumed he was a she.

Anyhow, yeah just watching recording of todays stage, and Brian Smith seemed very sure of a potential HTC split and that greenedge are coming in at a great time to pick up the riders....

Any news anywhere..?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Libertine would argue the opposite

Damn straight.
If HTC fall apart, it should be declared a victory for the sport.

I hope the rumours are true. I won't miss them. I hope Bob Stapleton and all his minions leave the sport never to return.

 

[El Pistolero]

Damn straight.
If HTC fall apart, it should be declared a victory for the sport.

I hope the rumours are true. I won't miss them. I hope Bob Stapleton and all his minions leave the sport never to return.

You'll just have to hate Greenedge then.

 

[greenedge]

How would you hate Greenedge/ Why? All the DS's are already sorted and Goss and Howard are good sprinters who do not always need a leadout.

Also what if Pozzato goes to Lampre, since he hates Liquigas but might want to ride for an Italian team

1st to predict that

 

[auscyclefan94]

Damn straight.
If HTC fall apart, it should be declared a victory for the sport.

I hope the rumours are true. I won't miss them. I hope Bob Stapleton and all his minions leave the sport never to return.

That is a little over the top don't you think? I am surprised that such a comment would come from you. Don't have to like them but happy for them to fail?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

That is a little over the top don't you think? I am surprised that such a comment would come from you. Don't have to like them but happy for them to fail?

Its heart is black as night. A brief celebration, more like the cessation of pain, will be succeeded by a new burning hatred before a month is out.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You'll just have to hate Greenedge then.

Plenty of teams I dislike, but none as loathsome as HTC.

How would you hate Greenedge/ Why? All the DS's are already sorted and Goss and Howard are good sprinters who do not always need a leadout.

Also what if Pozzato goes to Lampre, since he hates Liquigas but might want to ride for an Italian team

1st to predict that

A lot of people are put off by teams who court riders clearly under contract with the intention of pilfering them à la Team Sky; a lot of people are put off by quasi-nationalistic teams; a lot of people are put off by self-aggrandising hype; a lot of people are inherently mistrustful of the project after the Pegasus debacle (or blame them for it). There are many reasons to dislike GreenEdge (especially if one is not Australian).

As for Goss and Howard being reasons to like them, evidently you aren't too familiar with my posting history.

That is a little over the top don't you think? I am surprised that such a comment would come from you. Don't have to like them but happy for them to fail?

There are some riders on HTC that I quite like, or would do if they weren't riding for HTC. I want High Road Sports to vanish, and the people responsible (not the riders, but the people like Stapleton, who have no soul and view everything in win percentage pie charts and excel spreadsheets) not to be involved in the sport anymore. It's not like I'm wishing death or illness on them. I just want that team gone and not replaced by some team that is High Road in all but name (like de Rosa is LPR or Colnago is CSF-Navigare).

 

[El Pistolero]

How would you hate Greenedge/ Why? All the DS's are already sorted and Goss and Howard are good sprinters who do not always need a leadout.

Also what if Pozzato goes to Lampre, since he hates Liquigas but might want to ride for an Italian team

1st to predict that

Cav doesn't need a leadout as well.

If HTC really splits Greenedge will be able to buy some of them. And Australians have mostly sprinters among their ranks(though not pure sprinters), so an Australian team will always focus on sprints.

 

[Mambo95]

Damn straight.
If HTC fall apart, it should be declared a victory for the sport.

I hope the rumours are true. I won't miss them. I hope Bob Stapleton and all his minions leave the sport never to return.

And how many soigneurs, mechanics, drivers and various other people do think will lose their jobs? 30, 40, 50? How many is justifiable so you get to see one less bunch sprint?

And what about women's cycling, which desperately struggles for money, losing it's biggest team? Is that worth so you can see one more breakaway succeed at the Tour of Romandie?

They didn't invent sprint trains and sprint trains won't die with them. However, your constant 'I hate hate schtick' will remain tiresome.

A team like this collapsing is never good for cycling.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

And how many soigneurs, mechanics, drivers and various other people do think will lose their jobs? 30, 40, 50? How many is justifiable so you get to see one less bunch sprint?

And what about women's cycling, which desperately struggles for money, losing it's biggest team? Is that worth so you can see one more breakaway succeed at the Tour of Romandie?

They didn't invent sprint trains and sprint trains won't die with them. However, your constant 'I hate hate schtick' will remain tiresome.

A team like this collapsing is never good for cycling.

I'm sure people with experience in as successful a team as HTC will likely be able to remain within the sport in some capacity.

You've got me on the women's cycling thing though, I'll concede that.

Still, sprint stages will be less tiresome with multiple teams able to compete rather than just one team mercilessly stomping anybody who tries to do anything interesting into oblivion.

I'd like to point out that I'm not the only one whose eyes lit up when this rumour was posted. But since I've become the poster child for sprint-hating I guess I have to take the brunt of the criticism from those who disagree.

 

[jobiwan]

I'm sure people with experience in as successful a team as HTC will likely be able to remain within the sport in some capacity.

You've got me on the women's cycling thing though, I'll concede that.

Still, sprint stages will be less tiresome with multiple teams able to compete rather than just one team mercilessly stomping anybody who tries to do anything interesting into oblivion.

Cav would still win though!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Cav would still win though!

Fair enough. When he wins races like stage 19 of the Tour 2009 (when he fought over a cat.2 climb close to the finish) and stage 19 of the Tour 2010 (when he was fending for himself while other teams tried to take advantage of his not having a train), nothing but respect. Those were the most exciting of all the wins he has (except Sanremo) for me.

It's not even sprints that I hate. It's having a bunch of super-drilled, extraterrestrial leadouts who can control the breakaway all day, set a pace so high that no attack can escape late and prevent any other train getting near the front late on (by bullying if necessary), then launching the fastest sprinter in the field from the end of that that makes me detest HTC. It's not that they win. It's how they win. And the tantrums that get thrown when they don't.

 

[The Hitch]

I really hope this isnt true.

HTC is the biggest name in our sport. Sky is bigger but HTC is global.

So long as races have Cav stages, there will always be the boring sprints where nothing happens for 4 hours.

In fact i feel Sky will be even more ruthless.

 

[DenisMenchov]

I really hope this isnt true.

HTC is the biggest name in our sport. Sky is bigger but HTC is global.

So long as races have Cav stages, there will always be the boring sprints where nothing happens for 4 hours.

In fact i feel Sky will be even more ruthless.

In what way the biggest???