Transfers and Rumours 2011 > 2012

[MartinGT]

Does anyone have any news on what Porte is doing next season? I thought he was off contract and may be signing with a new team. Haven't heard much on him lately.

There was talk of Sky, we shall see. I do like Porte, good chap and a decent rider.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yawn... BMC are officially the Manchester City of cycling now. I used to make fun of the Cadelboys to troll ACF, but now I think it's veering towards open hatred.

Open hatred? I thougnt you were one of the good guys on the Dutch mafia?

dlwssonic is not australian!!!

LOL...People thinking you are an aussie is quite amusing.

I am not so sure about this transfer. For some reason I just don't see it turning out well.

Taylor Phinney has posted an amusing tweet

"I'm happy to announce that Cristiano Ronaldo has also signed for BMC thru 2014! But seriously, stoked to have Gilbert and Thor on board!"

 

[Greenflame]

Hmm not entirely happy here. Gilbert has become quite a boring, predictable rider this year who wins far too much. Evans is one of the very few who could rival Gilbert on the punchy mountains, and now he's limited to playing the role of superdomestique.
My hopes now lie with either Valverde returning with some power, the Schlecks learning to think or Contador making a goal of the classics. The first I doubt, the second is pretty much impossible, so essentially Contador is the only thing that can save us from the Ardennes races being very boring this year.

For the Tour of Flanders though, I'm not sure how this would work out. Hushovd, Gilbert and Ballan are all three great riders there, but not nearly as dominant as Gilbert in the Ardennes. It will be interesting to see how they play that out against Cancellara (who will hopefully gain some decent support) and Boonen-Chavanel.

Just please, Phillipe, please don't be greedy and get Leukemans to be another boring domestique in your sprint train as well. I like the guy, please just let him play at Vacansoleil for at least one or two more years.

 

[theyoungest]

Just please, Phillipe, please don't be greedy and get Leukemans to be another boring domestique in your sprint train as well. I like the guy, please just let him play at Vacansoleil for at least one or two more years.

Leukemans doesn't need to be on the same team to perform domestique duties for Gilbert.

 

[Angliru]

It's vaguely reminiscent of Lotto, two years ago.

Evans talks about being a domestique for Gilbert in the classics... which seems logical, but I think he could be one of the few riders who could actually pose some sort of threat to Phil. Too bad.

Yep, the fans are the losers in this one.

 

[claudio]

Transfer

Koldo Fernandez (Euskaltel) ---> Garmin-cervelo

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=42296

 

[l.Harm]

Damn Don't like this news, with Evans being one of the only ones who could beat Gilbert in the Classics.

and where do they keep finding all that money

Remember avatar bet????

 

[Lexman]

Just please, Phillipe, please don't be greedy and get Leukemans to be another boring domestique in your sprint train as well. I like the guy, please just let him play at Vacansoleil for at least one or two more years.

I agree, he would love to have Leukemans in the team, but i like better a duel between the two, two riders who always go for it....Leukemans would like to join the team of Gilbert but still has a contract at Vacansoleil

 

[hrotha]

Koldo Fernandez (Euskaltel) ---> Garmin-cervelo

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=42296

What's so weird about that? Garmin needs more fast guys, Koldo doesn't fit in Euskaltel because no one there gives a damn about sprints, and Bingen Fernández is a DS at Garmin.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Koldo Fernandez (Euskaltel) ---> Garmin-cervelo

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=42296

Probably to join Bingen.

 

[Lexman]

What's Seeldrayers doin next year, will he stay at OPQS? I read Lefevre wasn't too pleased with the lack of results by Seeldrayers? Does he still have a contract next year at OPQS?

 

[Angliru]

No, I know more than quite a few on here know about what they do, how they work and some of the stupid things that they have done.

...and how is it that you have such a deep reservoir of apparent inside knowledge into the inner workings of Lotto during that period that "quite a few on here" don't have?

 

[Angliru]

And this comment is relevant to the thread how? Why do you feel the need to have a go at people, you little man?

...and the drama continues...Stop being so "melodramatic"!

 

[Angliru]

more strong riders might not be great news for CE

he's now definitely not the top classics guy at BMC

by the time next season rolls around it is possible that Evans has not great form (or AC has great form) and BMC decide to hedge their bets and take Gilbert and Hushovd to the TdF for stages/time in yellow. I'm not saying that this is definitely going to happen, just that it's much easier to be confident in a guy who has literally just won the tour than a guy who won the tour a year ago and is now a year older (and not in a good way).

IMHO the moves for Popovyc, Kohl, and Dekker were better balanced in terms of guys to help Cadel. (pure mountain domestiques) although obviously none worked out Kohl+Dekker (clinic) Popo (lack of desire/commitment/leadership/legs).

not saying that they're bad signings, just that they possibly don't help Evans much.

I agree. I think they're taking for granted that Evans' Tour win is a changing of the guard and that their Tour team as it was is sufficient when in reality, in a Tour where the landscape was so drastically altered by high incident of gc contenders crashing out, getting injured and/or losing time as a result of crashes--BMC still needs to add mountain support for Evans. With Rihs (sp) deep pockets this is always a possibility but I'm just waiting for these acquistions to happen.

 

[Fetisoff]

Interesting, yet not surprising. Now I'm willing to bet that neither Gilbert, nor Hushovd, nor Evans will have as successful of a season next year at BMC as they has this year with their current teams. It's a pity really, for all three.


P.S. on a side note, why is everyone so sure TFD will have a TTT next yeat?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Remember avatar bet????

link or it didn't happen

no srsly I don't remember

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Interesting, yet not surprising. Now I'm willing to bet that neither Gilbert, nor Hushovd, nor Evans will have as successful of a season next year at BMC as they has this year with their current teams. It's a pity really, for all three.


P.S. on a side note, why is everyone so sure TFD will have a TTT next yeat?

Just an assumption really

 

[Fetisoff]

Just an assumption really

Ok, fair enough. Still, the TTT's in recent memory have been short enough (more for sponsorship/crowds value than the sporting value really) that it's more important to have good mountain domestiques than good TTT-ers

 

[cobblehead]

if the people at Omega-Pharma-Quickstep still have half a working brain left: now would be the time for them and try to sign greg van avermaet

 

[hrotha]

if the people at Omega-Pharma-Quickstep still have half a working brain left: now would be the time for them and try to sign greg van avermaet

That's another thing, these signings must be wreaking havoc with the current team's morale. A number of them went to BMC because they were supposed to enjoy greater freedom. Van Avermaet's case is just tragic.

 

[Rocksteady]

That's another thing, these signings must be wreaking havoc with the current team's morale. A number of them went to BMC because they were supposed to enjoy greater freedom. Van Avermaet's case is just tragic.

Van Avermaet should go to Garmin, They need someone for the ardennes, plus with Thor gone, he could get a pretty open role in the cobbled classics. Could be a good place for him and with Thor leaving, they should have some salary room.

 

[AussieGoddess]

Well as a Gilbert fan .... I am super excited that he is going to BMC. I was quite concerned with the idea of him at OPQS.

Next year is shaping up to be pretty awesome I think

Now if only cadel would think about doing the giro and vuelta instead of the tour ... Would be fantastic!!!!

He could think about the Olympic TT as well.

 

[just some guy]

Still think GVA will have a better chance of a big win over the next 3 seasons because Gilbert is in his team.

 

[Andy99]

Well as a Gilbert fan .... I am super excited that he is going to BMC. I was quite concerned with the idea of him at OPQS.

Next year is shaping up to be pretty awesome I think

Now if only cadel would think about doing the giro and vuelta instead of the tour ... Would be fantastic!!!!

He could think about the Olympic TT as well.

Are you and acf the same person?

 

[US Patent Exploding Cyclist]

Still think GVA will have a better chance of a big win over the next 3 seasons because Gilbert is in his team.

Good point. Recent example of this is Devolder/Boonen. I doubt that Devolder would have won two RVV if not for Tom being on his team.