Transfers and Rumours 2011 > 2012

[roundabout]

Is Rolland really without contract?

 

[janraaskalt]

Is Rolland really without contract?

There are no rumours about him, so you can be sure he's got a contract with Europcar for at least 1 more year.

 

[craig1985]

Is Rolland really without contract?

That's what I thought. Didn't he re-sign with Europcar, or actually has another year to run on his contract, because I made the joke that he was going to join BMC when we had the 'everybody is going to BMC' meme.

 

[janraaskalt]

Besides: Spilak staying with Lampre, Vichot staying with FDJ, Canuti going to Liquigas, Craig Lewis has signed a contract with an currently undisclosed team.

 

[hatcher]

Cav won't be a problem, having a TDF favorite on the team is a bigger problem for his own ambitions. He won't be able to join breakaways if Wiggins has yellow for example. Also, Sky seems to have more faith in G for the classics, partly because it would have been of much greater commercial value if he were to win a classic.

Well that remains to be seen, but after his 2011 Tour performances in breaks I bet he'll get licence to go in a few regardless of Cav and Wiggins (I haven't looked at the route yet to see exactly where).

G recently said he may have to give the cobbled classics as well as the Tour a miss in 2012. If so, EBH should be able to have a good run at them. He and Flecha leading, with Stannard and Hayman doing the attacking, disruptive job that Eddie did some of last year in Flanders.

Honestly, G winning a classic would barely register in Britain outside of cycling fans.

 

[Matthijs]

I doubt Sohrabi will win races in Europe though

Do European Tour winners have usually more points then America or Asia? I guess when a Pro Conti rider in europe wins a .HC or even a .1 race, he beated a lot of World Tour riders, in .HC the real worldtop. In America/Asia not, or in a .HC just a low-ranked B-squad. So I wonder if Mohrabi has a lot of points to sell?

 

[theyoungest]

Cav won't be a problem, having a TDF favorite on the team is a bigger problem for his own ambitions. He won't be able to join breakaways if Wiggins has yellow for example. Also, Sky seems to have more faith in G for the classics, partly because it would have been of much greater commercial value if he were to win a classic.

Don't know about the commercial value, but Thomas has actually made it to the final of a monument, whereas EBH (who I'd certainly think has more potential) really hasn't.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Besides: Spilak staying with Lampre, Vichot staying with FDJ, Canuti going to Liquigas, Craig Lewis has signed a contract with an currently undisclosed team.

lewis goes to that german team

 

[ingsve]

Do European Tour winners have usually more points then America or Asia? I guess when a Pro Conti rider in europe wins a .HC or even a .1 race, he beated a lot of World Tour riders, in .HC the real worldtop. In America/Asia not, or in a .HC just a low-ranked B-squad. So I wonder if Mohrabi has a lot of points to sell?

The Europe Tour ranking gives more points than the other continental tour rankings but wins in the races themselves gives just as many points. You get just as many points for winning a stage in Tour of Denmark (2.HC) as you do winning a stage in Tour of Qinghai Lake (2.HC).

With Sohrabi the main thing is that he wins a lot of races (19 wins in 2010+2011) and he also finished high on the Asian Continental Ranking. Any european based rider that won that many races would very likely have even more points than Sohrabi but someone who doesn't win as much would have less points. Sohrabi is worth 87 points which is quite a lot but not as much as the big european WT riders who many of them have well over 100-200-400 points.

 

[nobilis]

From CN front page : http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/katusha-closing-in-on-freire

I think I mentioned that about one month ago on this thread, and I think that could make good sense if he goes there, with the spanish contigent already well established there and the need to fill some gaps in the team.

 

[maltiv]

Don't know about the commercial value, but Thomas has actually made it to the final of a monument, whereas EBH (who I'd certainly think has more potential) really hasn't.

In RVV EBH had first been on the attack for several kilometers with Boom and then Chavanel (who was insanely strong that day and dropped both of them easily). After they got caught EBH was still just a couple of meters from making the final selection. G was the last guy over the hill who made it and EBH was the last who didn't, so despite having been on the attack and wasted a lot of energy already, he was right behind G. Absurd tactic really, to send the strongest sprinter on attack, this because they had no faith in him. Ideally they could make a great duo though with some more sensible tactics.

 

[will10]

The only absurd tactic from Sky was having Thomas murder himself working for Flecha, when it turned out he was as strong if not stronger than Flecha that day.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Cav won't be a problem, having a TDF favorite on the team is a bigger problem for his own ambitions. He won't be able to join breakaways if Wiggins has yellow for example. Also, Sky seems to have more faith in G for the classics, partly because it would have been of much greater commercial value if he were to win a classic.

Think the final sentence is more fear than evidence based - Eddy hasn't ridden a fit classics season for Sky yet to really show how they'll use him. I don't think they're in the business of making obviously better riders dom for weaker british riders, but Eddy does need to stay fit all year and show he's obviously better (as I fully believe him to be).

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Troels Vinther signs for SBS. He comes from Danish continental team Glud & Marstrand-LRØ.

http://saxobanksungard.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3429&lang=uk

Pretty decent prospect. Should make a good domestique in the Classics, though who for is another question.

 

[roundabout]

Nuyens.

Or do you mean Ardennes/Roubaix?

 

[palmerq]

zabel signs as a coach for katusha, I wonder if he will have any impact on fellows like galimzynov, cavendish said good things about erik after he started working with him, I have no idea how much of a help he really was though.

 

[ingsve]

zabel signs as a coach for katusha, I wonder if he will have any impact on fellows like galimzynov, cavendish said good things about erik after he started working with him, I have no idea how much of a help he really was though.

I guess we'll find out if Alexander Kristoff starts winning races. Galimzyanov is already a very skilled sprinter who is good a positioning and fighting for wheels so I think it's Kristoff that can really benefit from some guidance from Zabel when it comes to maneuvering in the sprint.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nuyens.

Or do you mean Ardennes/Roubaix?

I was thinking of Roubaix since he won this:

To be fair though, he did also win a stage of the Circuit des Ardennes, so yes, he could be of plenty of use to Nuyens. I've never really considered Nuyens a threat at Roubaix, though, don't know if that's being unfair on him or not, but he rarely really registers on my radar for the event.

 

[El Pistolero]

I was thinking of Roubaix since he won this:

To be fair though, he did also win a stage of the Circuit des Ardennes, so yes, he could be of plenty of use to Nuyens. I've never really considered Nuyens a threat at Roubaix, though, don't know if that's being unfair on him or not, but he rarely really registers on my radar for the event.

Nuyens doesn't like Roubaix.

 

[jens_attacks]

i hope i wasn't wrong and everything will get in place...for now,it seems so.
il killer needs to be a force again in il giro,the team is good.he just needs to find the motivation again
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=44272

 

[will10]

Nuyens doesn't like Roubaix.

Been a long while (when Bartoli won) since the Flanders winner has not ridden Roubaix in the same year. Says enough of how Nuyens feels about that race I think!

 

[auscyclefan94]

GE perhaps?

not sure about that. GE seem quite full.

 

[Matthijs]

The only absurd tactic from Sky was having Thomas murder himself working for Flecha, when it turned out he was as strong if not stronger than Flecha that day.

absurd? 9 out of 10 days Flecha is stronger on the cobbles. Thomas and the world just discovered him as a contender in a really long race. What's so absurd about a racer who stood on the podium 2 years before as captain?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

absurd? 9 out of 10 days Flecha is stronger on the cobbles. Thomas and the world just discovered him as a contender in a really long race. What's so absurd about a racer who stood on the podium 2 years before as captain?

I find it hilarious when people make judgements in hindsight.

omg thomas rode for flecha..
why did sky ride for wiggo and not froome.
etc.

Looking at the situation logically and without post-race knowledge, sky made the right choice. How were they to know Thomas G would be so strong, or froome would go from nothing to everything in one GT - almost unprecedented, or rather uncommon progress In GT racing.

Easy to make judgements after a race is done and dusted

 

[CraZyCaLL]

Young austrian sprinter Marco Haller from Adria Mobil to Katusha