Transfers and Rumours 2011 > 2012

[maltiv]

U23 racing is strange that way. Matthews was 7th in the Tour de l'Avenir last year, I wouldn't call him a climber. But Laengen certainly seems to be fairly allround, I'm a bit surprised that he didn't get a contract at a slightly better team.

He was only 15 seconds behind Chaves on the MTF in l'Avenir though, but I agree that he's not a climber.He's more like a Johan Vansummeren type. Like most Norwegians he has too much muscle mass to be a real climber. I don't know if that's caused by genetics or too much xc-skiing in the offseason...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The Dutch Colombian Slagter has extended with Rabo, until 2013.


U23 racing is strange that way. Matthews was 7th in the Tour de l'Avenir last year, I wouldn't call him a climber. But Laengen certainly seems to be fairly allround, I'm a bit surprised that he didn't get a contract at a slightly better team.

laengen will probably end up as a boasson hagen type of climber. this years avenir wasn't much climbing in the high mountains

 

[roundabout]

Saleve is decently difficult but I think it was about the only big climb in that edition?

 

[maltiv]

Quite sad that a rider like Gabriel Rasch hasn't been able to find a pro team yet (as far as I know anyway). I mean in Leopard-Trek he'd probably be Cancellara's best domestique in the classics, partciularly P-R...not that that says a lot, but certainly worth to pay a minimum wage for.

 

[Damiano]

He said he was close to Saxo Bank, but haven't heard anything since that.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Quite sad that a rider like Gabriel Rasch hasn't been able to find a pro team yet (as far as I know anyway). I mean in Leopard-Trek he'd probably be Cancellara's best domestique in the classics, partciularly P-R...not that that says a lot, but certainly worth to pay a minimum wage for.

are you serious? rasch is like one of the worst riders in the wt. and no he wouldn't be a good domestique for cancellara. around 40 others can do the work in first 100-150 km. that's not a skill

 

[LouieLouie]

are you serious? rasch is like one of the worst riders in the wt. and no he wouldn't be a good domestique for cancellara. around 40 others can do the work in first 100-150 km. that's not a skill

Your ignorance is impressive, sir. You must practice a lot.

 

[roundabout]

Quite sad that a rider like Gabriel Rasch hasn't been able to find a pro team yet (as far as I know anyway). I mean in Leopard-Trek he'd probably be Cancellara's best domestique in the classics, partciularly P-R...not that that says a lot, but certainly worth to pay a minimum wage for.

Best domestique might be stretching things but given a **** team Cancellara will have supporting him next year even Rasch would have been welcome.

 

[Damiano]

are you serious? rasch is like one of the worst riders in the wt. and no he wouldn't be a good domestique for cancellara. around 40 others can do the work in first 100-150 km. that's not a skill

Maybe. He was 23rd this year in Paris - Roubaix. Always good in Tour of Qatar (he's quite good in the wind). Would be decent for most teams.

 

[maltiv]

are you serious? rasch is like one of the worst riders in the wt. and no he wouldn't be a good domestique for cancellara. around 40 others can do the work in first 100-150 km. that's not a skill

In P-R he bridged up to the lead group with JVS. Then he was called back for some reason and helped Hushovd for a while before he ended up at 23rd.

Leopard trek had 0 riders left with 90 km to go and canc's best and only real domestique on the cobbles has left the team.

 

[roundabout]

Rast will be the best helper but other than him it's all a huge question mark how far the rest can make it.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Your ignorance is impressive, sir. You must practice a lot.

thanks for your good arguments

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

In P-R he bridged up to the lead group with JVS. Then he was called back for some reason and helped Hushovd for a while before he ended up at 23rd.

Leopard trek had 0 riders left with 90 km to go and canc's best and only real domestique on the cobbles has left the team.

this years p-r rasch rode very well indeed. the only race he basically did well in in his entire career other than qatar, because he's a good echelon rider but nothing else.

here is his impressive resume. I;m sure many teams will want him.

http://www.cyclebase.nl/?lang=nl&page=renner&id=13268

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

this years p-r rasch rode very well indeed. the only race he basically did well in in his entire career other than qatar, because he's a good echelon rider but nothing else.

here is his impressive resume. I;m sure many teams will want him.

http://www.cyclebase.nl/?lang=nl&page=renner&id=13268

i would take him, but thats just me

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

i would take him, but thats just me

I would never take a rider for 1 possible good race a year unless it was a gt.

 

[Richeypen]

i would take him, but thats just me

As would the majority. He will find a team, its not like he had any WT points from last couple of years to warent teams signing him by the WT deadline.

 

[Gabriel Gray]

article is in german...

http://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_72377.htm

Fabian Wegmann joins Garmin-Cervelo

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

As would the majority. He will find a team, its not like he had any WT points from last couple of years to warent teams signing him by the WT deadline.

I will put up a bet that he won;t find any wt team

 

[Thomsena]

this years p-r rasch rode very well indeed. the only race he basically did well in in his entire career other than qatar, because he's a good echelon rider but nothing else.

here is his impressive resume. I;m sure many teams will want him.

http://www.cyclebase.nl/?lang=nl&page=renner&id=13268

Well, I could find a similar result list on Tosatto who was one of the best just a couple of years ago to do what he does - protecting.

I could say the same with Giovanni Lombardi (he had the ability of winning races though). Rolf Sorensen, who is now commentator on danish tv2 throughout the whole cycling season, and is absolutely brilliant at it, always praises the underrated work these guys do, which I guess many commentators that have no clue of the actually 'life' in the peloton often never mention. Tosatto did not do a good job in the tour protecting Contador and might starting losing it. Rasch would be a great signing in that matter.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

In P-R he bridged up to the lead group with JVS. Then he was called back for some reason and helped Hushovd for a while before he ended up at 23rd.

Leopard trek had 0 riders left with 90 km to go and canc's best and only real domestique on the cobbles has left the team.

Posthuma is quite a good domestique on the cobbles. He often gets forgotten with the whole "canc has no support" stuff.

I would have bracketed Gerrans with Cummings. Both riders who Sky would preferred to have kept but it's not exactly a disaster to have lost them, especially given who has come in.

meh gerrans is no loss.

 

[luckyboy]

Posthuma is quite a good domestique on the cobbles. He often gets forgotten with the whole "canc has no support" stuff.

Posthuma and Rast aren't really much of a support team though.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Posthuma and Rast aren't really much of a support team though.

You are of course right. The lack of depth is the problem.

I just have issues with the disregard of some hard workers.

 

[ingsve]

Michael Barry? CJ Sutton? Ben Swift? Cav might ride as World Champion. Puccio and Rowe in a couple of years too.

You're right, they're going to have a very very strong cobbled classics team.

Some great options for MSR too.

Jury is out on the Ardennes classics squad.

I think it's possible to make an educated guess for the Ardennes team as well.

Uran
Löfkvist
Henao
Kennaugh
Nordhaug
Zandio
Knees
+1

 

[Ferminal]

I think it's possible to make an educated guess for the Ardennes team as well.

Uran
Löfkvist
Henao
Kennaugh
Nordhaug
Zandio
Knees
+1

Froome, Porte, Siutsou.

Ardennes squad is very solid.

 

[ingsve]

Froome, Porte, Siutsou.

Ardennes squad is very solid.

Ya, Froome will probably be a part of the team as well. Porte, Rogers and Siutsou only occasionally ride the ardennes but most of the time they have not, though that might be because their teams have had other options available.