Transfers and Rumours 2012 > 2013

[Sophistic]

better sprinter - Lotto
better gc rider - Lotto
better puncheur for the ardennes - Lotto
better cobbled classics rider - tie/more upside for Lotto with Roelandts

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

better sprinter - Lotto
better gc rider - Lotto
better puncheur for the ardennes - Lotto
better cobbled classics rider - tie/more upside for Lotto with Roelandts

jvdb a better gc rider than samu??
HWAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH

 

[hoerpi]

better sprinter - Lotto
better gc rider - Lotto
better puncheur for the ardennes - Lotto
better cobbled classics rider - tie/more upside for Lotto with Roelandts

Please tell me that you are comparing Lotto to Argos and not Euskaltel.

 

[Sophistic]

Please tell me that you are comparing Lotto to Argos and not Euskaltel.

ag2r

teeeeeen

 

[El Pistolero]

Please tell me that you are comparing Lotto to Argos and not Euskaltel.

Well Vanendert this year was second in AGR, fourth in FW and tenth in LBL(same group as Samu).

Honestly, Samuel Sanchez will be 35 next year. If he's the only reason you belong into the WT then things don't look good for the future.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Well Vanendert this year was second in AGR, fourth in FW and tenth in LBL(same group as Samu).

Honestly, Samuel Sanchez will be 35 next year. If he's the only reason you belong into the WT then things don't look good for the future.

he'll be 35 so what?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I think Lotto, Euskaltel and Argos are somewhat similar.

You have VDB, Greipel, Roelandts and then a big gap to the rest
You have Sanchez, Anton, Nieve and then a big gap to the rest
You have Kittel, Degenkolb and then a big gap to the rest

Although I do think that the gap is the biggest with Argos, without their 2 leaders, they would even struggle to be a pro-continental team, the other guys really achieve little to nothing results-wise. They are domestiques who can't become temporary leaders should that need arise. At least Lotto still has Meersman, Bak and Vanendert.

AG2R is more balanced, has a bigger midfield, but lacks stand-out riders. If you select them for you race, they will not embarass you by being too weak (like Skil or Footon did a couple of times in the past), but if you don't select them, you won't really miss them either, because their presence usually doesn't really have an big influence on a race.

Roelandts, really? His palmares is rather limited. He doesn't have a single top 10 result in a cobbled Monument, or any other TRULY big race, for that matter. Save for a flat Worlds road race.

At least Vanendert can perform at the highest level.

 

[Praetor]

Roelandts, really? His palmares is rather limited. He doesn't have a single top 10 result in a cobbled Monument, or any other TRULY big race, for that matter. Save for a flat Worlds road race.

At least Vanendert can perform at the highest level.

OK, then swap Vanendert and Roelandts, the story stays exactly the same.

 

[Praetor]

he'll be 35 so what?

Riders tend to deteriorate when they get to a certain age, not everyone is called Voigt or Horner.

I think we can assume that Basso, Sanchez, Kloden, Leipheimer, Menchov and Evans are past their prime and are all serious candidates to take a competitive step back in 2013 (some of those already did in 2011 or 2012), although I agree that, if any on 'em has a chance to still pull out a decent year, it would be Sanchez, but I seriously doubt it. He still might do some great one day races and perhaps even some shorter stage races, but I think his big tour days are over.

 

[Afrank]

Jose Serpa signs with Lampre.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13129/Jose-Serpa-moves-to-Lampre-for-2013.aspx

 

[The Hitch]

]

Samuel Sanchez is the only decent rider Euskaltel has and will soon be 35 years old. And Igor Anton on occasion, but who knows with him.

Funny, i remember when you wanted to troll me you made Igor Anton out to be 10 times the rider Samu is.

Now that it suits you to downplay him in a different discussion, hes a meh.

 

[The Sheep]

I don't know why you would care which one gets PT, doubt the races the teams will animate in will not invite them. I don't think any of them won't be at the 2013 Tour either.

 

[The Hitch]

Wait, I knew AG2R signed Pozzovivo and Betancure, but they took Appolonio and Hutarovicz too?

How is this even a discussion. Easily the better team.

The current crop of riders joning AG2R for 2013 (Betancur, Pozzovivo, Dumoulin etc.) are a lot more exciting than a guy that only focuses on the Tour.

But but but he said he wants to do the vuelta and lotto said they want to win stages in all 3 gts.

And he placed joint 3rd - 14th in Catalunya (meaning he was 1 of 14 riders in a **** poor race to get over the 2 hills they had).

You are right of course, but i fear JVDB will once again this year with a smirk on his face announce that he wants to do the vuelta and even though he will pull on stage 4 cos he cant be bothered the cool aid drinkers in belgium will spend the whole season arguing that he is one of the most season active riders in the peloton.

 

[The Hitch]

Riders tend to deteriorate when they get to a certain age, not everyone is called Voigt or Horner.

He was thinking more of Cardenas

 

[Ferminal]

better sprinter - Lotto
better gc rider - Lotto
better puncheur for the ardennes - Lotto
better cobbled classics rider - tie/more upside for Lotto with Roelandts

Luckily for us that's not how the points system works.

 

[Afrank]

Wait, I knew AG2R signed Pozzovivo and Betancure, but they took Appolonio and Hutarovicz too?

How is this even a discussion. Easily the better team.



But but but he said he wants to do the vuelta and lotto said they want to win stages in all 3 gts.

And he placed joint 3rd - 14th in Catalunya (meaning he was 1 of 14 riders in a **** poor race to get over the 2 hills they had).

You are right of course, but i fear JVDB will once again this year with a smirk on his face announce that he wants to do the vuelta and even though he will pull on stage 4 cos he cant be bothered the cool aid drinkers in belgium will spend the whole season arguing that he is one of the most season active riders in the peloton.

Channeling Pistrollera? lol

JVDB really should take a page out of gesinks book and actually go for some other stage race wins or actually try to have a good ride at the vuelta when you can't get on the podium in Paris.

 

[El Pistolero]

I never even mentioned JVDB except for the Tour. Hitch seems to hate him and think I'm in love with him - don't know why. Though Hitch also said Samuel Sanchez was past it before he got second at Il Lombardia, so don't listen to him.

I honestly don't give a **** about JVDB, but he's not any worse than John Gadret or Peraud who people here adore. Double standards. I don't like JVDB, but that doesn't mean I hate him like most people here. Get off your high horse all. Owh, and since when has Pozzovivo become someone who has such a big focus outside the Giro and its prep races?

Definitely looking forward to another great year of AG2R and 'new' Euskaltel.

My major gripe with AG2R however is that they were in the WT this year and achieved nothing. Euskaltel is my other gripe because they'll be in the WT next year.

 

[El Pistolero]

Channeling Pistrollera? lol

JVDB really should take a page out of gesinks book and actually go for some other stage race wins or actually try to have a good ride at the vuelta when you can't get on the podium in Paris.

Yeah, because that's the reason why Gesink focused on the Vuelta.

He crashed like usual in the Tour and rode a pretty invisible Vuelta afterwards. How's that any better than what JVDB did at the Tour? It's ok to focus on the Giro/Vuelta but not the Tour?

 

[hoerpi]

Well Vanendert this year was second in AGR, fourth in FW and tenth in LBL(same group as Samu).

Honestly, Samuel Sanchez will be 35 next year. If he's the only reason you belong into the WT then things don't look good for the future.

I was rather thinking of GC rider, but now we all know that the poster meant ag2r and it makes more sense. The problem with lotto and GC is that they have one rider who can be top 10 in a GT.

 

[theyoungest]

Channeling Pistrollera? lol

JVDB really should take a page out of gesinks book and actually go for some other stage race wins or actually try to have a good ride at the vuelta when you can't get on the podium in Paris.

He tried the Gesink approach last year, crash out of the Tour and have a crack at the Vuelta.

He's just not that great when it isn't July. Who knows why.

PS: now you really did it, you said something favorable about a Dutchie, that's what El Calimero really can't stand

 

[El Pistolero]

He tried the Gesink approach last year, crash out of the Tour and have a crack at the Vuelta.

He's just not that great when it isn't July. Who knows why.

He's not the most talented rider out there. Also doesn't really have what it takes to win a race. Doesn't have a good sprint, isn't good enough for classics(usually does domestique work in the Ardennes though) and is never the best climber in a race. He's also not the most explosive rider and to top it off, he's time trial isn't exceptionally good either.

In the stage races he did ride this year however he was decent: Algarve, Catalunya, Pais Vasco(except for the final time trial) and the Dauphiné.

But overall, he's a boring rider that's just very consistent over a period of 3 weeks.

I've always said that with JVDB's mind and Andy Schleck's talent you'd have one dangerous GT rider.

 

[El Pistolero]

He tried the Gesink approach last year, crash out of the Tour and have a crack at the Vuelta.

He's just not that great when it isn't July. Who knows why.

PS: now you really did it, you said something favorable about a Dutchie, that's what El Calimero really can't stand

When a Dutchie does something good they deserve credit.

So that's like only Niki Terpstra, Lars Boom and Lars van der Haar this year. Not my fault other Dutch riders bore me. If your country had better cyclists there would be more compliments.

 

[Praetor]

He tried the Gesink approach last year, crash out of the Tour and have a crack at the Vuelta.

And he ended up 8th (almost 5 minutes behind Cobo), where Gesink ended up 6th (but over 12 minutes behind Contador), neither of them adding much to the overall race, so there doesn't seem to be a huge difference in approach between the 2, yet one of 'em is dull (because he never attacks, which isn't that accurate) and the other one is exciting (which is based on the way he rode 3 years ago and hasn't shown for a long time).

All in all, they're quite similar, really, but it would appear the first impression in cycling is the most important. If you start off spectacularly, you remain an attractive cyclist for the rest of your career (even if you don't show it again), yet if you start off as a dull rider who just clings to a wheel, you're gonna have to show a lot before you can get rid of that particular stigma (just check Evans).

 

[theyoungest]

VDB did show some good intentions in the first few climby stages of the Tour though. Can't remember having seen him afterwards.

Gesink is currently climbing at the level of guys like Ten Dam and Talansky, so it's no surprise we didn't see him do much in the Vuelta.

 

[maltiv]

VDB did show some good intentions in the first few climby stages of the Tour though. Can't remember having seen him afterwards.

Gesink is currently climbing at the level of guys like Ten Dam and Talansky, so it's no surprise we didn't see him do much in the Vuelta.

Vandenbrouck attacked a few times indeed, but after he got into the top 5 he said that he was happy with that and would basically only defend. Kinda lame, really, but one could also say that he was just being realistic.

I remember Gesink tried a couple of attacks in the Vuelta, but with that joke of an acceleration there's just no way that's going to work. At least it's not the mentality that's the problem, but the ability. Hopefully he can improve on that for next year.