Transfers and Rumours 2013 > 2014

[Pricey_sky]

Anton at Sky would be ridiculous but they do only have one spot left which must surely be for a classics rider.

As we have seen, Sky don't care about the classics. We can all see the type of rider they need to invest in but they just seem happy to keep topping up the doms for stage races.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Maybe Sky can let EBH go next year and use the budget to get Sagan for 2015.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Maybe Sky can let EBH go next year and use the budget to get Sagan for 2015.

Doubt Sagan would ride for a team that wouldn't give him the chance to win the green jersey in the tour. + Sky aint exactly doing well at classics either.

 

[CycloAndy]

Maybe Sky can let EBH go next year and use the budget to get Sagan for 2015.

There's as much chance of that happening as your uncle actually working for Sky.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Doubt Sagan would ride for a team that wouldn't give him the chance to win the green jersey in the tour. + Sky aint exactly doing well at classics either.

They have a stronger team for classics than Cannondale do, its just the fact that Sky have no leader.

He could win the points jersey easily with sky, just ride the train through the mountains picking up points sprinters can't get.

 

[vladimir]

Anton's still looking for a team and I know Sky, Astana and Garmin have shown interest.

I find it strange that it says that most of the high profile riders at Euskaltel have found a new team in the CN article. As far as I know only the Izaguirre brothers Nieve and Landa are confirmed for new teams next season. Does anyone have additional info?

 

[b.broadhurst]

There's as much chance of that happening as your uncle actually working for Sky.

My uncle is at BMC now

 

[hoerpi]

My uncle is at BMC now

What is he now, mechanic, doctor, chef or something else?

 

[b.broadhurst]

What is he now, mechanic, doctor, chef or something else?

mechanic, always has been

 

[Gloin22]

There's as much chance of that happening as your uncle actually working for Sky.

Disagreed.

With Wiggins and EBH out of the team, they could easily fund Sagan.

And give him lead in EVERY classic he wants.

Tour would be the only issue but I am sure with STannard, Thomas etc. he would be given some support.

Not saying it will happen, but I wouldn't rule it out completely.

Sky did go for big names before ( they wanted both Nibali and Cancellara in their first year at WT level, Nibali almost joined them ). Just proves they will go for big names. And with Wiggo and EBH wages out, it's possible.

 

[Cyivel]

mechanic, always has been

Except for when you said he was a doctor of course!

 

[JRanton]

As we have seen, Sky don't care about the classics. We can all see the type of rider they need to invest in but they just seem happy to keep topping up the doms for stage races.

Oh, not this again. They do care about the classics and went to significant expense to prepare the team for this season's one day races. They just aren't very good at them, that's all!

 

[Afrank]

They have a stronger team for classics than Cannondale do, its just the fact that Sky have no leader.

He could win the points jersey easily with sky, just ride the train through the mountains picking up points sprinters can't get.

With Sky he'll be turned into a domestique for the early parts of climbs and hillier stages. Sagan should be on a team where he is the #1 leader. He can get that in the classics with Sky, not any GT's and probably not too many other stage races.

 

[JRanton]

I find it strange that it says that most of the high profile riders at Euskaltel have found a new team in the CN article. As far as I know only the Izaguirre brothers Nieve and Landa are confirmed for new teams next season. Does anyone have additional info?

Well with the exception of Samu Sanchez those are the high profile Euskaltel riders...

 

[Parker]

Sky did go for big names before ( they wanted both Nibali and Cancellara in their first year at WT level, Nibali almost joined them ). Just proves they will go for big names. And with Wiggo and EBH wages out, it's possible.

Nibali wasn't that big a name at the time (2009). He was seen as one for the future with a couple of decent results. You could compare him then to someone like Talansky now.

 

[JRanton]

Disagreed.

With Wiggins and EBH out of the team, they could easily fund Sagan.

And give him lead in EVERY classic he wants.

Tour would be the only issue but I am sure with STannard, Thomas etc. he would be given some support.

Not saying it will happen, but I wouldn't rule it out completely.

Sky did go for big names before ( they wanted both Nibali and Cancellara in their first year at WT level, Nibali almost joined them ). Just proves they will go for big names. And with Wiggo and EBH wages out, it's possible.

Not really. You need those riders to look after Froome on the flat stages and Sagan needs a team that can ride like Cannondale did for him for his stage win this year. He won't accept anything less and rightly so.

 

[Grupetto1]

Why would any spectator want sagan to go to sky? Surely we'd have the best possible racing with the best riders on different teams and not working for others.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Except for when you said he was a doctor of course!

Lmao very nice

 

[Gloin22]

Why would any spectator want sagan to go to sky? Surely we'd have the best possible racing with the best riders on different teams and not working for others.

Who said about anything about spectators ?

We're talking purely from team's point of view here.

Obviously it'd be great that all talent was divided equally along all teams, but that's impossible.

 

[SKSemtex]

With Sky he'll be turned into a domestique for the early parts of climbs and hillier stages. Sagan should be on a team where he is the #1 leader. He can get that in the classics with Sky, not any GT's and probably not too many other stage races.

Nothing agaist Cannondale (Liquigas), they have found him, trained him, helped him to improve to this level, but what is the point of making him the leader in all those 2,3 cat. stage races. Not investing one penny to increase the strenght of the team will probably lead to his early burn out - with the list of palmiers full of second places with only few big wins.

Sorry, they signed the Hoogerland this months. .

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

United Healthcare announce their 23 man team for 2014: http://clicks.skem1.com/archive/view/?c=qpusn&g=699

Hilton Clarke (AUS)
Kiel Reijnen (USA)
Carlos Alzate (COL)
Lucas Euser (USA)
Marc de Maar (CUR)
Robert Förster (GER)
Jeff Louder (USA)
Ben Day (AUS)
Jonny Clarke (AUS)
Brad White (USA)
Chris Jones (USA)
Martyn Irvine (IRL)
Karl Menzies (AUS)
Davide Frattini (ITA)
Adrian Hegyvary (USA)
Alessandro Bazzana (ITA)
Luke Keough (USA)
Aldo Ilesic (SLO)
Danny Summerhill (USA)
John Murphy (USA)
Ken Hanson (USA)
Martijn Maaskant (NED)
Isaac Bolivar (COL)


Jake Keough is leaving. Deignan has joined Sky. The three new signings are Hanson, Maaskant and Bolivar.

A decent squad, which should clean up in US criteriums as usual. Maaskant adds some proper classics quality if they can get invites to semi classics. The one thing they seem to be missing is someone who can play the stage race leaders role that Deignan and Sutherland played for them in previous years. Unless Bolivar is another climbing prodigy I suppose? He is a Colombian after all, although a quick glance at Wikipedia suggests that he may be a TT specialist (!!!).

I'm glad they gave Irvine another shot. The guy signed his first pro contract this year, followed that by winning a track worlds gold and silver... and then promptly wrote off his whole season by breaking his hip in one of his first rides for UHC. Hopefully he can repay the loyalty. (They may even be dreaming if a Giro invite, although that sounds very optimistic).

Actually, with all the teams going under this year I'm a little surprised they didn't try to scavenge a couple of WT level climbers on the ultra-cheap. It's definitely the year to do it. There's plenty of talented riders who must be getting a bit desperate and would bite their hand off for a second chance like Deignan got.

 

[JRanton]

Biciclismo states that Anton's manager had a meeting with Lefevere this afternoon but I thought the last spot in the 2014 team had gone to De Gendt after Acevedo joined Garmin?

 

[filipo]

Actually, with all the teams going under this year I'm a little surprised they didn't try to scavenge a couple of WT level climbers on the ultra-cheap. It's definitely the year to do it. There's plenty of talented riders who must be getting a bit desperate and would bite their hand off for a second chance like Deignan got.

An excellent idea -- but I think they've hit their max number of riders, no?

 

[JRanton]

An excellent idea -- but I think they've hit their max number of riders, no?

Pro-Conti teams can have a maximum of 25 riders, so they have 2 places available but they announced it as their complete 2014 roster so I think that's it for them.

 

[taiwan]

Biciclismo states that Anton's manager had a meeting with Lefevere this afternoon but I thought the last spot in the 2014 team had gone to De Gendt after Acevedo joined Garmin?

Before Acevedo to Garmin it was between De Gendt and Anton for one spot.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/de-gendt-losing-hope-for-a-new-team