Transfers and Rumours 2013 > 2014

[jens_attacks]

damn, remember the days when igor anton was a climber? i wish those times back

 

[roundabout]

Landa?

Anton has not lived up to his past form, but what has Landa done that makes him currently so much better than Anton?

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Landa?

Anton has not lived up to his past form, but what has Landa done that makes him currently so much better than Anton?

He has already signed (if I remember correctly). So the fight is about Nieve vs Anton really

 

[pastronef]

https://mobile.twitter.com/renovandael/status/372995813045055488?p=v

To fill the hole that was created when Lelangue was send walking at BMC, Valerio Piva is coming over from Katusha.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Landa?

Anton has not lived up to his past form, but what has Landa done that makes him currently so much better than Anton?

Burgos 2011 lives on in people's memory. 2nd in Madrid, 2nd in Asturias, 6th in San Sebastián this season. More likely to be able to plug in as a domestique too, and also he's 23 to Antón's 30.

I still think Antón's the better rider, but Igor's injury-prone and has never recaptured his best form after the crash in the 2010 Vuelta, and I think he has a bit of a psychological issue with top level competition. Thinking long term, people may prefer Landa as an option.

I'd say Ion Izagirre is the possible star attraction in the Euskaltel auction.

 

[Gloin22]

Landa?

Anton has not lived up to his past form, but what has Landa done that makes him currently so much better than Anton?

Potential and talent Just look at their ages, Landa has potential to become much better rider than Anton is currently showing ( actually Landa already is this year better imo, and still inexperienced at 23 years of age )

 

[trevim]

Burgos 2011 lives on in people's memory. 2nd in Madrid, 2nd in Asturias, 6th in San Sebastián this season. More likely to be able to plug in as a domestique too, and also he's 23 to Antón's 30.

I still think Antón's the better rider, but Igor's injury-prone and has never recaptured his best form after the crash in the 2010 Vuelta, and I think he has a bit of a psychological issue with top level competition. Thinking long term, people may prefer Landa as an option.

I'd say Ion Izagirre is the possible star attraction in the Euskaltel auction.

This. Izaguirre is probably one of the most well rounded rider coming out of Euskaltel in years: he can climb, TT and even do something in cobbles. Still, Nieve is a damn good climber (a true basque climber) as he showed this year being 3rd on Ventoux behind the two best climbers of the race; he has saved Euskaltel countless times when Anton or Sanchez are supposed to lead.

 

[Parrulo]

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=65301

Anton close to OPQS

 

[karlboss]

This. Izaguirre is probably one of the most well rounded rider coming out of Euskaltel in years: he can climb, TT and even do something in cobbles. Still, Nieve is a damn good climber (a true basque climber) as he showed this year being 3rd on Ventoux behind the two best climbers of the race; he has saved Euskaltel countless times when Anton or Sanchez are supposed to lead.

What are his best climbs to date?

 

[trevim]

What are his best climbs to date?

I assume you're asking about Izaguirre because Nieve has some very noted performances in GT's:

2013
- 2nd in Poland this year finishing top10 in the three mountain stages (Madonna di Campliglio, Passo Pordoi and Bukowina Tatrzanska) plus top10 in the TT.
- 4th in Down Under after a hill top finish to Willunga.

2012
- 1st on an intermediate mountain stage in the Giro
- 16th in Tirreno-Adriatico featuring a wall like stage to Chieti and a MTF to Prato di Tivo.
[My favourite result, nothing to do with climbs I know: 15th at Gent-Wevelgem]

2011
It was his first professional year but he did OK in Poitou-Charentes, Ordizia, Tirreno.

 

[nesocip]

Izaguirre is definitely the brightest talent in Euskaltel at the moment. Not a future GT winner probably, but given opportunities he can win lots of 1 week stage races.

 

[Parrulo]

A'Bola reports today that Trek isn't counting with Machado and Oliveira for next season. Shocking i know considering the way they have been performing

 

[jens_attacks]

efapel should sign machado . i see him rather well pushing the pace next year on torre until rui sousa takes off

 

[Parrulo]

efapel should sign machado . i see him rather well pushing the pace next year on torre until rui sousa takes off

Sousa is leaving efapel, and so are Cesar Fonte, Broco and Duran

 

[jens_attacks]

damn that is news to me. what about nuno ribeiro who was chased by his own team on that stage( i watched volta only these last days)?

and where is rui sousa going? efapel is getting weaker let sergio ribeiro back for christ sake

 

[Parrulo]

Nuno Ribeiro is going to OFM as he is the president of the organization behind the team.

Some say Rui Sousa and Cesar Fonte are going to Banco BIC, former Tavira, but nothing will be certain until December.

I would pretty happy if neither him, nor Nuno Ribeiro managed to find a team.

 

[jens_attacks]

damn didn't know that nuno is such a business man. it should be his volta then if he works hard again

 

[roundabout]

The man, the legend, the one and only Francis De Greef will leave Lotto it seems.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

The man, the legend, the one and only Francis De Greef will leave Lotto it seems.

We are giving out legend statuses for free lately it seems...

 

[Roderick]

We are giving out legend statuses for free lately it seems...

Cisse deserves this status. The real legend of the GT-top 20

 

[MatParker117]

No surprise with what happened at the Giro but Vini Fantini's riders have been told they are free to find other teams.

 

[Rui Quinta]

damn didn't know that nuno is such a business man. it should be his volta then if he works hard again

Nuno Ribeiro isn't a business man. As been said by Parrulo, he's the president of the organization behind the team, but the organization is a sport small sports club, not a profit-seeking enterprise.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

damn that is news to me. what about nuno ribeiro who was chased by his own team on that stage( i watched volta only these last days)?

and where is rui sousa going? efapel is getting weaker let sergio ribeiro back for christ sake

The team chasing itself is part of the reason it's getting weaker. Brandão was angry at the team chasing him on the stage where he put Petrov in the barriers and Sousa won; Sousa was angry at Brôco for being strong on Torre but working for himself instead of Sousa when Rui felt the team boss had promised him sole leadership at the Volta; Ribeiro was angry that the team chased his attack down. Some members of the team being loyal to Rui, others saying Hernâni by being top 5 at the Volta the last two times he raced it has earned the right not to have to work for an old guy nearing retirement. Rui complaining that there are others on the team whose egos are too big, notwithstanding that suggesting Hernâni Brôco has no right to ride in his own interest when he lies in the top 3 overall earmarks Rui as one of those guys himself.

I think that the Efapel team was stacked as all hell, but it required good management to keep the various characters working together, and clearly that was not possible. I feared that working solely for Rui Sousa wasn't a winning strategy. It seems now that the team was simply too strong and was too top-heavy, and that combined with the amount of energy wasted on chasing down their own attacks and riding start to finish on stages like Senhora da Graça and not finishing the deal has probably doomed them to losing the Volta, and when a team as strong as that loses the race there has to be some soul-searching. Kind of makes me think of Spinal Tap after the Stonehenge debacle.

 

[Rui Quinta]

Rui wasn't the sole leader. I'm Hernâni Brôco's friend and from the beginning his DS said both will be free to fight for the yellow jersey. In theory, Rui is stronger in mountains and Hernâni is stronger in time trial (same route in 2011: http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=21189).
The problem is both wanted win the Volta and it was probably the last chance for them.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Even if there was some misunderstanding of Pereira's plans at least pre-race, it seems Rui is frustrated at not receiving help from Hernâni on Torre. In theory, Hernâni is stronger in the mountains too (2010 and 11 Senhora da Graça) however Hernâni just seems one day short on recovery, as in his three GC tilts at A Volta would seem to suggest, losing time in two ITTs, one flat and one hilly, and on the final big mountain on the other occasion. He's been good on Torre before outside of that time he cracked, and he's been good over the same TT course in the past too.

And while Sousa is 37, if he can compete at that age, I'd have thought Hernâni still has a chance or two at fighting for it given that he's 5 years younger?

Either way, seeds were sown for discontent and disunity within Efapel even before the race began. Once they started chasing down their own teammates, it's quite clear to see, if hindsight's talking.