Transfers and Rumours 2014 > 2015

[MatParker117]

Kelderman?
-Will need a team where he'll have the chance to be leader. Replacement for Hesjedal at Garmin? GC leader for Orica? Share GT leadership spot with TJVG at BMC? Europcar and Giant would also have room for another GC rider. Or first GC rider in Giants case.

Vanmarcke?
-Tough one, will also need a team where he is leader for the classics. AG2R has some decent classic riders that I don't think would mind supporting him. Astana, Saxo, Orica, maybe Lotto could also use a top guy for the cobbles.

Gesink?
-with his recent medical problems, I'm thinking it might be good for Gesink to go to a team we'll be a dom for someone else. Might help him rediscover cycling and he'd be put under less pressure to perform.

Sky for Vanmarcke and Gesink? Vanmarcke would be the unquestioned leader in the classics and Gesink wouldn't be under any pressure to perform in GC with Froome, Porte & maybe Talansky there.

 

[jens_attacks]

gesink at torku i wonder?

 

[Akuryo]

Sky for Vanmarcke and Gesink? Vanmarcke would be the unquestioned leader in the classics and Gesink wouldn't be under any pressure to perform in GC with Froome, Porte & maybe Talansky there.

Sky focussing on cobbles? Did not really pan out for them this year. And if Stannard really want to concentrate on stage races they only got Bernie and Thomas for help. In the (cobbled) classics you need a strong team and Sky does not have that. Would be foolish of Vanmarcke to join a team where he would be captain but without any domestiques for these kind of races.

 

[Gloin22]

Sky focussing on cobbles? Did not really pan out for them this year. And if Stannard really want to concentrate on stage races they only got Bernie and Thomas for help. In the (cobbled) classics you need a strong team and Sky does not have that. Would be foolish of Vanmarcke to join a team where he would be captain but without any domestiques for these kind of races.

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One classic won, one podium. Great performance at Roubaix and Ronde.

What more do you want?

Is Stannard and G supposed to beat Cance now?

 

[Akuryo]

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Punctuation marks aren't pack animals.

 

[King Boonen]

Punctuation marks aren't pack animals.

Awesome.

 

[pastronef]

Sky for Vanmarcke and Gesink? Vanmarcke would be the unquestioned leader in the classics and Gesink wouldn't be under any pressure to perform in GC with Froome, Porte & maybe Talansky there.

this shouldn't be bad. foreign team, less pressure, maybe he could spend even more time in Girona instead of training in the Netherlands, less interviews, Froome Porte and the Others getting the pressure during GT. he could go for Paris-Nice, Catalunya, Emilia, Canadian races

 

[MBotero]

Kelderman the new super-domestique for Froome and Gesink the next Sky TDF winner.

 

[Anderis]

Kelderman?
Replacement for Hesjedal at Garmin?

What replacement? Hesjedal will be there next year. Garmin may lose Talansky, though, and he would fit well as a replacement, but I doubt it will happen. Garmin hardly ever wins battles for those riders that everybody around want them.

 

[MatParker117]

Sky focussing on cobbles? Did not really pan out for them this year. And if Stannard really want to concentrate on stage races they only got Bernie and Thomas for help. In the (cobbled) classics you need a strong team and Sky does not have that. Would be foolish of Vanmarcke to join a team where he would be captain but without any domestiques for these kind of races.

Here's a theoretical Sky classics squad with Vanmarcke: Vanmarcke, Stannard, Knees, Puccio, Swift, Rowe, Eisel, Thomas. Plenty of Doms there for Sep.

 

[MatParker117]

this shouldn't be bad. foreign team, less pressure, maybe he could spend even more time in Girona instead of training in the Netherlands, less interviews, Froome Porte and the Others getting the pressure during GT. he could go for Paris-Nice, Catalunya, Emilia, Canadian races

He wouldn't be training in Girona he'd be going up and down the Teide and actually have some coaching from the likes of Rod Ellingworth and Tim Kerrison. Sky could be a great team for him if he's willing to do some grunt work for Froome and Porte and with potentially Talansky as well it gives Sky a terrifying climbing train witch I'm not sure it would be possible to attack.

 

[lenric]

Belkin's the best team for Kelderman right now. No need for him to go to a bigger team, it would only put more pressure on him. Also, there aren't any guys aiming a GT's GC at Belkin aside Gesink and Mollema.

 

[Afrank]

What replacement? Hesjedal will be there next year. Garmin may lose Talansky, though, and he would fit well as a replacement, but I doubt it will happen. Garmin hardly ever wins battles for those riders that everybody around want them.

GC rider replacement, Ryder seems to not be able to do much GC-wise in the GT's anymore. Kelderman could be a new GC leader for them for one of the 3 GT's. Hesjedal can still be a strong rider to go for breaks and help other GC riders, but I don't see him pulling off another performance like 2012.

 

[Afrank]

Belkin's the best team for Kelderman right now. No need for him to go to a bigger team, it would only put more pressure on him. Also, there aren't any guys aiming a GT's GC at Belkin aside Gesink and Mollema.

Unfortunately he has to find a new team though, Belkin will be no more next year.

 

[Netserk]

Unfortunately he has to find a new team though, Belkin will be no more next year.

Wouldn't be the first time in history a team doesn't close just because it doesn't renew with its sponsor...

 

[lenric]

Unfortunately he has to find a new team though, Belkin will be no more next year.

He's in a 30 year-old team. I'm pretty sure they'll find a new sponsor

 

[Jspear]

Belkin's the best team for Kelderman right now. No need for him to go to a bigger team, it would only put more pressure on him. Also, there aren't any guys aiming a GT's GC at Belkin aside Gesink and Mollema.

How could you forget Kelderman?? He's their new GC star.
Maybe Belkin will just have to scrap some money together for a year, and call themselves Blanco again...

 

[Afrank]

I'd hope they find a new sponsor and he stays with them. We'll see.

 

[42x16ss]

Kelderman?
-Will need a team where he'll have the chance to be leader. Replacement for Hesjedal at Garmin? GC leader for Orica? Share GT leadership spot with TJVG at BMC? Europcar and Giant would also have room for another GC rider. Or first GC rider in Giants case.

A Keldermerckx and Barguil double act could get quite entertaining, I can see those two combining for some real fireworks

 

[murali]

If Belkin doesnt fold, then Kelderman is in the best team for him imho.

Any chances for BMC to try for Kelderman? they seriously need to get better riders for GTs

 

[Akuryo]

A Keldermerckx and Barguil double act could get quite entertaining, I can see those two combining for some real fireworks

Since Giant won't take Barguil to the Tour, he will (probably) leave the team at the end of the year. So why would Kelderman join a team where he has absolutely no support?

 

[WillemS]

He's in a 30 year-old team. I'm pretty sure they'll find a new sponsor

However, the amount of reassuring words spoken by Plugge (team manager) has me worried: If they've real prospects, I don't think he would be talking about it like that.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He's in a 30 year-old team. I'm pretty sure they'll find a new sponsor

more like 20 years old and euskaltel was older and look how they ended up

 

[lenric]

However, the amount of reassuring words spoken by Plugge (team manager) has me worried: If they've real prospects, I don't think he would be talking about it like that.

I don't know, what did he say?
It would be a shame that such an old team, with a great history, would turn to ashes.

 

[WillemS]

I don't know, what did he say?
It would be a shame that such an old team, with a great history, would turn to ashes.

He said that before Belkin came along during the Blanco period, they were in talks with a number of other companies, so this time they don't have to start at zero, but can rely on steps made in the past. Then he just added in the usual bit that he's confident they'll find a new sponsor and so on.

To me, that sounds like there are no concrete contacts at the moment and the plan they have is to talk to companies that two years ago decided to not sponsor them.