Zinoviev Letter said:
MatParker117 said:
Zinoviev Letter said:
MatParker117 said:
Probably One Pro if they go pro conti.
So both One Pro and NFTO are trying to move into the second division? It seems unlikely that there's room for both to succeed.
Von Hoff would probably lead NFTO/Aberdeen Asset and they can build a train from that along with grabbing a couple of attacking climbers and some lower tier classics guys. OPC would probably look to grab a sprinter and some guys to ride in breaks. They should be able to grab some invites to the classics and maybe score some week long stage races.
Both teams have riders who are clearly good enough to move up. NFTO for instance have Von Hoff, Bibby, Dunbar etc. But they also have a lot of riders who aren't as talented and probably wouldn't get near a pro contract otherwise. And they'd need to expand their rosters anyway. In terms of a "British" identity, if that's important to the sponsors, there isn't a limitless of supply of British riders who are good enough. Two "promoted" teams would be fishing in the same pool.
That's not really the trickiest part though. PCT budgets are a lot higher than CT ones, there's a minimum wage, various licence obligations, more travel to races abroad. It seems to me that it would be a pleasant surprise if there's enough currently untapped British sponsorship available to sustainably pay for two new PCT teams. And if there is sponsorship for it, those sponsors might be better advised to combine efforts.
Don't get me wrong though. I'd be happy to be wrong.
I think ONE Pro Cycling would find it hard to stamp their own identity on a merged team. They have some kind of membership gimmick for the middle aged weekend warriors but clearly that's part of their brand and goodwill so simply to partner with a bigger sponsor might not suit their identity. But I agree with you. Looking at both rosters, if I was being generous I would take Bibby, Dunbar, Sam Harrison, Von Hoff, McEvoy, and Rob Partridge from NFTO and George Atkins, Bellis, Bialoblocki, Jon Mould and Chris Opie from ONE, which still leaves ten or more places for better riders. If they signed some of Cummings, Doull, McLay, Blythe, Edmondson, Hart, and James Shaw from Lotto, that would be the basis of a pretty good team.