Transfers and Rumours 2016 > 2017

[Billie]

Re: Re:

Gilbert to Etixx would be a bad move for Gilbert imo. At this point, Martin and Alaphilippe are both better for the ardennes, and Vakoc is a rising star too. Who knows, even Gaviria could end up being a contender for Amstel. So Gilbert would only be a leader for AGR. As for RVV, Stybar is far far better than Gilbert, and even Terpstra and Boonen can argue that they're a better bet.

A rider like Gilbert should not be used as a domestique at this stage of his career

I think at this stage of his career Gilbert would make a good domestique, he's ageing and there are riders who are better than him at what he does now, in a race like RVV he could be a domestique and still come out with a good result thanks to the nature of the race.

Gilbert doesnt do domestiqueing. Not gonna happen.

Phil is a true alpha male. A real leader of men.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Surely they have some guys who are decent in theory, but for some reason it doesn't work. I still remember the stage where Froome attacked with Sagan. They showed Quintana quite far back when the peloton was on the verge of splitting. Few moments later it turned out, that his team-mates were even further behind. Historically Movistar are very bad in echelons, it was not the first time they turned out to be very vulnerable in these circumstances.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Surely they have some guys who are decent in theory, but for some reason it doesn't work. I still remember the stage where Froome attacked with Sagan. They showed Quintana quite far back when the peloton was on the verge of splitting. Few moments later it turned out, that his team-mates were even further behind. Historically Movistar are very bad in echelons, it was not the first time they turned out to be very vulnerable in these circumstances.

Yeah, that was a dire situation. But with Bennati, they are fine. The work he does for Contador is immense, he is probably the best in the peloton for the exact job.

 

[elfarto]

Re:

Any news about Rui Costa?

My bet is that we'll know something August 1st. Nothing concrete, just my guess

 

[Oliwright]

Puccio linked with Bahrain team.

Would be a big loss for Sky.
He's a great rider who is developing well.
He was great in the classics.

Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff), Valerio Agnoli (Astana), Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) are linked as well.


http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...rain-cycling-team-officially-announced-266782

 

[trevim]

Re:

Some rumors from portugal : Ruben Guerreiro(Axeon) to Trek and Luis Gomes , Rui e Ivo Oliveira ( Liberty Seguros/Carglass) portuguese Under 23 team , to Axeon.

Awesome, awesome news! I think Ruben is quite talented (see his attack in Laguna Seca this year) he should be at least a solid domestique as a pro. We'll see how he fares against top puncheurs, maybe he starts with Down Under. Obviously I'm already seeing Guerreiro as the last man before Contador anihilates the field in Malhão

 

[Billie]

Puccio linked with Bahrain team.

Would be a big loss for Sky.
He's a great rider who is developing well.
He was great in the classics.

He is what, their 18th-20th best rider? Surely that is not a great rider or a big loss.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

Some rumors from portugal : Ruben Guerreiro(Axeon) to Trek and Luis Gomes , Rui e Ivo Oliveira ( Liberty Seguros/Carglass) portuguese Under 23 team , to Axeon.

Awesome, awesome news! I think Ruben is quite talented (see his attack in Laguna Seca this year) he should be at least a solid domestique as a pro. We'll see how he fares against top puncheurs, maybe he starts with Down Under. Obviously I'm already seeing Guerreiro as the last man before Contador anihilates the field in Malhão

Ruben is either gonna to flop like Silvestre or be very good, [I hope] he won't be a domestique. His talent is worth more than that role.

 

[KGB]

Re: Re:

Quintana would really benefit if Movistar can finally include someone who can ride well in echelons in their TdF roster, so I think this makes sense.

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Nah,Bennati did absolutly nothing last two years.Too many injuries(maybe because of age?).

 

[Oliwright]

Puccio linked with Bahrain team.

Would be a big loss for Sky.
He's a great rider who is developing well.
He was great in the classics.

He is what, their 18th-20th best rider? Surely that is not a great rider or a big loss.

I'd argue his there 3rd best pure flat rider. After Rowe and Stannard.
Also he is improving into one of the best riders in the word

 

[LaFlorecita]

Also he is improving into one of the best riders in the word

You owe me a new keyboard, pal.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The rumoured Hiberno-French ProConti team, to be founded by the guy who owns the sponsor of Irish amateur squad Aquablue, seems to actually be going ahead. They are saying that the finances are in place and the initial stages of the application have been lodged with the UCI.

Stickybottle says that they are planning a squad of sixteen. It's not clear how many of those will be Irish. I'd guess maybe half. A team spokesperson said a whole load of Irish riders are being consdiered "some of whom have competed at pro-continental level, more who have competed at World Tour level and even more again who are below the level." That doesn't provide any significant information as it basically includes every category of rider. It's worth noting though that there are only three Irish riders of the right age who have "competed at pro-continental level" but not World Tour level (Sam Bennett, Stephen Clancy and Martyn Irvine).

I'm not entirely sure where they are going to find eight or so Irish riders who are capable of handling themselves at PCT level and who are out of contract. Of those who have shown a high level on the road, I think only Roche and Brammeier are out of contract and I can't imagine that they could offer Roche enough money to have him drop down to a brand new ProConti team. Even if they could get Brammeier, say, and Irvine, the rest would still have to be scraped up from guys on Conti teams or elite amateur teams. That's a nice opportunity for young riders to actually earn a semi-decent wage racing full time and perhaps develop from it, but a team full of such riders could have a very tough time of things in the PCT ranks.

There's also the question of what other riders they will sign. There's no shortage of French riders who could handle being on a PCT team though, whether on the way up from the amateur ranks or on the way down from a WT career.

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/team-aquablue-pro-continental-project-gathering-momentum/

 

[coimbrawu]

Re: Re:

Quintana would really benefit if Movistar can finally include someone who can ride well in echelons in their TdF roster, so I think this makes sense.

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Bennati is fragile, injury-probe

 

[coimbrawu]

Puccio linked with Bahrain team.

Would be a big loss for Sky.
He's a great rider who is developing well.
He was great in the classics.

Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff), Valerio Agnoli (Astana), Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) are linked as well.


http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...rain-cycling-team-officially-announced-266782

In the same news, Lampre will be downgraded to PCT while selling their license to Bahrain?!
But if they lose Merida as 2nd title sponsor, their budget is just the same as those PCT team, what a shame.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Quintana would really benefit if Movistar can finally include someone who can ride well in echelons in their TdF roster, so I think this makes sense.

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Bennati is fragile, injury-probe

I don't see how bone fractures can count towards being injury-prone. Unless he has osteoporosis.

 

[fungusbear]

Cyclingweekly seems to think Meinjtes will leave Lampre for the new Bahrain team

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Re:

Quintana would really benefit if Movistar can finally include someone who can ride well in echelons in their TdF roster, so I think this makes sense.

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Rojas is also a quality Dom for the flatlands

 

[Oliwright]

Big Post on transfers from cyclingnews:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/transfers-the-lay-of-the-land-before-the-window-opens-on-august-1/

Etixx:
Vermote and Wiśniowski have signed new contracts at Etixx
Gilbert still in negotiations with Etixx
Tony martin seems to be either going to Etixx, Bora or Katusha

Sky
Roche to BMC talked about
With Fenn and Konig also set to leave.
Henao's agent has said he is signing a new contract at Sky.
Poels has also resigned. (good moves for sky)
Rosa to sky seems likely

Orica
Carlos Verona to orica is certain apparently
Yates set to resign, also this was obvious when white openly spoke about them leading the Giro or Tour for Orica next year.

NoMovistar
Visconti is going to bahrain apparently
Rory Sutherland is set to stay

AG2R
Are interested in Vandenbergh (Etixx QuickStep), Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling) and Geniez (FDJ)

Fortuneo - Vital Concept
Dimitri Claeys (Wanty–Groupe Gobert) and Arnold Jeannesson are set for Fortuneo

Dimenson Data
Adam Blythe is proposed to move there

Taylor Phinney, Moreno Hofland, Sep Vanmarcke and Wilco Kelderman are all riders who's future is apparently yet to be decided.

 

[StryderHells]

Puccio linked with Bahrain team.

Would be a big loss for Sky.
He's a great rider who is developing well.
He was great in the classics.

Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff), Valerio Agnoli (Astana), Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) are linked as well.


http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...rain-cycling-team-officially-announced-266782

In the same news, Lampre will be downgraded to PCT while selling their license to Bahrain?!
But if they lose Merida as 2nd title sponsor, their budget is just the same as those PCT team, what a shame.

Lampre being PCT with a smaller budget isn't that bad, they will still get wildcards to all the big Italian races which should be enough to keep some quality riders in the squad.

 

[Oliwright]

Re: Re:

Quintana would really benefit if Movistar can finally include someone who can ride well in echelons in their TdF roster, so I think this makes sense.

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Rojas is also a quality Dom for the flatlands

Alot of ppeople claim that Movistar have a lot of good flat doms, but they have never proven themselves enough.
Granted Erviti is clearly a great rider, imo they have a lot of riders who could do well but that doesn't necessarily translate to definitely doing well.
They need to sign a Classics leader, as if we have serious cobbles on the route in 2017 Quintana is going to be desperate for a top specialist. Of which his rivals Contador (Degenkolb, Stuyven), Porte (GVA) and Froome (Rowe and Stannard) all have.

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Re:

Quintana would really benefit if Movistar can finally include someone who can ride well in echelons in their TdF roster, so I think this makes sense.

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Rojas is also a quality Dom for the flatlands

Alot of ppeople claim that Movistar have a lot of good flat doms, but they have never proven themselves enough.
Granted Erviti is clearly a great rider, imo they have a lot of riders who could do well but that doesn't necessarily translate to definitely doing well.
They need to sign a Classics leader, as if we have serious cobbles on the route in 2017 Quintana is going to be desperate for a top specialist. Of which his rivals Contador (Degenkolb, Stuyven), Porte (GVA) and Froome (Rowe and Stannard) all have.

Rojas is a good flatlands Dom and has shown that in other races, Movistar should of taken him to the Tour in 2016/15.
Quintana handled the cobbles just fine in 2015 without a dedicated cobbles specialist in the team, they don't race the cobbles the same way in the Tour as they do in the cobbled races which is why the GC guys cope so well over them as a whole.

 

[Oliwright]

Re: Re:

Quintana would really benefit if Movistar can finally include someone who can ride well in echelons in their TdF roster, so I think this makes sense.

They have some decent guys - Erviti, Castro, Malori etc. - but Bennati would be huge. Absolutely huge.

Rojas is also a quality Dom for the flatlands

Alot of ppeople claim that Movistar have a lot of good flat doms, but they have never proven themselves enough.
Granted Erviti is clearly a great rider, imo they have a lot of riders who could do well but that doesn't necessarily translate to definitely doing well.
They need to sign a Classics leader, as if we have serious cobbles on the route in 2017 Quintana is going to be desperate for a top specialist. Of which his rivals Contador (Degenkolb, Stuyven), Porte (GVA) and Froome (Rowe and Stannard) all have.

Rojas is a good flatlands Dom and has shown that in other races, Movistar should of taken him to the Tour in 2016/15.
Quintana handled the cobbles just fine in 2015 without a dedicated cobbles specialist in the team, they don't race the cobbles the same way in the Tour as they do in the cobbled races which is why the GC guys cope so well over them as a whole.

In 2015 he was lucky there was a massive headwind which kept the big group together and the cobbles weren't as difficult as in 2014.
If he had raced in 2014 he would have lost the tour on stage 5.
Rojas is good, but not good enough to drag Quintana around on flat stages in serious cross winds or cobbles. Like we've seen Cancellara do with Andy Schelck, or Rogers do with Contador.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Legendary Toso looking for a team for 2017

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Legendary Toso looking for a team for 2017

There is an Irish pro conti team looking for riders it seems

And as for Puccio being the best rider on the flat at SKY after Rowe and Stannard ...all I will say is Kiryenkia & Moscon..better riders by a mile ..as are a few others

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

According to tuttobiciweb.it Daniele Bennati will probably join Movistar.

Vintage Unzue

In an interview of February:

What rider would you like to have in your team?
- [Meditate long]. There are many great professionals that I like. For example, I love Geraint Thomas, Bennati, Paulinho ... These riders are decisive in another teams year after year and are always reliable. Of those there are not many.

http://www.ciclo21.com/en-casa-de-unzue-y-ii-el-deseo-es-seguir-hasta-2019/