Transfers and Rumours 2016 > 2017

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I don't know, maybe both. But what should he do for the team then, and for who?

There are better hilly classics riders than present day Gilbert on the team already. There are better cobbled riders than the present day Gilbert on the team already. He could be a useful domestique. But if his pay depends on his own results, he's being paid to ride against those stronger riders rather than sacrifice himself for them. I wouldn't be very happy about that if I was one of those stronger riders.

Well, he'll likely get a bonus if he's an important asset in a big team win too. Lefevre ain't dumb of course.

Gilbert is still a big name. Don't underestimate the positive effect a guy like him can have on the team. Like Boonen does, he can bring peace into the team and take the pressure away from other riders because the spotlights will be on him.

Besides, he's back in really good shape and should definitely not domestique just like that. It's not like Ala or Martin bring certain wins.

I can see the publicity argument, but not a sporting one.

It's precisely because he shouldn't be a domestique that he shouldn't go to Etixx. Etixx have two of the best three hilly classics riders on their books (as well as some of the best cobbled riders). They absolutely do not need a third, no longer as good, "leader" also riding for his own chances. At Etixx he's either a domestique or a distraction. At any other team in the peloton, apart from Movistar or perhaps Sky, he's a very useful new leader.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

Oleg said to ITV.com that Sagan signed with Bora for more money that he is earning now. Bora and Sagan have no comments.

I tought that the 6M € figure is a known thing ...I read it several times (I know that notthing is official yet)
Tony and Sagz in the same team? fasten your seatbelts biatches

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

I don't know, maybe both. But what should he do for the team then, and for who?

There are better hilly classics riders than present day Gilbert on the team already. There are better cobbled riders than the present day Gilbert on the team already. He could be a useful domestique. But if his pay depends on his own results, he's being paid to ride against those stronger riders rather than sacrifice himself for them. I wouldn't be very happy about that if I was one of those stronger riders.

Well, he'll likely get a bonus if he's an important asset in a big team win too. Lefevre ain't dumb of course.

Gilbert is still a big name. Don't underestimate the positive effect a guy like him can have on the team. Like Boonen does, he can bring peace into the team and take the pressure away from other riders because the spotlights will be on him.

Besides, he's back in really good shape and should definitely not domestique just like that. It's not like Ala or Martin bring certain wins.

I can see the publicity argument, but not a sporting one.

It's precisely because he shouldn't be a domestique that he shouldn't go to Etixx. Etixx have two of the best three hilly classics riders on their books (as well as some of the best cobbled riders). They absolutely do not need a third, no longer as good, "leader" also riding for his own chances. At Etixx he's either a domestique or a distraction. At any other team in the peloton, apart from Movistar or perhaps Sky, he's a very useful new leader.

The sporting one is, like I said, that he can take the pressure of the other guys. Ask Terpstra or Stybar how much it helps to have Boonen in the team.

And to call him a domestique for Martin and Alaphilippe? Gilbert at current age would still annihilate Martin on the Cauberg, while Ala maybe, just maybe, can grow to that level next year. Also in Liège, Martin didn't do anything in the past 2 years. Alaphilippe is a monster talent but still young, so he could benefit the most from Gilbert's presence and experience.

 

[dirkprovin]

Re: Re:

Impey goes off-contract at OBE at the end of this year. Whilst he's very highly valued by the team and has been very happy there; one cannot help thinking that his "team MVP" performances at this tour will not have gone unnoticed by other teams.

I have my doubts that he'll be moving on but at the very least, he should be in line for a very well deserved pay rise.

You have half the team leaving OBE. My understanding is Imply will stay at OBE. And he's had a super year.

I don't have "half the team leaving", however I acknowledge the reality that they have a good number of ambitious young riders coming off contract ie Both Yates twins, Matthews, Durbridge, Ewan as well as well credentialled riders such as Impey who WOULD have been noticed with his rides during this Tour.

The reality is that they are only a mid budget team and not all the ambitions will be able to be accomodated. As it is, Matthews appears to be out the door. I think Impey WILL stay but he will have justified a pay rise. Durbridge is highly valued by the team but CAN they give him the leadership opportunities at the cobbled races that he aspires to ? If Gerrans were to cash in his chips, then that WOULD free up some $$$ but that's no certainty. This is even before we get to the Yates twins. Sadly the one rider I would gladly give a red carpet passage OUT of the team is the one most assured to be retained ......

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I don't know, maybe both. But what should he do for the team then, and for who?

There are better hilly classics riders than present day Gilbert on the team already. There are better cobbled riders than the present day Gilbert on the team already. He could be a useful domestique. But if his pay depends on his own results, he's being paid to ride against those stronger riders rather than sacrifice himself for them. I wouldn't be very happy about that if I was one of those stronger riders.

Well, he'll likely get a bonus if he's an important asset in a big team win too. Lefevre ain't dumb of course.

Gilbert is still a big name. Don't underestimate the positive effect a guy like him can have on the team. Like Boonen does, he can bring peace into the team and take the pressure away from other riders because the spotlights will be on him.

Besides, he's back in really good shape and should definitely not domestique just like that. It's not like Ala or Martin bring certain wins.

I can see the publicity argument, but not a sporting one.

It's precisely because he shouldn't be a domestique that he shouldn't go to Etixx. Etixx have two of the best three hilly classics riders on their books (as well as some of the best cobbled riders). They absolutely do not need a third, no longer as good, "leader" also riding for his own chances. At Etixx he's either a domestique or a distraction. At any other team in the peloton, apart from Movistar or perhaps Sky, he's a very useful new leader.

The sporting one is, like I said, that he can take the pressure of the other guys. Ask Terpstra or Stybar how much it helps to have Boonen in the team.

And to call him a domestique for Martin and Alaphilippe? Gilbert at current age would still annihilate Martin on the Cauberg, while Ala maybe, just maybe, can grow to that level next year. Also in Liège, Martin didn't do anything in the past 2 years. Alaphilippe is a monster talent but still young, so he could benefit the most from Gilbert's presence and experience.

I think we are talking past each other here.

My view is precisely that Gilbert is still too good for it to be a wise idea for him to go to a team where there are now two riders who are bigger favourites than him for a hilly classic (other than AGR, which I agree with you about). If he was going there as a domestique it would make sense for the team, though not for him. If he's going there to ride for himself, then it means going into hilly classics with too many leaders. Either way, it makes less sense for him to go to Etixx than to any other team.

I don't think he should go and be a domestique for Alaphillipe and Martin. I also don't think he should go and be a third wheel as an entirely extraneous additional leader. Both options are bad ideas, but they are the only two options if he goes to Etixx. He also shouldn't go to Movistar, for obvious reasons, nor should he go to Sky and be a fourth leader with Kwiatkowski, Henao and Poels. There are fifteen other WT teams where he would be the obvious hilly classics leader. So why go to one of the three that really doesn't need yet another hilly classics leader?

Etixx is a doubly bad option because it's about the only team where he wouldn't be the obvious cobbled leader either. Etixx absolutely do not need another not quite top rank cobbled leader. They have too many of those already.

 

[TMP402]

Vichot, Bonnet and Roux apparently extend with FDJ.

 

[Netserk]

Gilbert could be the long range option in Liege. It's not like either Ala or Martin is going to attack with 20km to go.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

There are better hilly classics riders than present day Gilbert on the team already. There are better cobbled riders than the present day Gilbert on the team already. He could be a useful domestique. But if his pay depends on his own results, he's being paid to ride against those stronger riders rather than sacrifice himself for them. I wouldn't be very happy about that if I was one of those stronger riders.

Well, he'll likely get a bonus if he's an important asset in a big team win too. Lefevre ain't dumb of course.

Gilbert is still a big name. Don't underestimate the positive effect a guy like him can have on the team. Like Boonen does, he can bring peace into the team and take the pressure away from other riders because the spotlights will be on him.

Besides, he's back in really good shape and should definitely not domestique just like that. It's not like Ala or Martin bring certain wins.

I can see the publicity argument, but not a sporting one.

It's precisely because he shouldn't be a domestique that he shouldn't go to Etixx. Etixx have two of the best three hilly classics riders on their books (as well as some of the best cobbled riders). They absolutely do not need a third, no longer as good, "leader" also riding for his own chances. At Etixx he's either a domestique or a distraction. At any other team in the peloton, apart from Movistar or perhaps Sky, he's a very useful new leader.

The sporting one is, like I said, that he can take the pressure of the other guys. Ask Terpstra or Stybar how much it helps to have Boonen in the team.

And to call him a domestique for Martin and Alaphilippe? Gilbert at current age would still annihilate Martin on the Cauberg, while Ala maybe, just maybe, can grow to that level next year. Also in Liège, Martin didn't do anything in the past 2 years. Alaphilippe is a monster talent but still young, so he could benefit the most from Gilbert's presence and experience.

I think we are talking past each other here.

My view is precisely that Gilbert is still too good for it to be a wise idea for him to go to a team where there are now two riders who are bigger favourites than him for a hilly classic (other than AGR, which I agree with you about). If he was going there as a domestique it would make sense for the team, though not for him. If he's going there to ride for himself, then it means going into hilly classics with too many leaders. Either way, it makes less sense for him to go to Etixx than to any other team.

I don't think he should go and be a domestique for Alaphillipe and Martin. I also don't think he should go and be a third wheel as an entirely extraneous additional leader. Both options are bad ideas, but they are the only two options if he goes to Etixx. He also shouldn't go to Movistar, for obvious reasons, nor should he go to Sky and be a fourth leader with Kwiatkowski, Henao and Poels. There are fifteen other WT teams where he would be the obvious hilly classics leader. So why go to one of the three that really doesn't need yet another hilly classics leader?

Etixx is a doubly bad option because it's about the only team where he wouldn't be the obvious cobbled leader either. Etixx absolutely do not need another not quite top rank cobbled leader. They have too many of those already.

Well, I understand your point of view, it's just that I have a different one. Both for Gilbert himself AND the team, this could be a good move imo. In Amstel, he can still do his trademark explosion on Cauberg. Not much difference here when he rides for Etixx than for any other team. He can never win Flèche again, so that doesn't matter either. Liège is also nearly impossible to win for him these days, which means it's actually beneficial to ride in a team with multiple leaders (Devolder and Terpstra among others say hello).

 

[TMP402]

Rémy Mertz (Color Code-Arden'Beef) rumoured to Soudal. Łukasz Wiśniowski rumoured to Sky and Poels apparently in negotiations to extend.

 

[May0maniac]

From what I've heard Sky are offering Rosa a pretty good contract (700-800k according to different sources), but nothing that Astana couldn't match if Nibali is actually leaving.

 

[MatParker117]

Re:

From what I've heard Sky are offering Rosa a pretty good contract (700-800k according to different sources), but nothing that Astana couldn't match if Nibali is actually leaving.

Astana have had a 30% budget cut:

We've still got to negotiate and finalise things with the Kazakhstan authorities but we should be able to carry on for another three years at least. Of course it's never easy to secure funding. This year we've had to cut our budget by 30% because of the fall in the price of oil. Our country depends a lot on the price of oil, like lots of other major countries and the Kazakhstan government covers most of our budget via major state companies. Other sponsors cover about 10-15% of the budget. I'm going to be around for a while yet and so is the Astana team.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

That's what happens when your main sponsor is a glorified petrol station.

 

[BalearicBeats]

Re:

Rémy Mertz (Color Code-Arden'Beef) rumoured to Soudal.

A bit weird considering the talent they have in their development team and comparing their results to those f Rémy. His numbers might be huge though.

 

[Billie]

Re:

That's what happens when your main sponsor is a glorified petrol station.

a glorified petrol station lel Samruk has almost as much transport interests as dealings in oil business

 

[Samamba]

Re: Re:

Rémy Mertz (Color Code-Arden'Beef) rumoured to Soudal.

A bit weird considering the talent they have in their development team and comparing their results to those f Rémy. His numbers might be huge though.

Rémy is a Walloon, that explains it all.
Plus the fact that those talents you're speaking off are too young (and Lambrecht is probably going to BMC).

 

[Samamba]

Vanmarcke just said on TV that he will not go to EQS!

 

[HelloDolly]

Roche to BMC

 

[thehook]

Re:

Roche to BMC

WOW
BMC really like signing high $ riders who are in there twilight.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

Roche to BMC

WOW
BMC really like signing high $ riders who are in there twilight.

He is a few months older than Riche Porte and Chris Froome ...so not sure if that is twlight given both these riders want to compete in the Tour for years ...Froome wants to win 4/5 more Tours and everyone on here asking how to beat him in the future

Also Roche is not big money and Richie does need some doms

 

[luckyboy]

Where is Roche to BMC from? Haven't heard or seen anything..

People should always post some link or at least where they heard the news from

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

Where is Roche to BMC from? Haven't heard or seen anything..

People should always post some link or at least where they heard the news from

I wonder if he'd be ahead of TVG in the pecking order for GC leadership

 

[TMP402]

Re:

Where is Roche to BMC from? Haven't heard or seen anything..

People should always post some link or at least where they heard the news from

The Cycling Podcast. If he does move to BMC, that would explain his TTT performance at the Tour last year...

 

[Martin]

Re: Re:

Roche to BMC

WOW
BMC really like signing high $ riders who are in there twilight.

Perhaps you only think he is high $ rider.

 

[Wallenquist]

Gilbert -> Etixx according to Het Nieuwsblad

 

[marius43]

Piet Allegaert,Jacopo Mosca,Jose Luis Rodríguez ->Trek-Segafredo

Trek-Segafredo has selected three stagiaires to join the team for the remainder of the 2016 season. (Jacopo Mosca, Piet Allegaert, and Jose Luis Rodríguez)

http://www.treksegafredo.com/blog/trek-segafredo-selects-three-stagiaires