- Feb 18, 2015
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Arredondo said:
Dekker_Tifosi said:
I get that he had to go to another team to get a free role but I wonder if there hadn't been a better team where he wouldn't have had to work for a leader as well but where he could have got better support and I generally find it strange that no big team threw their money at him so a small team like Fortuneo got him.HelloDolly said:
Barguil at Fortuneo will be the sole leader for the Tour, not even with a sprinter in the team (like Cofidis)
- Jun 27, 2013
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- May 9, 2010
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I doubt McLay will be selected next year giving his performances this year. Of course he can improve, but currently he's not good enough.GuyIncognito said:
I like that Barguil is going to a small team. It's been a while since there was a genuinely big leader in the PCT ranks.
On the other hand, I find the Sunweb squabbling frankly a bit bizarre. A WT team has room for two leaders, unless both are obsessed with having undisputed Tour leadership.
On the other hand, I find the Sunweb squabbling frankly a bit bizarre. A WT team has room for two leaders, unless both are obsessed with having undisputed Tour leadership.
- May 5, 2010
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Hugo Koblet said:
He may well not be there next season or not be selected if the team is all about Barguil, but have you seen their roster? By their dubious standards McLay is very much good enough.
- Feb 10, 2015
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Tony Gallopin signs with AG2R La Mondiale - officially.
"I am leaving Lotto Soudal having spent four years there. I was able to live through some very beautiful emotions, and I can only thank the team for this experience. I am delighted to be joining AG2R LA MONDIALE. We saw again recently at the Tour de France that this is a team that is among the best in the world. The vision of the sporting project is what seduced me and won me over. I will have a varied role. On the one hand, I will be playing a big part in the spring classics and hopefully helping Oliver Naesen to land a monument. I know that I will also have my own chance when racing the week-long events like the Paris-Nice. I have been able to prove also that some of the one-day races suit me, and I hope to earn some great victories while wearing the AG2R LA MONDIALE jersey. And then another part of my job will be to support Romain Bardet at the Tour de France. I am very motivated by this new challenge.”
"I am leaving Lotto Soudal having spent four years there. I was able to live through some very beautiful emotions, and I can only thank the team for this experience. I am delighted to be joining AG2R LA MONDIALE. We saw again recently at the Tour de France that this is a team that is among the best in the world. The vision of the sporting project is what seduced me and won me over. I will have a varied role. On the one hand, I will be playing a big part in the spring classics and hopefully helping Oliver Naesen to land a monument. I know that I will also have my own chance when racing the week-long events like the Paris-Nice. I have been able to prove also that some of the one-day races suit me, and I hope to earn some great victories while wearing the AG2R LA MONDIALE jersey. And then another part of my job will be to support Romain Bardet at the Tour de France. I am very motivated by this new challenge.”
Re: Re:
He hasn't proven to be enough of a GC rider so that strong teams would fight each other to sign him as a designated TdF leader. I'm sure he would've got a WT contract if he wanted but having a free role in a sprint-focused team wouldn't really be better than being a main star of Fortuneo, in other GC teams he maybe would've got a shot at Giro/Vuelta leadership (it perhaps wouldn't be an issue to get that at Sunweb) but I can't really see a team that would offer him both TdF leadership and a good support team. All teams capable of providing good support have more proven GC riders.
Barguil is only proven as a stage hunter. For this kind of rider support doesn't really matter that much.Gigs_98 said:
He hasn't proven to be enough of a GC rider so that strong teams would fight each other to sign him as a designated TdF leader. I'm sure he would've got a WT contract if he wanted but having a free role in a sprint-focused team wouldn't really be better than being a main star of Fortuneo, in other GC teams he maybe would've got a shot at Giro/Vuelta leadership (it perhaps wouldn't be an issue to get that at Sunweb) but I can't really see a team that would offer him both TdF leadership and a good support team. All teams capable of providing good support have more proven GC riders.
Well, we haven't had a properly strong Pro-conti team for a few years (anywhere near as strong as Cervelo or Geox for example), so it's interesting to see where Fortuneo is heading with their new signings.
They will certainly need to bring in more high level riders if Barguil is to be offered any kind of substantial support, so it's good that they say they will be doing so. I wonder where the extra money is coming from? Barguil alone must represent a substantial investment, while half a dozen good WT level domestiques would represent another spending spree.
I'm a bit dubious about the idea that they are about to become a seriously strong PCT team, of the Cervelo type or anything close, though. Unless they are going to go absolutely berserk in the transfer market. They do not have an existing spine to the team they could build that kind of operation around. There are some decent riders there, but they are very much a middle of the pack PCT outfit and also have a number of riders who would be lucky to have pro contracts if they were from a country with fewer pro teams.
They might hire a kind of "praetorian guard" of WT level riders to follow Barguil around and lead an occasional bigger race he isn't in, while the bulk of the team remain more or less as they are and spend the season getting beaten in coupe de France races as usual. Or I suppose, if they really have come into the money they could get Coquard as well, but that kind of split focus would seem to remove much of the reason for riders like Barguil and Coquard to sign for them in the first place, i.e. being the undisputed boss.
Directe Energie would seem like much more obvious candidates to turn into a "super PCT'" team, in that they actually do have a good core to build from. But I suppose in cycling such things are determined by whose sponsors will pony up the cash, not which team is already stronger.
I'm a bit dubious about the idea that they are about to become a seriously strong PCT team, of the Cervelo type or anything close, though. Unless they are going to go absolutely berserk in the transfer market. They do not have an existing spine to the team they could build that kind of operation around. There are some decent riders there, but they are very much a middle of the pack PCT outfit and also have a number of riders who would be lucky to have pro contracts if they were from a country with fewer pro teams.
They might hire a kind of "praetorian guard" of WT level riders to follow Barguil around and lead an occasional bigger race he isn't in, while the bulk of the team remain more or less as they are and spend the season getting beaten in coupe de France races as usual. Or I suppose, if they really have come into the money they could get Coquard as well, but that kind of split focus would seem to remove much of the reason for riders like Barguil and Coquard to sign for them in the first place, i.e. being the undisputed boss.
Directe Energie would seem like much more obvious candidates to turn into a "super PCT'" team, in that they actually do have a good core to build from. But I suppose in cycling such things are determined by whose sponsors will pony up the cash, not which team is already stronger.
Re: Re:
In such a team he could be sure to be invited to the Ardennes classics and to all big stage races. If his Tour de France went wrong for some reason he would have la Vuelta to save his season. Just look at Bardet this year: DSQ in Paris-Nice but then there was Catalunya to save his preparation. If he had been on Fortuneo he would have had some trouble...
Thus, a world tour team is generally better than a PCT team imo.
Anderis said:
In such a team he could be sure to be invited to the Ardennes classics and to all big stage races. If his Tour de France went wrong for some reason he would have la Vuelta to save his season. Just look at Bardet this year: DSQ in Paris-Nice but then there was Catalunya to save his preparation. If he had been on Fortuneo he would have had some trouble...
Thus, a world tour team is generally better than a PCT team imo.
- Jun 22, 2014
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Re:
Only issue I'd see is Bernaudeau constantly needing new sponsors - something I never quite understood given the success this team usually had at the TDF harking back to the Bouygues days with the likes of Rolland, Riblon, Voeckler, Fedrigo, Charteau...Otherwise it'd be a solid choice! They'd also need to stock up on domestiques as only Calmejane seems like a good prospect out of the current roster.
Fortuneo is a strange choice. I hope he doesn't come to regret it.
Zinoviev Letter said:
Only issue I'd see is Bernaudeau constantly needing new sponsors - something I never quite understood given the success this team usually had at the TDF harking back to the Bouygues days with the likes of Rolland, Riblon, Voeckler, Fedrigo, Charteau...Otherwise it'd be a solid choice! They'd also need to stock up on domestiques as only Calmejane seems like a good prospect out of the current roster.
Fortuneo is a strange choice. I hope he doesn't come to regret it.
- Sep 28, 2010
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Re:
You do realize that Fortuneo is leading at the moment both the individual and the team ranking of this year's Coupe de France?
Zinoviev Letter said:
You do realize that Fortuneo is leading at the moment both the individual and the team ranking of this year's Coupe de France?
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