Transfers and Rumours 2018 > 2019

[staubsauger]

AG2R splits with Factor bikes according to Eurosport? Finally their chance to strike it up with Look Cyclisme?

 

[toolittle]

Re:

AG2R splits with Factor bikes according to Eurosport? Finally their chance to strike it up with Look Cyclisme?

Any link?

 

[luckyboy]

Last week there were some reports Factor are looking elsewhere

https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180905_03703207

 

[slosada]

Not confirmed: Molano to UAE https://twitter.com/ALTIPLANORADIO/status/1040031780286464002

 

[dick the quick]

Jakub Mareczko confirmed to join BMC=>CCC:
https://www.bmc-switzerland.com/int..._sprint_dimension_to_continuum_sports_roster/

 

[toolittle]

Re:

Last week there were some reports Factor are looking elsewhere

https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180905_03703207

Invisible in spring is AG2R tradition. A firework in the Tour and then disappear again is their norm.

AG2R changed a bit when with Factor.
Naesen had a breakthrough last season. Bardet in E3 and Dillier in Roubaix are great shows.
Naesen has a lots of bad luck this season but still won a WT classic.

Don't think Dillier could out-sprint Sagan in such a fair manner.
But if ride a Gerrans way to win, it is worser than 2nd.

With these budget and riders on the table, you just cannot ask for more.

Look @ Katusha, UAE

 

[Laplaz]

Larry Warbasse to Ag2r

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Larry Warbasse to Ag2r

Good to hear.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The team Sky could currently field of riders aged 23 and under is just insane. Thank God they didn’t get Sosa, Kuss, Jakobsen, because they have almost everyone else.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

The team Sky could currently field of riders aged 23 and under is just insane. Thank God they didn’t get Sosa, Kuss, Jakobsen, because they have almost everyone else.

Instead they have Ethan Hayter, who looks like a reincarnation of Geraint Thomas, and Mark Donovan, one of the best first year U23's pretty much on lock. I'd imagine they have first row seats for Pidcock and Vernon as well.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

The team Sky could currently field of riders aged 23 and under is just insane. Thank God they didn’t get Sosa, Kuss, Jakobsen, because they have almost everyone else.

Instead they have Ethan Hayter, who looks like a reincarnation of Geraint Thomas, and Mark Donovan, one of the best first year U23's pretty much on lock. I'd imagine they have first row seats for Pidcock and Vernon as well.

Bernal, Sivakov, Dunbar, Geoghegan Hart, Donovan, Hayter, Halvorsen is just insane even without Pidcock (yet). Whoever Leonardo Basso’s agent is must be the smoothest talker in cycling because their youth recruitment is basically a full GT squad of the most talented kids in the sport plus one completely random Italian.

This is a bit of a departure from their previous practice of buying in reasonably established riders that they thought they could get more out of. It’s quite ominous for the competition that they have this kind of talent coming through their own ranks. They are moving towards a production line model where they have a full Tour winner’s squad, with one established and one young guy ready to instantly step into every place on that squad. Previously dominant teams have more or less risen and fallen with their dominant leader. Sky really don’t look like they are going to let that happen.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

The team Sky could currently field of riders aged 23 and under is just insane. Thank God they didn’t get Sosa, Kuss, Jakobsen, because they have almost everyone else.

Instead they have Ethan Hayter, who looks like a reincarnation of Geraint Thomas, and Mark Donovan, one of the best first year U23's pretty much on lock. I'd imagine they have first row seats for Pidcock and Vernon as well.

Bernal, Sivakov, Dunbar, Geoghegan Hart, Donovan, Hayter, Halvorsen is just insane even without Pidcock (yet). Whoever Leonardo Basso’s agent is must be the smoothest talker in cycling because their youth recruitment is basically a full GT squad of the most talented kids in the sport plus one completely random Italian.

This is a bit of a departure from their previous practice of buying in reasonably established riders that they thought they could get more out of. It’s quite ominous for the competition that they have this kind of talent coming through their own ranks. They are moving towards a production line model where they have a full Tour winner’s squad, with one established and one young guy ready to instantly step into every place on that squad. Previously dominant teams have more or less risen and fallen with their dominant leader. Sky really don’t look like they are going to let that happen.

Leonardo Basso is Moscon's training buddy, that's one of the reasons why he got signed.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

That explains why they were willing to even take a look at him, but it’s still pretty remarkable that they actually used up a squad place on him. Every other young rider in their team is a potential world beater and to be blunt about it he is clearly not. Moscon must really have a lot of sway. Froome or Thomas getting some random mate of theirs a contract would not necessarily be surprising, but I’m surprised anyone else can do so.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

He must have something to finish top 20 in Quebec. Plenty of Sky riders not capable of that. Including Froome

 

[Inquitus]

Re: Re:

I’m a bit disappointed by Dunbar to Sky, where he is just the newest of a batch of obvious future stars rather than the clear big prospect as he would be at 90% of teams, but it’s great that he is not missing the rest of the season.

It was in retrospect a bit odd that Aquablue managed to sign him and Pedersen. All other European espoirs of their level went to a handful of big WT teams. It was a bit of a coup for Aquablue to land them. Sky and Sunweb were probably the sort of teams they were expected to go to in the first place.

Now that the lowest hanging fruit has been plucked, im hoping that the likes of Warbasse, Dunne, Denifl, Archbold, Norman Hansen etc find teams quickly

Sky had no leader in a lot of hilly races this season. Tour of Yorkshire, Deutschland Tour, Tour of Norway. I think he could fill a decent gap.

He also signed 1 year contract only

I guess his bargaining position was poor due to the timing, so he elected to take a 1 year contract on reduced terms to get back racing immediately and hopefully if he has a successful season next year he can negotiate a good long term contract with Sky or another top WT team?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

He must have something to finish top 20 in Quebec. Plenty of Sky riders not capable of that. Including Froome

Finishing 19th in Quebec isn’t really that impressive, but I’m sure he’s a competent pro. It’s just that he sticks out like a sore thumb in the company he is in. All of the other young riders on the team are both younger than him and are very obvious big talents and potential big winners.

 

[Bakkie]

Still notting about QS? Hmm...

 

[Midnightfright]

Sounds like QS really slashing there budget

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Sounds like QS really slashing there budget

I don’t see how they could do otherwise if they don’t have a lead sponsor. No amount of smaller sponsors and no cash reserves a team could reasonably have could cover their current budget.

It’s precisely because the amount they are looking for to continue as the best team in the sport is so big that they are having such difficulties finding a sponsor. There just aren’t many companies for which it makes sense to sink a huge sum of money into a team in a second or third tier sport based in a small country. And the sums required are artificially inflated by big money competition from teams which have semi national backing or are rich men’s toys. It only makes commercial sense for a limited number of companies.

 

[infeXio]

Henao to UAE.. surprising or is it just me who haven't heard this rumoured before?

 

[Moviefan1203]

If QS can't find a new primary sponsor, I don't know what to say. Such a successful team.

 

[Anderis]

Either they are asking too much money or they do something wrong. It's not like it's impossible to find a new sponsor nowadays. Ochowicz managed it this year, Vaughters last year etc.

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

Henao to UAE.. surprising or is it just me who haven't heard this rumoured before?

He and Molano the UAE has been going around for about a week. Won't be long before the latter is confirmed it seems.

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

Either they are asking too much money or they do something wrong. It's not like it's impossible to find a new sponsor nowadays. Ochowicz managed it this year, Vaughters last year etc.

But did they find a sponsor that could ensure the wages of the riders Quick-Step have? Lefevere has a shitload of good riders on the roster and they dont ride for free. So yeah, he is probably asking for A LOT of money. But to keep the team successful, he has to. They did a good job scouting incredible talents over the last few years but now most of them want a better deal. Sure, they replaced Kwiatkowski with Alaphilippe, or Kittel with Viviani, or Cavendish with Gaviria. At first those guys were cheaper but now they want a second contract ...

 

[janraaskalt]

Re:

If QS can't find a new primary sponsor, I don't know what to say. Such a successful team.

Problem could be that Quick Step is staying as second sponsor. When they had Omega Pharma - Quick Step, everyone was still calling them Quick Step.