Transfers and Rumours 2018 > 2019

[Anderis]

Alan Banaszek to Caja Rural. Quite a surprising move to me.

 

[Squire]

Re:

Alan Banaszek to Caja Rural. Quite a surprising move to me.

Very surprising. They now have a ton of sprinters.

 

[Tim Booth]

Tony Martin confirmed to Jumbo
https://www.teamlottojumbo.nl/cycling-news/tony-martin-makes-switch-to-team-lottonljumbo

 

[jarvo]

Just seen on Team Sky's insta account Ben Swift has returned

I hope he gets some chances in some smaller races such as Tour de Yorkshire, Tour of Britain etc

 

[Vasilis]

Just seen on Team Sky's insta account Ben Swift has returned

I hope he gets some chances in some smaller races such as Tour de Yorkshire, Tour of Britain etc

Yup
https://www.teamsky.com/article/swift-returns-to-team-sky

 

[dick the quick]

Paweł Bernas (CCC Sprandi) confirmed as the latest transfer to the 2019 CCC Team.

https://www.bmc-switzerland.com/int...to_target_classics_development_with_ccc_team/

Some Polish sources claim that he is the last rider to join from the 2018 CCC Sprandi team, but I guess that there may be some mistake in translation ("the latest" does not necessarily mean "the last").

Anyway, with all due respect for the riders joining, so far this is not very impressive team roster for CCC Team as per WT standards.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Swift verges on the unique. In an era when the sprinting field is incredibly deep and sprinters who lack top end speed struggle for employment, he gets contract after contract with big budget teams despite almost never winning anything. If I was a budding young professional I’d be looking for this guy’s agent’s number.

 

[WKA311]

Re:

Swift verges on the unique. In an era when the sprinting field is incredibly deep and sprinters who lack top end speed struggle for employment, he gets contract after contract with big budget teams despite almost never winning anything. If I was a budding young professional I’d be looking for this guy’s agent’s number.

Swift at least gets his annual MSR Top result. Adam Blythe is the one I'm still wondering how he manages to get contract after contract for how little worth he adds to a team.

 

[search]

Some Polish sources claim that he is the last rider to join from the 2018 CCC Sprandi team, but I guess that there may be some mistake in translation ("the latest" does not necessarily mean "the last").

the other week (when they had 3) it was said in Polish media that the team would sign two more Polish riders from the old CCC team. so with Gradek getting on board a couple of days ago, Bernas now should be the last indeed

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Swift verges on the unique. In an era when the sprinting field is incredibly deep and sprinters who lack top end speed struggle for employment, he gets contract after contract with big budget teams despite almost never winning anything. If I was a budding young professional I’d be looking for this guy’s agent’s number.

Most sprinters can't do domestique duties like him or maybe don''t want to.........sprinting seems secondary for him now.

 

[dick the quick]

Some Polish sources claim that he is the last rider to join from the 2018 CCC Sprandi team, but I guess that there may be some mistake in translation ("the latest" does not necessarily mean "the last").

the other week (when they had 3) it was said in Polish media that the team would sign two more Polish riders from the old CCC team. so with Gradek getting on board a couple of days ago, Bernas now should be the last indeed

Right, he should be indeed the last one if we count Polish riders only. But still wondering what will happen with some of the non-Polish CCC Sprandi riders who were also mentioned in the context of possible joining of WT team (Koch, Schlegel or Sisr, for example).

 

[Jancouver]

Some Polish sources claim that he is the last rider to join from the 2018 CCC Sprandi team, but I guess that there may be some mistake in translation ("the latest" does not necessarily mean "the last").

the other week (when they had 3) it was said in Polish media that the team would sign two more Polish riders from the old CCC team. so with Gradek getting on board a couple of days ago, Bernas now should be the last indeed

Right, he should be indeed the last one if we count Polish riders only. But still wondering what will happen with some of the non-Polish CCC Sprandi riders who were also mentioned in the context of possible joining of WT team (Koch, Schlegel or Sisr, for example).

Schlegel was told to find a new team and is talking to Italian pro-conti teams.

Sisr already signed with Czech conti team Elkov-Author

 

[samhocking]

Re: Re:

Swift verges on the unique. In an era when the sprinting field is incredibly deep and sprinters who lack top end speed struggle for employment, he gets contract after contract with big budget teams despite almost never winning anything. If I was a budding young professional I’d be looking for this guy’s agent’s number.

Most sprinters can't do domestique duties like him or maybe don''t want to.........sprinting seems secondary for him now.

He's never been a bunch sprinter. His strength is as a solid domestique and if he makes the select group in >250km he can still sprint. He was 5th in last years Worlds, 2nd & 3rd MSR etc couple of years back. If you've met him, don't underestimate his human side. Brailsford doesn't just build on results, but has always focused on how riders gel a team together. Happy teams are winning teams.

 

[dick the quick]

That's something new to me, thanks. So it looks like indeed there will be no more transfers from the 2018 PCT CCC squad to the 2019 WT team. The question remains who else will join them, as they need at least several riders more.

 

[search]

Re:

That's something new to me, thanks. So it looks like indeed there will be no more transfers from the 2018 PCT CCC squad to the 2019 WT team. The question remains who else will join them, as they need at least several riders more.

4 more, yes, if they stick to the total number of 26 riders which was announced earlier on

 

[Anderis]

There was some talk about Valens Ndayisenga as a possible signing for CCC.

Btw. it's strange that of all the Poles riding for CCC this year, Paweł Cieślik didn't get promoted to WT. 14th in Tour de Pologne this year and 14th in Tour de Suisse a couple of years ago. That's very solid if you compare him with Gradek, for example.

 

[Squire]

Surprising that they didn't keep Banaszek. They should go for Rui Costa.

Anyone know where Thomas Boudat is heading? No news of a renewal of his Direct Energie contract yet, which is strange, 'cause he's had a decent year.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I’m not saying that Swift is a bad rider (or a bad guy), just that there is no recent equivalent to a rider that slow managing to spend an entire decade continuously employed by the biggest budget WT teams as a “sprinter”.

Even Blythe, another man with a markedly fortunate employment history but one who has more recent wins, has had to drop out of the WT a couple of times. Including having to go to a domestic Conti outfit at one point. I can only presume that his return to the WT this year involves acceptance that his days as a sprinter are over.

But Swift sails serenely on, going from Katusha to Sky to UAE to Sky, getting contract after contract with super moneyed teams that really do regularly let him ride for his own chances. We will see the most expensive team in the world trying to set up the maybe thirtieth fastest sprinter in the peloton on multiple occasions again next year. He’s not going to be the weakest rider on their roster by any means, but we won’t see millions of euros of crack domestique deployed to help the likes of Leonardo Basso. Judging by his career so far, we will for Swift. I don’t begrudge the dude his good fortune, but as I said before, if I was a pro I’d want his agents number.

 

[Midnightfright]

Re:

I’m not saying that Swift is a bad rider (or a bad guy), just that there is no recent equivalent to a rider that slow managing to spend an entire decade continuously employed by the biggest budget WT teams as a “sprinter”.

Even Blythe, another man with a markedly fortunate employment history but one who has more recent wins, has had to drop out of the WT a couple of times. Including having to go to a domestic Conti outfit at one point. I can only presume that his return to the WT this year involves acceptance that his days as a sprinter are over.

But Swift sails serenely on, going from Katusha to Sky to UAE to Sky, getting contract after contract with super moneyed teams that really do regularly let him ride for his own chances. We will see the most expensive team in the world trying to set up the maybe thirtieth fastest sprinter in the peloton on multiple occasions again next year. He’s not going to be the weakest rider on their roster by any means, but we won’t see millions of euros of crack domestique deployed to help the likes of Leonardo Basso. Judging by his career so far, we will for Swift. I don’t begrudge the dude his good fortune, but as I said before, if I was a pro I’d want his agents number.

I read the tea leaves of him signing very much as him excepting that he now has to work as a domestique. He has hung himself out there to the last possible minute and has gotten lucky that his nationality matches that of the largest budget team

 

[samhocking]

He hasn't got lucky, he was at Sky for 7 years before UAE. He wanted to see what would happen riding as a free agent and it hasn't worked out, so he will return to domestique duty at Sky. Don't understimate his chances for Yorkshire Worlds. He was 5th in Bergan last year only beaten by Sagan, Kristoff, Matthews &Trentin and Brailsford will be all to aware he nearly won MSR two times. He's made for that Yorkshire course if he can get some good form.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

He hasn't got lucky, he was at Sky for 7 years before UAE. He wanted to see what would happen riding as a free agent and it hasn't worked out, so he will return to domestique duty at Sky. Don't understimate his chances for Yorkshire Worlds. He was 5th in Bergan last year only beaten by Sagan, Kristoff, Matthews &Trentin and Brailsford will be all to aware he nearly won MSR two times. He's made for that Yorkshire course if he can get some good form.

Despite thinking that he has received the most fortuitous support to speed ratio of any fast man in the peloton over the last decade, I do agree with the last part of your post. The one set of circumstances where he really is one of the best is in a reduced sprint after a loooooooong race. They don’t happen very often, but when they do he has a real chance.

 

[Bakkie]

Honoré to Deceuninck Quickstep

 

[Parker]

Re: Re:

He hasn't got lucky, he was at Sky for 7 years before UAE. He wanted to see what would happen riding as a free agent and it hasn't worked out, so he will return to domestique duty at Sky. Don't understimate his chances for Yorkshire Worlds. He was 5th in Bergan last year only beaten by Sagan, Kristoff, Matthews &Trentin and Brailsford will be all to aware he nearly won MSR two times. He's made for that Yorkshire course if he can get some good form.

Despite thinking that he has received the most fortuitous support to speed ratio of any fast man in the peloton over the last decade, I do agree with the last part of your post. The one set of circumstances where he really is one of the best is in a reduced sprint after a loooooooong race. They don’t happen very often, but when they do he has a real chance.

I don't think they're hiring him to win races. He may pop up with one or two occasionally, but they see a guy with a big tank who can ride all day and has a great attitude. Look at Daniele Bennati. He hasn't been a top sprinter for years but he's still employed as almost the oldest WT pro for the same reasons.

 

[oldcrank]

Re: Re:

Swift verges on the unique. In an era when the sprinting field is incredibly deep and sprinters who lack top end speed struggle for employment, he gets contract after contract with big budget teams despite almost never winning anything. If I was a budding young professional I’d be looking for this guy’s agent’s number.

Most sprinters can't do domestique duties like him or maybe don''t want to.........sprinting seems secondary for him now.

He's never been a bunch sprinter. His strength is as a solid domestique and if he makes the select group in >250km he can still sprint. He was 5th in last years Worlds, 2nd & 3rd MSR etc couple of years back. If you've met him, don't underestimate his human side. Brailsford doesn't just build on results, but has always focused on how riders gel a team together. Happy teams are winning teams.

Exactly right Sam. That's why it was so hilarious during the Tour when all the very
"knowledgeable" haters were predicting Froomey attacking SuperG or vice versa.

 

[pastronef]

Re: Re:

Swift verges on the unique. In an era when the sprinting field is incredibly deep and sprinters who lack top end speed struggle for employment, he gets contract after contract with big budget teams despite almost never winning anything. If I was a budding young professional I’d be looking for this guy’s agent’s number.

Most sprinters can't do domestique duties like him or maybe don''t want to.........sprinting seems secondary for him now.

He's never been a bunch sprinter. His strength is as a solid domestique and if he makes the select group in >250km he can still sprint. He was 5th in last years Worlds, 2nd & 3rd MSR etc couple of years back. If you've met him, don't underestimate his human side. Brailsford doesn't just build on results, but has always focused on how riders gel a team together. Happy teams are winning teams.

Exactly right Sam. That's why it was so hilarious during the Tour when all the very
"knowledgeable" haters were predicting Froomey attacking SuperG or vice versa.

you mean wishing?

by the way, Sky is now with 24 confirmed riders for 2019. no Sosa yeat, Hayter and Donovan (the 2 stagiaires) not yet signed