Teams & Riders Transfers and Rumours 2019 > 2020

[RedheadDane]

Shotaro Iribe to NTT.
Now, the cynical part of me can't help but wonder if the Japanese connections of the sponsor has something to do with that, but I assume they picked a Japanese rider who actually knows what he's doing.
And he is national champion.

Team Qhubeka is under construction

Just another WordPress site

nttprocycling.com

 

[postmanhat]

Fred wright joins the British invasion at Bahrain Merida as a neo-pro, after a spell as a stagaire at CCC. Won a stage of the Baby Giro this year but hasn't done much road racing, being predominantly a track rider with British Cycling till now. If he wants to continue combining the two then working with Rod Ellingworth makes more sense than CCC I suppose?

 

[42x16ss]

Shotaro Iribe to NTT.
Now, the cynical part of me can't help but wonder if the Japanese connections of the sponsor has something to do with that, but I assume they picked a Japanese rider who actually knows what he's doing.
And he is national champion.

Team Qhubeka is under construction

Just another WordPress site

nttprocycling.com

Surprising selection - he's a bit of a journeyman. Apart from a couple of ok rides at the Tour of Japan he's hardly beating the door down the way the likes of Beppu and Arashiro were before they joined the top flight.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Vacek from Axeon to Colpack.
https://www.tuttobiciweb.it/article/2019/11/15/1573811464/karel-vacek-team-colpack-axel-merckx

 

[RedheadDane]

P. Gamper to Bora

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bora-hansgrohe-complete-2020-roster-with-patrick-gamper/

 

[LaFlorecita]

P. Gamper to Bora

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bora-hansgrohe-complete-2020-roster-with-patrick-gamper/

Just came to post this

Another former Kometa rider on the pro scene

 

[Stilletto]

Zabel and Wurtz to Israel...
No Politt yet hmmmmm

 

[42x16ss]

What ICA really needs is a proper sprinter. Even with Dempster retiring they have far too many lead out/2nd tier sprinters, with Cimolai probably the pick.

If they were smart they would have tried swooping in on Sam Bennett.

 

[MADRAZO]

What ICA really needs is a proper sprinter. Even with Dempster retiring they have far too many lead out/2nd tier sprinters, with Cimolai probably the pick.

If they were smart they would have tried swooping in on Sam Bennett.

And yet another mediocre sprinter for them in McCabe now also. Like previous years they should indeed have gone for 1 topsprinter instead of 10 mediocre sprinters, but I guess they now have some hope that Greipel as the new number one can find some of his old form, and he will for sure not have any excuses like lack of leadoutriders next year.

 

[Breh]

Is Bennett to DQS official?

 

[Anderis]

And yet another mediocre sprinter for them in McCabe now also. Like previous years they should indeed have gone for 1 topsprinter instead of 10 mediocre sprinters, but I guess they now have some hope that Greipel as the new number one can find some of his old form, and he will for sure not have any excuses like lack of leadoutriders next year.

It's easy to say someone should hire a top sprinter, but the number of top sprinters is limited and there's not enough of them for all teams to have one. I see no reason why a top sprinter would favour going to ICA rather than some other team, even if ICA were interested.

And it's not like you can trade 10 mediocre sprinters for one top sprinter. I'm sure you know it doesn't work that way.

 

[MADRAZO]

It's easy to say someone should hire a top sprinter, but the number of top sprinters is limited and there's not enough of them for all teams to have one. I see no reason why a top sprinter would favour going to ICA rather than some other team, even if ICA were interested.

And it's not like you can trade 10 mediocre sprinters for one top sprinter. I'm sure you know it doesn't work that way.

Sure not necessarily, but still the teams has just very clearly had a history of signing way too many mediocre sprinters and no realistic topsprinters. That has not made much sence weather or not faster sprinters were available or wanted to go there or not. If they could only attract mediocre sprinters, which is quite possible they should perhaps have focussed on other ridertypes instead of just signing way too many of them. Having many slow sprinters to lead out other slow sprinters is just not a effective tactic.

 

[Mayomaniac]

It's easy to say someone should hire a top sprinter, but the number of top sprinters is limited and there's not enough of them for all teams to have one. I see no reason why a top sprinter would favour going to ICA rather than some other team, even if ICA were interested.

And it's not like you can trade 10 mediocre sprinters for one top sprinter. I'm sure you know it doesn't work that way.

The problem comes with them moving up to WT, more races against top class competion.
For a pct team having multiple "lesser" sprinters isn't really that bad.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

It's easy to say someone should hire a top sprinter, but the number of top sprinters is limited and there's not enough of them for all teams to have one. I see no reason why a top sprinter would favour going to ICA rather than some other team, even if ICA were interested.

And it's not like you can trade 10 mediocre sprinters for one top sprinter. I'm sure you know it doesn't work that way.

I agree with your main point: there were precisely two top tier sprinters on the market this year, Viviani and Bennett, and one of those two was stuck in a messy contract situation. Teams can’t just wish more available high quality sprinters into existence because they’d like one.

The bit I disagree with is the part about ICA’s selling points. ICA are a WT team, with no WT quality sprinters but a lot of raw material for a high class train. That’s one draw. And they are owned by a comically rich plutocrat, so money could be a second draw.

 

[Anderis]

Still; sometimes it's very hard to attract good riders for teams without established reputation. Look at how bland CCC's 2019 roster looks like, Van Avermaet aside. And that's not because of money, because they reportedly offered Thomas more money than INEOS did. But he, and some other good riders, I suppose, just preferred to go to teams they knew what they could expect from because they have been in WT for many years and CCC was somewhat of an uknown.

That has not made much sence weather or not faster sprinters were available or wanted to go there or not. If they could only attract mediocre sprinters, which is quite possible they should perhaps have focussed on other ridertypes instead of just signing way too many of them.

It's better to sign mediocre sprinters than below-mediocre climbers or whoever. It's hard to assess which riders were willing to ride for them. Judging by their roster, perhaps not that many of the quality ones, unless you can provide examples of riders who they had a chance to sign and decided not to and explain why they would be better. Actually, due to the chaotic nature of some sprints, a bunch of average sprinters is perhaps more likely to give you a bunch of wins per season than a bunch of average climbers or roulers.

 

[RedheadDane]

Still; sometimes it's very hard to attract good riders for teams without established reputation. Look at how bland CCC's 2019 roster looks like, Van Avermaet aside. And that's not because of money, because they reportedly offered Thomas more money than INEOS did. But he, and some other good riders, I suppose, just preferred to go to teams they knew what they could expect from because they have been in WT for many years and CCC was somewhat of an uknown.

Wasn't there also the fact that the merger with CCC (or whatever it was, CCC becoming the sponsor of the team that used to be BMC) only went through quite late, so lots of riders had already signed elsewhere?

 

[42x16ss]

Wasn't there also the fact that the merger with CCC (or whatever it was, CCC becoming the sponsor of the team that used to be BMC) only went through quite late, so lots of riders had already signed elsewhere?

Yes, both Porte and Dennis said this was the case. That was when Ochowicz stepped in and stopped the exodus.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Still no news from Ineos? Waiting for the Freeman Tribunal to release its verdict and then use new signings to deflect from the case.

 

[rick james]

Still no news from Ineos? Waiting for the Freeman Tribunal to release its verdict and then use new signings to deflect from the case.

 

[RedheadDane]

Abby-Mae Parkinson to Lotto Soudal

News | Lotto Cycling Team

Nieuws Content

lottosoudal.be

 

[42x16ss]

Why is it a tin foil hat move? Makes perfect sense, especially if they secure another big name like Dennis.

If it was any other team you would think so too, and you know it.

 

[ciranda]

It's all about getting invites to races, by signing these riders they'll get a programme that they can use to market their U23 riders.

Well they don't have any u23s now except one. That's fine because it should be home to riders that had shown talent but not been selected by wt teams. Like Sport Vlaanderen or Bardiani. I see four riders aged over the under category that appear to be ready in addition to Lisson who has actually been signed. It's a weird move sort of similar to how CCC has taken so few polish riders so far. For sure there is going to be more skills for mass sprints there but maybe it's not that important. Ericsson for sure and Havik and maybe van der Lijke have credentials to do something, the nine others respectfully and maybe ignorantly do not seem that promising.

Two from next year, Waoo is closing.
And several of the guys falling between those two levels are going to Norway.

Different because except for Niklas Larsen all of those are still under 23 and can legitimately go for wt teams and I guess still have RIWAL as second option.

 

[RedheadDane]

Different because except for Niklas Larsen all of those are still under 23 and can legitimately go for wt teams and I guess still have RIWAL as second option.

Surely so can the olders….

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Leonardo Bonifazio and Geoffrey Soupe to Total Direct Energie

Leonardo Bonifazio et Geoffrey Soupe rejoignent le Team | Team TotalEnergies Pro Cycling

Comme une bonne nouvelle n’arrive jamais seule, nous sommes heureux de vous annoncer les signatures de Leonardo Bonifazio et de Geoffrey Soupe.

teamtotaldirectenergie.com

Niccolò extends

Niccolò Bonifazio prolonge jusqu’en 2021 | Team TotalEnergies Pro Cycling

C’est avec une immense fierté que nous vous annonçons la prolongation de contrat de notre sprinteur, Niccolò Bonifazio pour une saison supplémentaire.

teamtotaldirectenergie.com

 

[ciranda]

Surely so can the olders….

No, not realistic for guys like Lisson or Schultz or whoever. I mean the reason for being for this team was to select dudes that did not immediately go to wt teams. Chris Anker Sørensen talked about that a lot but of course he is not involved anymore. Also the smaller teams have terrible race calendars.

 

[RedheadDane]

No, not realistic for guys like Lisson or Schultz or whoever. I mean the reason for being for this team was to select dudes that did not immediately go to wt teams. Chris Anker Sørensen talked about that a lot but of course he is not involved anymore. Also the smaller teams have terrible race calendars.

I'm not saying that everyone can. I'm saying that it is technically possible to not go directly from U23 to WT, and still get a WT contract later on.