Transfers "Rumours & Reality" and Young Guns

[ingsve]

Hmm, the Tour participation is going to be interesting next year. Seems like alot of teams are really focused on getting in that one race.

First of all there are Radioshack and Team Sky who both have high Tour ambitions. They ought to be quite safe at getting Pro Tour licenses though but that probably means that a couple of french teams might lose their licenses.

So, those french teams would be favourites to grab wild card spots in the Tour. Then there is Skil-shimano who was in the tour this year that are also hoping for a PT license but if they don't get it they probably wouldn't mid a wild card as well.

Next is Vacansoleil who recently signed the Feillu brothers who have made a splash this year and that signing seems in part to suggest that they are flirting with ASO to perhaps get an invite as well since I'm sure ASO wouldn't mind seeing the Feillu brothers in the Tour.

And now there is BMC that are recruiting like mad as well and they already have strong ties with ASO and got invites to alot of the ASO events this year and with their new recruits might be hoping to get a tour spot as well.

Then there are of course all the other non-PT teams that one would expect to see at the Tour with Cervélo as the main team for example.

I wonder how they will solve this in the end.

 

[Cerberus]

Hmm, the Tour participation is going to be interesting next year. Seems like alot of teams are really focused on getting in that one race.

First of all there are Radioshack and Team Sky who both have high Tour ambitions. They ought to be quite safe at getting Pro Tour licenses though but that probably means that a couple of french teams might lose their licenses.

So, those french teams would be favourites to grab wild card spots in the Tour. Then there is Skil-shimano who was in the tour this year that are also hoping for a PT license but if they don't get it they probably wouldn't mid a wild card as well.

Isn't ASO actually independent of the Protour so that a Protour license is no guarentie for a tour invite? I think that's the case. Of cause there's always going to be an overlap since the protour teams are generally the strongest, but they could I think choose to not invite a couble of the weaker protour teams to make room.

 

[ingsve]

Isn't ASO actually independent of the Protour so that a Protour license is no guarentie for a tour invite? I think that's the case. Of cause there's always going to be an overlap since the protour teams are generally the strongest, but they could I think choose to not invite a couble of the weaker protour teams to make room.

Didn't the ASO and UCI come to some agreement that would come into effect next year regarding sticking to the protour. I don't remember the exact terms but I think protour participation in the GTs ought to have been part of it.

 

[Cerberus]

Didn't the ASO and UCI come to some agreement that would come into effect next year regarding sticking to the protour. I don't remember the exact terms but I think protour participation in the GTs ought to have been part of it.

Well Perhaps it ought to have been . I checked Wikipedia and it assuming that we're talking about the same agrement it said that: "In 2009 UCI and organizers had agreement that events will be counted towards UCI World Ranking, which also includes Professional Continental teams. Grand Tour organizers kept the right to choose teams for the races, and also some of the teams chose not to race certain races." No agrement about ensuring protour teams the right to participate in grand tours was mentioned on the page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protour

 

[thehog]

La Gazzetta reports this morning that Ballan has gone to BMC. Infamous Armstrong Doctor Testa will be there also....

"I've decided to change teams. I want to go abroad to learn English and see the world," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It's true BMC is not a Pro Tour team... but you need good riders and the invites will come."

Italy's Ballan won the world title in Varese last year but has been hampered by a virus this term which has cut his chances of defending his crown in Switzerland's Mendrisio next month.

 

[ak-zaaf]

"I've decided to change teams. I want to go abroad to learn English and see the world," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It's true BMC is not a Pro Tour team... but you need good riders and the invites will come."

Italy's Ballan won the world title in Varese last year but has been hampered by a virus this term which has cut his chances of defending his crown in Switzerland's Mendrisio next month.

there are rumors that kroon, hincapie, burghardt, schar and morabito will also go to bmc.

 

[ingsve]

Well Perhaps it ought to have been . I checked Wikipedia and it assuming that we're talking about the same agrement it said that: "In 2009 UCI and organizers had agreement that events will be counted towards UCI World Ranking, which also includes Professional Continental teams. Grand Tour organizers kept the right to choose teams for the races, and also some of the teams chose not to race certain races." No agrement about ensuring protour teams the right to participate in grand tours was mentioned on the page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protour

Ah here's the agrement I was thinking of:

Agreement

So according to that it seems the changes I was thinking of won't be applied until 2011 where participation will be based largely on a world ranking guaranteeing 17 or 18 teams participation in the tours and I guess the rest to be filled out by the organizer.

So for 2010 it's still entirely up to the tour organizers to settle participation.

It's still going to be a though fight to get into the tour though.

 

[Anonymous]

of course there is always the possibility that the ASO reduce the size of the tour teams to 8 or maybe even 7 as has often been threatened/suggested making room for extra team(s)

 

[ingsve]

of course there is always the possibility that the ASO reduce the size of the tour teams to 8 or maybe even 7 as has often been threatened/suggested making room for extra team(s)

Ya, I wouldn't be opposed to that. I don't think 8 riders would be at all noticeable in the overall sense though with 7 riders it becomes very hard to have a team that focuses both on green and yellow for example. It would probably make some teams more single goal oriented.

 

[Parcours]

According to Belgium TV Bradley Wiggins to Team Sky is now a done deal.

 

[Publicus]

According to Belgium TV Bradley Wiggins to Team Sky is now a done deal.

I wonder if that means Contador to Garmin is a done deal too.

 

[zoeart]

Contador appears to be staying with Astana.

http://www.albertocontadornotebook.info/

You never know, but looks like he has resigned himself to the fact.

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder if that means Contador to Garmin is a done deal too.

I would imagine that is a distinct possibility.

 

[Publicus]

I would imagine that is a distinct possibility.

I guess I spoke too soon. I guess he's staying at Astana for his final year. Which ought to be interesting. Who stays at Astana know? Hell, who GOES to Astana now to replace those departing for Team RetirementShack?

 

[Publicus]

Contador appears to be staying with Astana.

http://www.albertocontadornotebook.info/

You never know, but looks like he has resigned himself to the fact.

Maybe it's a negotiating ploy. Who knows, but it certainly seems like he's resigned to seeing out his contract.

 

[Kazistuta]

Karsten Kroon today confirmed that he's leaving Saxobank. Maybe the rumour about BMC is true after all?

 

[palmerq]

I think staying with astana isn´t that bad a thing for contador, alonso won´t have a team next year and i thin contador wants to go there, so he can just wait a season and it´ll be ready for him. I also think with vinokourov back astana are going to have enough money to support alberto, and they did say they wanted to build the team around him with riders contador wants. Although maybe if they know he is only going to stay for the one season astana might not be so willing to do this. As long as astana put together a good ttt team trial and a couple of guys to help contador in the mountains he should be fine and no worse off than he was this year :S although I think he will have to watch out for andy schleck, I think he has the rest of the field under controll

 

[lookkg386]

Contador appears to be staying with Astana.

http://www.albertocontadornotebook.info/

You never know, but looks like he has resigned himself to the fact.

Kind of feel sorry for AC, undisputed king of GT's and yet for the second season in a row a big name rider joins the team acting like he owns it...

 

[Raupi7]

Karsten Kroon today confirmed that he's leaving Saxobank. Maybe the rumour about BMC is true after all?

He said on dutch TV that he goes to a team where he can ride for himself and will be the guy for the classics.If the Ballan and Hincapie rumour is true I doubt he´ll have much freedom at BMC...

 

[Publicus]

Kind of feel sorry for AC, undisputed king of GT's and yet for the second season in a row a big name rider joins the team acting like he owns it...

Only difference is . . . Vino essentially owns the team.

 

[Anonymous]

Kind of feel sorry for AC, undisputed king of GT's and yet for the second season in a row a big name rider joins the team acting like he owns it...

i think everyone is overreacting.. vino by his own admission cannot win the tour, he admitted in 2007 it was his last realistic chance.. contador will still be their pick for the tour, and in return astana will give vino a pop at the veulta or giro next year..

storm, teacup..

 

[lagartija]

i think everyone is overreacting.. vino by his own admission cannot win the tour, he admitted in 2007 it was his last realistic chance.. contador will still be their pick for the tour, and in return astana will give vino a pop at the veulta or giro next year..

storm, teacup..

yeah i think thats fairly accurate...........i do believe Vino might just do the right thing here , and maybe focus on a stage for himself.........also if you consider the mass exodus from astana it actually frees up some serious coin for 2 or 3 really good support riders.....i said it before dont be surprised to see cris horner in an astana kit in 2010

 

[Publicus]

yeah i think thats fairly accurate...........i do believe Vino might just do the right thing here , and maybe focus on a stage for himself.........also if you consider the mass exodus from astana it actually frees up some serious coin for 2 or 3 really good support riders.....i said it before dont be surprised to see cris horner in an astana kit in 2010

I think this is the most interesting and unasked question: who is going to be willing to ride for/transfer to Astana if AC stays for at least one year? I've not heard any indications that riders are even considering . . . or that Astana is actively pursuing other riders. Perhaps that will change in the coming days.

 

[lagartija]

I think this is the most interesting and unasked question: who is going to be willing to ride for/transfer to Astana if AC stays for at least one year? I've not heard any indications that riders are even considering . . . or that Astana is actively pursuing other riders. Perhaps that will change in the coming days.

the only guy i know of that was in "negotiations" with astana is horner......and as we all know another new signing is vinokourov , who may turn out to be and thats a sizeable may , a handy rider to have for a GT...........i read hernandez was staying , i know young no real experience etc , but he may be for real at his young age , ..........and who knows maybe the draw of riding even for 1 year with considerably the best GT rider at the moment , riding into paris with yellow on your team , that might be just enough to fill the roster

 

[issoisso]

the only guy i know of that was in "negotiations" with astana is horner......and as we all know another new signing is vinokourov , who may turn out to be and thats a sizeable may , a handy rider to have for a GT...........i read hernandez was staying , i know young no real experience etc , but he may be for real at his young age , ..........and who knows maybe the draw of riding even for 1 year with considerably the best GT rider at the moment , riding into paris with yellow on your team , that might be just enough to fill the roster

Young rider aged 27?

Hernández worships the ground Contador walks on and Contador loves him back. He'll be on the same team, whichever team that is.