Transfers "Rumours & Reality" and Young Guns

[lechia]

Here's a thought, Astana with Vino will never ride in the tour.

Anyone with any brains who wants to ride in the tour will not come anywhere near Astana.

I disagree bvfrompc. Astana has already served their penalty by missing the Tour last year. That was for the positives of Vinokourov and Kashechkin. Vino has served his 2 years so there won't be any more penalties. Same with Basso. If he wants to ride the Tour next year, ASO will let him. I think Contador SHOULD stay with Astana. They have the money to sign a few guys to replace the guys who'll leave with Armstrong. But let's face it, Contador never got much support from Leipheimer, Horner and Armstrong, so he won't miss them. Rast, Muravyev, Paulinho should stay at Astana. All he needs is one good climber to support him. I'd think Zubeldia would want to stay with Contador.

 

[Hugh Januss]

This is correct as I understand it - riders and teams can be fined for talking about transfers/renewals before Sept 1st.

But it just occured to me how are team Radio Shack able to 'confirm' their riders?

Have they "confirmed" any that are not under contract with Bruyneel?

 

[issoisso]

Sérgio Paulinho has received an offer from Radio Shack

Moncoutié won't stay at Cofidis past this season, claims he's ridden his final Tour and that he has "a 51% chance of riding for another season"

 

[Cartesian Centaur]

After tour I'm did crit in Holland an finally back home sweet home!!!nice lance enjoy your holidays!now I need to relax take to you soon

So is Schlecklet messing with us, with Lance, with Saxo Bank or just speaking English as a second language here?

 

[scribe]

Sérgio Paulinho has received an offer from Radio Shack

Who is gonna tuck Contabebe into bed?

 

[richwagmn]

Sérgio Paulinho has received an offer from Radio Shack

Moncoutié won't stay at Cofidis past this season, claims he's ridden his final Tour and that he has "a 51% chance of riding for another season"

Astana had a pretty large budget didn't they? Could they counter-offer to Paulinho?

Was reading a story in AS where Vino said he has no problem with AC being team leader and wants the team to sign riders to support him.

I don't think they'd prevent Astana from riding next year. Too much money at stake with a AC/LA rematch.

Same source said Garmin is very interested in AC for next year.

Radio Shack possibly wanting AS says volumes about AC and JB's confidence of winning next year.

 

[issoisso]

Astana had a pretty large budget didn't they? Could they counter-offer to Paulinho?

Was reading a story in AS where Vino said he has no problem with AC being team leader and wants the team to sign riders to support him.

It's a possibility, considering both Bruyneel and Vino think the world of Paulinho.

 

[craig1985]

Who is gonna tuck Contabebe into bed?

That is Benjamin Noval's job. Also I heard that they even spoon together

 

[franciep10]

It's a possibility, considering both Bruyneel and Vino think the world of Paulinho.

Paulinho will go where contador goes

 

[issoisso]

Paulinho will go where contador goes

Want to bet?

 

[franciep10]

They train together and their friends, As long as he makes his desicion in a timely manner sergio will go with alberto.

 

[issoisso]

They train together and their friends, As long as he makes his desicion in a timely manner sergio will go with alberto.

They don't even train in the same country.

Alberto trains in Madrid, where he's from. Sérgio trains in Oeiras, where he's from, with occasional trips further north in the country close to where I live.

Also, according to Sérgio himself when he was last guest commentator on eurosport, the only rider on the team he's "pals" with is Klöden.

Contador, meanwhile, has always trained with the same person since 2003: Jesús Hernández. That's the guy who's likely to follow Contador.

It's exactly the same situation as if you were saying Popovych will follow Contador wherever because Popovych has worked for Contador at two tours. Simply not the case.

 

[Carboncrank]

But let's face it, Contador never got much support from Leipheimer, Horner and Armstrong, so he won't miss them. .

Levi? have been watching? 07 tour? 08 Giro? many others? Levi is a consummate pro.

 

[hfer07]

Levi? have been watching? 07 tour? 08 Giro? many others? Levi is a consummate pro.

Actually I think is Levi himself who is going to miss Alberto, since some of his great achievements (3rd in TDF 2007, 2nd in 2008 Vuelta, 3rd in 2008 Dauphine,1st in 2009 Castilla y Leon, etc.) came by riding with him. - On Radio Shack he'll be another Lance's "domestic deluxe" only allowed to go for the TOC ......

 

[Nick C.]

Levi? have been watching? 07 tour? 08 Giro? many others? Levi is a consummate pro.

When did Levi ever stick his nose in the wind on a climb, the answer is never? The 08 Giro I saw has Kloden doing the pulling on mountain stages and the 07 Tour had Levi comparatively fresh as a daisy to sprint off like he's some hero in the last few hundred meters after spending K after K following Sastre or Evans after AC and the Chicken dropped the lot of them. Even here the only time he felt the wind on a road stage was for a few moments to slow things up in the Pyrenees and to follow/pull back Andy Schleck one time. Levi's a nice enough guy it seems like he just rides along on the "leaders" coattails taking advantage of the opportunity to sit on.

 

[Steampunk]

Some people are sure the Feuillu are headed to Radio Shack...

...but I think they will join another french team. FDJ is a good pick, mutschi. They did have a sprinter at this year TdF, which was the Lanterne Rouge. Considering the good results this year, they have pretty good ground to ask for reinforcement. While Le Mevel and Casar did place well, the team was somewhat invisible itself.

I read somewhere that Armstrong had approached Brice, but that Brice wanted to bring his brother with him. Maybe Lance was just warming up his brotherly divorce schtick in order to talk to Andy...

 

[ThisFrenchGuy]

I read somewhere that Armstrong had approached Brice, but that Brice wanted to bring his brother with him. Maybe Lance was just warming up his brotherly divorce schtick in order to talk to Andy...

I have never seen the source of this info, and the rumor is going round and round. It just seems very unlikely to me.

 

[Nick C.]

I have never seen the source of this info, and the rumor is going round and round. It just seems very unlikely to me.

I seem to recall hearing that on Versus during the last days of the Tour.

 

[franciep10]

They don't even train in the same country.

Alberto trains in Madrid, where he's from. Sérgio trains in Oeiras, where he's from, with occasional trips further north in the country close to where I live.

Also, according to Sérgio himself when he was last guest commentator on eurosport, the only rider on the team he's "pals" with is Klöden.

Contador, meanwhile, has always trained with the same person since 2003: Jesús Hernández. That's the guy who's likely to follow Contador.

It's exactly the same situation as if you were saying Popovych will follow Contador wherever because Popovych has worked for Contador at two tours. Simply not the case.

When Contador was training and reconing for the tour who was training with contador, it was hernande, noval and paulihno.

 

[Steampunk]

I seem to recall hearing that on Versus during the last days of the Tour.

I think I got it from the Eurosport live stream. I must admit, it doesn't sound like the best fit for Feillu.

 

[issoisso]

When Contador was training and reconing for the tour who was training with contador, it was hernande, noval and paulihno.

Reconning stages and training camp are not normal training. The team decides who goes where and with whom.

 

[BYOP88]

I read somewhere that Armstrong had approached Brice, but that Brice wanted to bring his brother with him. Maybe Lance was just warming up his brotherly divorce schtick in order to talk to Andy...

Strange one but I wonder if King Lance thought along the lines of, team caddyshack don't have a PT licence yet(and I may not get one) so that would mean the only way I can get an invite to that small race in France would be via a wild card, what better way to get that by having some semi-decent French riders on the team. But with Brice and his bro i'm sure i heard on Eurosport that they were both going to FDJ.

 

[ThisFrenchGuy]

Strange one but I wonder if King Lance thought along the lines of, team caddyshack don't have a PT licence yet(and I may not get one) so that would mean the only way I can get an invite to that small race in France would be via a wild card, what better way to get that by having some semi-decent French riders on the team. But with Brice and his bro i'm sure i heard on Eurosport that they were both going to FDJ.

Hadn't tought of this angle, and it's a pretty good one. I think LA alone could almost guarantee the wild card, but it sure couldn't hurt the PR to have French riders on the TdF. Maybe LA would like to finish his TdF adventures on a more positive note than "Le Mensonge Armstrong", which has not yet completly vanished.

 

[Bala Verde]

According to L'equipe - often a rather well informed French sports newspaperContador has expressed his desire to leave AST.

C'est bien la preuve qu'il est impossible de travailler sereinement dans ces conditions», conclut Fran Contador, frère et agent du champion.

This means the speculations for new teams is to be continued...

 

[Bala Verde]

As was reported today, Columbia is about to/has signed Jan Bakelants (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator)

Contrary to what was reported a couple of weeks ago, Jan Bakelants (23) is currently linked to Silence-Lotto, who offered him a 2 year contract with an option for a third year.

He and his manager are trying to come to a solution in terms of getting out of the Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator contract that still runs till 2010.

So what will it be, Columbia or Silence...