Transfers "Rumours & Reality" and Young Guns

[craig1985]

lagartija, that is Roberto Heras in your avatar?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Since when did Liquigas want to sign Contador?? I didn't even know they were interested.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/valverde-would-welcome-contador-at-caisse

About 1/2 way down, it says this:



What sort of budget does Liquigas have? Surely they wouldn't be able to afford Contador? Especially since they already have Basso, Pellozotti, and i'm guessing Nibali, Kreuzinger and Szmyd will probably want better contracts soon because of their good performances.

EDIT: Used my 'Ride: Official Tour de France Guide' and it says Liquigas have a budget of 6 million Euros. Which isn't much compared to Katusha - 18 million Euros or Astana - 12 million euros or Columbia HTC - 15 million Euros

Their name cropped up in this respect, a few months back, so, it's true and not new.
Basso, Pellezotti, Nibali, Kreuziger and Szmyd as his Tour domestiques?
That would be something.
Just imagine all the twittering.
Won't happen, though.

 

[craig1985]

Their name cropped up in this respect, a few months back, so, it's true and not new.
Basso, Pellezotti, Nibali, Kreuziger and Szmyd as his Tour domestiques?
That would be something.
Just imagine all the twittering.
Won't happen, though.

Given that Kreuziger has a rather frosty relationship with Basso (he did not want him to ride the Tour as he felt it would hinder his and his best mate Nibali's chances), I don't think he will warm to well with Contador in the team.

 

[cobblehead]

Kuyckx can win the Tour next year.....or something

it's simply a matter of money, Lefevre has put aside the funds to sign contador and three of even four little helpers but if quicksteps bid for contador fails (and I personally think he's going to have to stay at astana because of his contract), quickstep is going to use this money to sign a number of other riders, kuyckx would be the first of these boys...

 

[issoisso]

it's simply a matter of money, Lefevre has put aside the funds to sign contador and three of even four little helpers but if quicksteps bid for contador fails (and I personally think he's going to have to stay at astana because of his contract), quickstep is going to use this money to sign a number of other riders, kuyckx would be the first of these boys...

I know. I was joking in case it wasn't obvious
Simply because this likely means they have given up on Contador

 

[ak-zaaf]

Evans leaves lotto.

Thought it deserved it's own topic considering the amount of of fan(boy)s here.

 

[craig1985]

Philip Deignan (26) re-signs with Cervelo for another two years.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Cadel to BMC. Strange choice.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Cadel to BMC. Strange choice.

There is no official announcement by either the team or Evans.

Susan

 

[ak-zaaf]

There is no official announcement by either the team or Evans.

Susan

Nope, that will be later today.

He is going to BMC. I trust my Belgian papers. If HLN and Het Nieuwsblad put it on the frontpage, it's as good as his own word.

 

[craig1985]

Sorry, I see just see there is no chance in hell Contador will ride for a Belgian team. He has enough problems with English (or doesn't feel confident to to give interviews in English), and I would think learning Dutch/Flemish would be just as hard or harder. At least for example at Rabobank, there are 4 native Spanish speaking members (3 from Spain and one from Colombia) and Menchov who has lived in Spain for more then 10 years, and Breukink rode for ONCE for 4 years.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Nope, that will be later today.

He is going to BMC. I trust my Belgian papers. If HLN and Het Nieuwsblad put it on the frontpage, it's as good as his own word.

Oh, I'm not saying he will or won't go there. I'm just saying no one can say it is definite until the team or the rider (preferably both) announce it.

Susan

 

[ak-zaaf]

Sorry, I see just see there is no chance in hell Contador will ride for a Belgian team. He has enough problems with English (or doesn't feel confident to to give interviews in English), and I would think learning Dutch/Flemish would be just as hard or harder. At least for example at Rabobank, there are 4 native Spanish speaking members (3 from Spain and one from Colombia) and Menchov who has lived in Spain for more then 10 years, and Breukink rode for ONCE for 4 years.

Nobody learns Dutch anymore. English is fine with those teams. I just think he really doesn't want to go to lotto. Quick-step is, imo, a great option if Caisse fails.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Oh, I'm not saying he will or won't go there. I'm just saying no one can say it is definite until the team or the rider (preferably both) announce it.

Susan

If Hugo Coorevits says it's so and Evans denies I think I'll still believe Coorevits

 

[RdBiker]

I don't see how BMC would be a good team for Evans. He said he wants to go for the win in the TdF again so a team with little support and one with no automatic invitation doesn't sound very good. Quickstep would be much better if they can also get Evans a support rider.

 

[craig1985]

Nobody learns Dutch anymore. English is fine with those teams. I just think he really doesn't want to go to lotto. Quick-step is, imo, a great option if Caisse fails.

So out of interest (geniune question), why did having two Spanish cyclists, Juan Miguel Mercado and José Antonio Pecharromán not work out? And it is not like Mercado never won a race, he even won a stage at the 2004 Tour de France FFS. Even other climbers/GC riders did not work out at Quick Step, for example, Michael Rogers, Patrik Sinkewitz, and José Rujano (massive WTF there).

Unless he gets busted for cocaine, for a 3rd time, I don't know how Patrick Lefévère will fit Tom Boonen and Alberto Contador in the same team. Contador will need his climbers and I'm sure Boonen would want somebody to lead him out in the sprints.

 

[issoisso]

So out of interest (geniune question), why did having two Spanish cyclists, Juan Miguel Mercado and José Antonio Pecharromán not work out? And it is not like Mercado never won a race, he even won a stage at the 2004 Tour de France FFS. Even other climbers/GC riders did not work out at Quick Step, for example, Michael Rogers, Patrik Sinkewitz, and José Rujano (massive WTF there).

Unless he gets busted for cocaine, for a 3rd time, I don't know how Patrick Lefévère will fit Tom Boonen and Alberto Contador in the same team. Contador will need his climbers and I'm sure Boonen would want somebody to lead him out in the sprints.

Same thing with stage race prospects, no matter how talented. They just don't develop at Quickstep.

Grabovskyy anyone?

 

[craig1985]

Same thing with stage race prospects, no matter how talented. They just don't develop at Quickstep.

Grabovskyy anyone?

Described as a 'future Tour de France winner' and 'already stronger then Yaroslav Popovych', I have read that when he had some Visa problems at the start of 2007, he barely trained until he could get a EU Visa, and when he got to Italy, there was a lot of attitude problems, including crashing his own car.

Maybe he is like Popvych, dominate as an amateur, but pack fodder as a pro (or in Popo's case, just a domestique).

 

[issoisso]

Maybe he is like Popvych, dominate as an amateur, but pack fodder as a pro (or in Popo's case, just a domestique).

Like almost all eastern european top prospects, in fact.

I'm weary of Kritskiy for the same reason.

 

[craig1985]

Like almost all eastern european top prospects, in fact.

I'm weary of Kritskiy for the same reason.

I always thought for some reason Grivko would so a lot better then he has.

 

[issoisso]

I always thought for some reason Grivko would so a lot better then he has.

Maybe because he turned pro so young?

 

[blackcat]

Maybe because he turned pro so young?

Jamie Burrow phenomenon. When their medical program is overseen by one of the team's handlers, they can climb like Contador and timetrial like Cancellara. But when they leave the supervision of the team, they do not pursue a medical program of the same level.

 

[issoisso]

Jamie Burrow phenomenon. When their medical program is overseen by one of the team's handlers, they can climb like Contador and timetrial like Cancellara. But when they leave the supervision of the team, they do not pursue a medical program of the same level.

Exactly! That's exactly what I think happened with Popovych, Grabovskyy, Ignatiev, and what I think will happen with Kritskiy.

However, since we're not in "The clinic", I didn't want to do more than just hint at it. But since you took it and ran with it...

 

[ak-zaaf]

So out of interest (geniune question), why did having two Spanish cyclists, Juan Miguel Mercado and José Antonio Pecharromán not work out? And it is not like Mercado never won a race, he even won a stage at the 2004 Tour de France FFS. Even other climbers/GC riders did not work out at Quick Step, for example, Michael Rogers, Patrik Sinkewitz, and José Rujano (massive WTF there).

It's Contador we are talking about, big difference in 'talent'.

I really don't think Mercado was ever a GC contender talentwise. Pecharroman was a spanish dope-fluke.
Rogers and Sinkewitz we're never going to win a GT.

Rujano's entire career is a massive WTF.

Boonen doesn't really want to sprint no more, he knows he's beaten in the TDF. If Contador chooses QSI I really think Lefevre will make it work. It shouldn't be that hard with contador on your team. 6 domestiques and Boonen and a friend. That's 6 more domestiques he had this year.

 

[samb01]

Boonen doesn't really want to sprint no more, he knows he's beaten in the TDF.

It's not that he doesn't want to, it's that he can't now that he's more selective wrt his 'professional prep'. There is absolutely no 'real' reason for why he should have lost his top speed.