Transfers "Rumours & Reality" and Young Guns

[cobblehead]

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.

on the contrary, it's quite logical that Boonen has lost some of the edge of his sprint first of all because he never was a real sprinter to begin with, he doesn't have that second accelaration a real sprinter like farrar, mcewen of cavendish have. What he can do is ride in a leadouttrain at a very high speed and then pick up the pace even one step more and keep that pace. It's a tactic that works if he has a leadouttrain that works nicely and the speed of the sprint is kept really high but that otherwise doesn't work since he doesn't have the same punch that a real sprinter has.

It's like museeuw who won bunch sprints in the tour de france when he was in his mid-twenties but who couldn't en wouldn't do that anymore when he was past a certain age.

I think Boonen can still win a bunch sprint against most real sprinters but the conditions have to be right and those conditions have almost never been right this season. the few times they were right he did beat boys like farrar.

I'm curious now what road he's gonna take, he told belgian newspapers he's gonna try and do something in the time trials and perhaps even try and show himself more as an attacking cyclist.

 

[ingsve]

I'm curious now what road he's gonna take, he told belgian newspapers he's gonna try and do something in the time trials and perhaps even try and show himself more as an attacking cyclist.

Ya, and the fact that he's thinking about TTing and perhaps winning the TT worlds it's unlikely that he will be doing to right training to get better at pure sprinting again. I think the Museeuw comparison is pretty good I guess if you add TTing in the mix.

 

[TRDean]

Ya, and the fact that he's thinking about TTing and perhaps winning the TT worlds it's unlikely that he will be doing to right training to get better at pure sprinting again. I think the Museeuw comparison is pretty good I guess if you add TTing in the mix.

Exactly!! The past couple of years he has not been doing any specific sprint training anyway...he is maturing as a rider...picking what he can do and going with it...smart if you ask me.

 

[ak-zaaf]

Exactly!! The past couple of years he has not been doing any specific sprint training anyway...he is maturing as a rider...picking what he can do and going with it...smart if you ask me.

To be fair, Boonen was always great at classics. Roubaix podium at 21 or something?
Museeuw was an average sprinter who in the '90s found the right, euh, team.

 

[cobblehead]

To be fair, Boonen was always great at classics. Roubaix podium at 21 or something?
Museeuw was an average sprinter who in the '90s found the right, euh, team.

3rd place at paris - roubaix at the age of 21, a truly remarkable thing...

I do think you don't give museeuw enough credit, sure he got busted in his final year as a prorider but he was one the best classic riders of the last 25 years, a rider that wins 11 world cup races (including 3 wins in the ronde van vlaanderen and 3 in paris-roubaix), becomes world champion on a terrain that wasn't suited for him and wins all of the belgian semi-classics at least once truly deserves the nickname the lion of flanders...

 

[ingsve]

Rasmussen is rumored to be going to Footon-Servetto for next year. Nothing signed yet though.

That would be the final nail in the coffin for Footons chances of getting a Tour invite if anyone still thought they had a chance.

 

[craig1985]

Rodrigo García signs for Xacobeo.

 

[ak-zaaf]

nm my bad plz remove etc.

 

[Mellow Velo]

According to the comic, Sky will announce their final tranche of signings, by Friday.
DB is quoted as being excited.
Are there any Scandanavians left for him to bag?
Meanwhile, in the Cafe, there is much speculation that Sky won't get a TDF invite, but none going against BMC.

 

[halamala]

Are there any Scandanavians left for him to bag?

Danish Lasse Bochman (Saxo Bank) is free but I'm almost sure that he won't join to Team Sky.

 

[craig1985]

Danish Lasse Bochman (Saxo Bank) is free but I'm almost sure that he won't join to Team Sky.

According to issoisso, Saxo had to re-sign him, well because, they had no other choice.

 

[craig1985]

Boogerd returns to peloton with new Continental team - cyclingnews.com

I hope Holland can a another PT team in the future, whether it is this team, Vacansoliel, or Skil-Shimano.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Sky're going to announce a huge signing who isn't Wiggins or Contador.
???????

 

[thehog]

Sky're going to announce a huge signing who isn't Wiggins or Contador.
???????

Correction per above. Sky have an invite to the Tour. Its already been agreed.

 

[thehog]

Correction per above. Sky have an invite to the Tour. Its already been agreed.

Thanks for the update Hog.
___

"All is in place and we're very excited, raring to go," said Brailsford, who is expected to confirm the line-up by the end of this week.

"We're all nearly done now, all looking good."

All that remains is the completion of paperwork before the five or six remaining riders are revealed in the next week to 10 days.

As it stands, the team are missing an overall contender for one of the Grand Tours of France, Italy or Spain, fuelling rumours that a household name can be expected in the announcement, but Brailsford remained coy on the subject.

"You'll find out when they're revealed," he added. "They're all big names in Team Sky. We've got a team that's assembled the best we can

 

[Bala Verde]

Sky're going to announce a huge signing who isn't Wiggins or Contador.
???????

Evans' dog?


Martin Pedersen (26 Capinordic) and Fabio Felline (19) are set to join Footon-Servetto.

 

[filipo]

Sky're going to announce a huge signing who isn't Wiggins or Contador.
???????

Huge signing? Is Salvatore Commesso returning to the peloton??

 

[mortand]

Huge signing? Is Salvatore Commesso returning to the peloton??

I'm thinking Dario Pieri

 

[Mickey75]

i think they will announce the signings of ed clancey, mathew hayman and liam killeen. Not sure about the others will be depending on whether the team will have 25 or 26 riders.

I think with Killeen's success in mountain biking he could be a big signing especially considering how other riders have crossed over. I think at the moment there are plenty of big names and good riders on the team Sky roster but they do lack a big name GC contender. Although Lokvist could well be that guy in a year or two if he continues with results like he had in the Giro.

Is exciting to think they might pull a surprise out the bag.

 

[Anonymous]

im gonna put my money on it being an italian..

i have a gut feeling that team sky are going to go for it at the giro this year.. they know they dont have the strenght and depth yet to challenge for the tour, and AC is too strong, but they have riders with good records in the giro, a couple of the US based teams will be concentrating more on the ToC.. some of the riders that did poorly in the tour this year, menchov, evans etc, could be taking it easier in the giro, and there could be opportunities there...

my hunch is on a top level italian who brings two domestiques with him..

and im going to guess.. erm... Cunego...?

 

[Sneekes]

...my hunch is on a top level italian who brings two domestiques with him..

Hmmm. I like the logic but can't think who it could be.

The only GC Italians that spring to mind are:

Nibali -would have been the obvious candidate but re-upped with Liquigas.
Basso -ruled out on obvious grounds.
Cunego -Lampre may as well throw the towel in completely if they let him go - and isn't really a GC threat anyway
Pellizotti - Hmmm, maybe him I suppose
Garzelli - and the brothers Masciarelli - past indescretions may count against him - but perhaps they're far enough in the past now.

My complete guesses for a Sky surprise would be either Cancellara, or Mosquera

 

[Anonymous]

Pellizotti - Hmmm, maybe him I suppose

thats my other hunch

and he seems fairly popular in britain..

 

[issoisso]

If they have what they believe is a solid rumour, why not publish it? The worst that can happen is that it comes to nothing....and considering what they publish all the time, I don't see how that's a catastrophe

 

[ingsve]

Sky're going to announce a huge signing who isn't Wiggins or Contador.
???????

What about a huge signing that isn't a rider? Any room for another DS perhaps?

 

[aarnold517]

i think pellizotti moving to sky would be a win for all parties involved. sky get a big, proven gc contender. pellizotti gets a team where he has unquestioned leadership and support. and there is no way that it would work having four separate GC leaders at liquigas, especially since nibali and kreuziger are only going to get better, and i assume basso will be better after having another year back, which means pellizotti would be left high and dry if he stayed at liquigas. i know liquigas is saying he will be their leader for the giro but it makes more sense to me if he went to sky