I have also been wondering about their plans. Maybe they will just wait and see if one of them, Gaviria, Ackermann or Hodeg, reaches a really high level again. More chances that one of them pays off. All of them are capable, but none of them has had a good year.
I don't really understand why you said Ackermann is not a pure sprinter? I don't know that much about him, but to me he's exactly that, a pure and strong sprinter who at Bora profited when he had a good train.
Gaviria, in my eyes, might be the "weakest" of the three in terms of top-speed in best form, but the best of the three when it comes to positioning and finding his way - not that he's extremely good at that, but he seems better than Ackermann and Hodeg who need things to be prepared perfectly for them, to then launch a really watts-strong sprint. Gaviria, I think, is also the best climber of the three and would probably get a GT spot if they have one available, for the Vuelta maybe.
Hodeg, at least that's the way I see him now, has a really fast acceleration and can do a strong long sprint as well when he's in form, but he struggles with positioning and doesn't like to get involved in a messy sprint where he has to use his elbows or find his way. So he will probably not be a good lead-out, instead you need to put him at the end of a functioning train that delivers him at the front, then he can be really strong. Or maybe they can find a way to help with that problem.
Ackermann is similar in that he likes to be delivered perfectly, but for him timing seems extremely important; so he actually likes to have the same train, people who know each other really well, each time.
I think Hodeg is pretty good if the final is on cobbles, in general he's probably best suited for some flatter classics with cobbles, and he also says himself he really likes the classics. This year it was probably Ballerini at DQS who took most of the races that Hodeg would have been suited best for, the problem with classics is that they tend to be messy and positioning is important which, unfortunately... Still, I think the classics that are a bit too flat for Trentin should be good for Hodeg.
And Ackermann - correct me if I'm wrong, I think he's best when the race is as flat and straight forward as possible.
So, unless one of them shows he's really superior and should simply be taken to all the big races that's how I would distribute the sprints between them.
For the lead-out they have Molano, Groß, Troia? What about Gibbons? For himself or lead-out?
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