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kathy · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:22 pm Post subject: Transfers 2009

Thought I would start this topic, as this first one is very surprising to me. Christophe Moreau will ride for Caisse d'Epargne next year. I thought he would retire gracefully now that Agritubel are folding, and I'm very surprised at Caisse giving him a contract.

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"You can't win races with passion alone."

Fabian Cancellara (2008)

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7715 Location: Hertfordshire

Umm ... interesting!

Boogerd_Fan · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject:

that is crazy.. he's looking past it even now.. unless they're trying to build some better TT / MTF strength for the arrival of Bert?

Expanding the franchise into France? Or just ensuring they will still get invited even if Bert is busted before Tdepart 2010?
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03-11-2007 = the end

kathy · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject:

I have never understood why Caisse d'Epargne is a Spanish team, seeing as it's a French savings bank. Probably why they've always had a token number of French riders on the roster. I would have thought Brice Feillu would have been a much better buy if they were looking for French riders, although Brice's cost has probably gone up drastically in the last couple of weeks.
_________________
"You can't win races with passion alone."

Fabian Cancellara (2008)

Boogerd_Fan · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:47 pm Post subject:

what price MOreau??
Surely he had to pay them Smile

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03-11-2007 = the end

katyang · Joined: 27 Jul 2009 Posts: 8 Location: Philippines

•►`2009 is really cool, dude......!◄

demande carte de
credit

Beasley · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 993

Columbia have secured the services of a whole host of young guns.

2010
Rasmus Guldhammer (Capinordic)
Jan Ghyselink (Beveren 2000) that's QS boys, I think?
Jan Bakelants (Topsport Vlaanderen)

2011
TJ van Garderen (Rabo U23)

Of the '10 lot, Jan Bakelants looks the pick of the bunch. Had a storming 2008 as an U23, won Tour de l'Avenir and L-B-L espoir. A top all round prospect.

As for the other two, Ghyselink just won U23 RvV, so will no doubt step into Hincapie's shoes in a couple of years time. Stolen from under Saxo's nose too, by the sound of it! Guldhammer won this years L-B-L espoir and was 2nd behind Ghyselink at RvV. Not bad, hey?

TJ won Circuito Montanes, almost a rite of passage for a young Rabo rider. Rabo wanted to keep him, but money talked in the end. Columbia must be clearing the decks for this lot.

Beasley · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 993

Another Columbia signing.

Leigh Howard from Team Toshiba. Top track rider, won three medals at the WCs, partnered Cameron Mayer in the Madison (silver), was part of the very young Oz TP (silver to Denmark by .6s, avg. age 19, IIRC...) and won the Omnium. Won a couple of stages in the Tour of Japan.

Expected to be a star in 2012, so probable won't be a full-time roadie for a few years. Wonder if he'll partner Cav in some six-dayers down the line.

Jack Bobridge, another Australian trackie, agreed a two year with Garmin a few months back.

Beasley · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 993

More Columbia/Slipstream action.

Patrick Getsch (Thuringer Energie) joins Columbia. He's the reigning German U23 TT champ and won Thuringen-Rundfahrt in '08, his biggest road victory to date. Also a handy track rider.

Thuringer Energie was Tony Martin's former squad, so it's a well trodden path.

Michel Kreder joins his brother at Garmin from Rabo Continental

Press release on Rabo's website said though they were disappointed, when top teams come in offering a professional contract, there's not a lot they can do.

By the sound of it, Rabo can only offer 2-4 rides each year and the heir apparents are already in place for the next couple of years. The bottleneck in Dutch cycling is tight; Skil and Vacansoleil are holding their own, but Rabo are the only team that can splash a bit of cash. Often the only option for a young rider is to go abroad.

It's a shame because these boys are exceptionally talented; the U23 squad is pretty much PT standard, so other teams are getting them on the cheap.

kathy · Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:09 am Post subject:

Another example of Armstrong arrogance!

Negotiations are said to be 'well-advanced' for Andy Schleck to join Radioshack, but there is a snag. Andy wants them to sign Frank as well, but Armstrong says that Frank is a 'brake' on the career of his younger brother.

I hope neither of them go there.
_________________
"You can't win races with passion alone."

Fabian Cancellara (2008)

Boogerd_Fan · Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:24 am Post subject:

if Frank is Andy's brake, what the hell would grandad Armstrong be then?

Andy's getting too old to wear a white jersey, i hope he goes for broke for yellow next year... brother or no brother. But surely that means staying away from Armstrongs team, where he'll be playing second fiddle again just like inn '08 with Sastre.
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03-11-2007 = the end

Mysterion · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 506

Not a transfer, but Kazakh Federation head says they are definitely going to keep Contador and allow him to bring whomever he wants to the team. There's an interview with Proskurin on a Russian language Astana fan site. I guess that means Alberto's contract is with Astana not Bruyneel's company or maybe Proskurin is bullshitting a bit. I wonder if Contador ever missed a paycheck. A picture of Contador and Vino at Vino's house after this year's Paris-Nice is provided with the interview to show the two are chummy.

Proskurin also says they'd like to have Kashechkin but he has no idea where Andrey is.

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7715 Location: Hertfordshire

Vino needs to get a good plasterer in ... those walls are shoddy!

kathy · Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 2:51 pm Post subject:

Enchantress · Joined: 23 Jul 2009 Posts: 320

This is a bit of a shocker - Schleck the younger to Radioshack???

I hope someone talks sense into Andy. Can there be any doubt that he would end up being more fodder for PHarmstrong's midlife crisis?

Element12 · Joined: 03 Jun 2009 Posts: 41

The Schlecks would be insane to go with RadioShack but then other riders have been lured by money and promises to Armstrong sacrificial alter to himself (Hincapie, Heras, Levi, Popo, Boonen).

Interesting thing is if Andy and Frank go to RadioShack and gain the same ITT and TTT improvements past riders have gotten Lance won't be able to compete with either of them. Lance would end up third in every race even if it's just his team competing.
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Hinault - (verb) To cast down from a high position. i.e. God hinaulted Satan into hell.

bianchigirl · Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 4042

The stumbling block for the transfer is that they want Andy minus Frank - they seem him as stopping Andy's progress - quite how beneficial hauling a Radioshack train and getting water for a fat old has been is to improving his career is anyone's guess
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I'm just looking for one divine hammer

Enchantress · Joined: 23 Jul 2009 Posts: 320

SlowRower · Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject:

Beasley · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 993

Radioshack, the company, have an advertising budget of $200m+, so the team probable have a generous share. I can't see Andy signing for anything less than $1.5m, which is comparable to Heras' wage at US Postal.

van Summeren looks to be off to Garmin. He's desperate to leave and they've just got to agree terms. Already burnt his bridges with Lotto, so I can't see him staying.

18 of Rabo's PT contracts expire this year. They're going to wait until they now more about the nature of the calendar before they commit to a full roster. Unfortunately, I suspect it's likely to be an opportunity to downgrade. Adds fuel to the Flecha leaving fire.