Transfers for next year...

Powerful Pete said:

Di Luca going to Lampre.

Does that mean Lampre has offically given up hope for Cunego inthe Giro or is Cunego going to another team?

Bro Deal said:

Does that mean Lampre has offically given up hope for Cunego inthe Giro or is Cunego going to another team?

2008 is Cunego's year for a proper shot at the Tour. That's what he said after winning white in 2006. Lampre want to have a man for the Giro as it's their home race. Maybe they also want to hook Cunego up with Di Luca's doctor?

Rolfrae is correct. From what I have read Cunego will focus on the next TdF, but Lampre needs to have someone racing for the pink jersey also.

Sounds like Horner has not found a euro team and will be racing on a domestic team next year. 16th in the TdF and not good enough for a ProTour team.

It also looks like Evans will be switching Horner for Popo, but beyond that not really getting any more support in the TdF.

Bro Deal said:

Sounds like Horner has not found a euro team and will be racing on a domestic team next year. 16th in the TdF and not good enough for a ProTour team.

It also looks like Evans will be switching Horner for Popo, but beyond that not really getting any more support in the TdF.

Yeah but the guy has got about 2 years of his arguably dwindling career left, and he spits off in the press about his salary terms. He's like a poor man's GC rider it seems (notwithstanding that he is a world class rider - just in relative terms). He was there or thereabouts in the tour, but what was his value to Cadel and P-Lotto on the climbs? He placed highly cause P-Lotto didn't have anyone else to share the support duties with. But he was rarely able to partner Cadel, if at all.

I don't dislike the guy, but it seems to me like he's dug a hole for himself. He doesn't even come close as an investment IMO that say a 23 yr old up and coming rider, willing to do anything for his job and base salary, does.

These domestiques get treated fairly disrespectfully it seems, by accounts in this forum. Horner is one guy that a DS is not going to feel comfortable ordering around IMO. And there is no chance that he will develop into a top rider in 5 years like a young guy might.

Crankyfeet said:

Yeah but the guy has got about 2 years of his arguably dwindling career left, and he spits off in the press about his salary terms. He's like a poor man's GC rider it seems (notwithstanding that he is a world class rider - just in relative terms). He was there or thereabouts in the tour, but what was his value to Cadel and P-Lotto on the climbs? He placed highly cause P-Lotto didn't have anyone else to share the support duties with. But he was rarely able to partner Cadel, if at all.

I don't dislike the guy, but it seems to me like he's dug a hole for himself. He doesn't even come close as an investment IMO that say a 23 yr old up and coming rider, willing to do anything for his job and base salary, does.

These domestiques get treated fairly disrespectfully it seems, by accounts in this forum. Horner is one guy that a DS is not going to feel comfortable ordering around IMO. And there is no chance that he will develop into a top rider in 5 years like a young guy might.

I think you will find Johan Vansummeran will be there in the last 20 on the climbs next year, and will not have to work on the front in the first week for bunch kicks.

Josep Juffre also.

Cioni might be held back from the Giro, so he can actually help Evans.

Perhaps even Jurgen Vandenbroeck if he performs strongly in spring.

The spring will decide a few spots.

Mcewen
Evans
Popo
Hoste
Vansummeran
Juffre

those six are certainties.
Vansevenant is a good chance.
Leukemans is a good chance.
Cioni is a good chance.

Van Amaraert or Amaerart, is a slight possibility.
Sentjens is a slight possibility.
Cornu is a slight possibility.
Vandenbroeck is a slight possibility.

Mcewen has lost Fast Freddie. But he still has Gatesie, so not all is lost.

thunder said:

I think you will find Johan Vansummeran will be there in the last 20 on the climbs next year, and will not have to work on the front in the first week for bunch kicks.

Josep Juffre also.

Cioni might be held back from the Giro, so he can actually help Evans.

Perhaps even Jurgen Vandenbroeck if he performs strongly in spring.

The spring will decide a few spots.

Mcewen
Evans
Popo
Hoste
Vansummeran
Juffre

those six are certainties.
Vansevenant is a good chance.
Leukemans is a good chance.
Cioni is a good chance.

Van Amaraert or Amaerart, is a slight possibility.
Sentjens is a slight possibility.
Cornu is a slight possibility.
Vandenbroeck is a slight possibility.

Mcewen has lost Fast Freddie. But he still has Gatesie, so not all is lost.

Thanks for the detailed round-up.

Crankyfeet said:

Thanks for the detailed round-up.

I think there will be little tangible difference between Juffre and Horner.

Neither will be able to close a gap if Rasmussen/Contador go off the front in the last 3 kms on a climb.

But if Juffre can keep Popo and Evans out of the wind, and stocked with a full bidon, for the final 5 kilometres, then he has done his job.

Popo can pace Evans when the inevitable breaks go, but he will never close a break, he can minimise Evans losses until the last 2 km when Evans can use his final reserves.

The only potential problem, is if Evans has to defend a yellow.

He probably needs one more rider, Horner would be good in that scenario.

If Horner was with Popo, Juffre, Vansummeran, and Cioni, with Hoste and Vansevenant for the flat, they can defend a jersey.

If Evans is to win, he needs to get a better medical program. He hast to be able to finish in the top 3 on every HC mountaintop finish. And then win the TTs.

I dont think he can do it. Phenomenal rider, but I dont think he pushes the envelope with his medical program. Like Kloden, phenomenal talent, but not quite there.

If Evans was to win, he needed Heras and Horner. And a medical program. With his current team.

No Aerts, he has not lived up to the job. He has to be shafted next year, cannot see him getting a ride. Horner would be so much stronger, as a wildcard rider to play the role like Hincapie/Goussev/Popo this year, where they went up the road, and left enough in their legs to help Contador when he bridged.

Horner has the legs, and the tactical nous to know which cards to play. Aerts has gone off his full gas medical program of yesteryear when he was in the top 20 in the tour and winning Fleche.

Van Huffell drinks too much Leffe to be a help. He will not ride the tour ever with Predictor.

Wim Van S, is about 37 this next season, perhaps even 38, but he is a phenomenal doestique with knowledge of the intangibles of a domestique, where often a few % in strength is redundandt compared to knowledge, experience and tactical insight.

Horner seems top be disliked wherever he goes........

wolfix said:

Horner seems top be disliked wherever he goes........

Indeed, he really seems able to leave teams rather quickly and on poor terms.

Powerful Pete said:

Indeed, he really seems able to leave teams rather quickly and on poor terms.

My daughter and I attended a race here in the states way back when..... Horner won the race ahead of many good American riders. It was the first race where LA wore his World's jersey a week after Norway. All the attention was on that....... During the race my daughter and I got to have a conversation with Phil Liggett and he invited us along when he interviewed LA after the race. Most of the knowledgable journalists ignored Horner considering the fact they had the Rainbow jesey in their midst. Horner was really agitated by all the attention LA was getting . [ D Phinney was also getting attention] Horner threw a fit when they asked him to wait to be interviewed........ He simply had the attitude of a jerk. But that attitude seemed to follow him throughout his American career.
He is a talented rider though.

The team I'm interested in seeing what develop there is - Rabo.

One nominal winner of the TDF 2007, a winner of the Vuelta 2007 and a bag full of race wins this season.
CSC and Rabo are the two strong teams of the peloton at the moment with Liqui
in hot pursuit.

limerickman said:

The team I'm interested in seeing what develop there is - Rabo.

One nominal winner of the TDF 2007, a winner of the Vuelta 2007 and a bag full of race wins this season.
CSC and Rabo are the two strong teams of the peloton at the moment with Liqui
in hot pursuit.

Will Quickstep ever consider a GC rider/effort? Or is there something in their Articles of Incorporation that forbids it. It just seems redundant having 8 guys circling Boonen just for the final 6km leadout on flat stages. Surely in their total roster budget they can afford a GC contender and a couple of climbers.

Crankyfeet said:

Will Quickstep ever consider a GC rider/effort? Or is there something in their Articles of Incorporation that forbids it. It just seems redundant having 8 guys circling Boonen just for the final 6km leadout on flat stages. Surely in their total roster budget they can afford a GC contender and a couple of climbers.

I would think it would be difficult to field a dominant sprinter and GC contender at the same GT. I remember when T-M left Zabel at home to support JU.-
I can imagine that Boonen wants and gets the best he can to lead out and protect him at all races where is to be the teams featured rider.

It also would depend on what the teams goals are....... A American team has to be focused on the TDF only. That is what the sponsors here want. I am not familiar with what Europeans priorities are, but I imagine that Flanders, P-R, and the spring Classics are right on top for the Belgiums. ..........

I enjoyed cycling when teams offered up more diversity in their race results.

wolfix said:

It also would depend on what the teams goals are....... A American team has to be focused on the TDF only. That is what the sponsors here want. I am not familiar with what Europeans priorities are, but I imagine that Flanders, P-R, and the spring Classics are right on top for the Belgiums. ..........

I enjoyed cycling when teams offered up more diversity in their race results.

Amen. QS is structured to achieve their team's objective of being the top team in terms of one day races. Period. Their sponsors are thrilled with that. And so are we fans. To build a team that would also be competitive in grand tours would require doubling their current budget, because they would be forced to create almost a complete ' second ' team... hard to get riders to peak for April classics, the Giro, TdF and Vuelta, and the Worlds and autumn classics....