UCI WorldTour and other pro cycling nonsense 2011

Martin Velits = QuickStep
Peter Velits = QuickStep
Patrick Gretsch = Skil Shimano
Tejay Vangarderen = BMC
Tony Martin = Garvelo
Chavendish = Sky
Renshaw = Sky

Chavendish

Intentional spelling error there, or... ?

:-)

demonisation of the sprinter class

HTC dies and yet Rock Racing lives. Where is the justice?

even if you consider that the Chav exists anymore (or ever really did in anyone other than complete snob's minds), cav = definitely not one.

where's bernie eisel going?

so is sky gonna restructure around cav or what? assuming wiggins is done (is he?)

Depends, if wiggins really does want to focus on the olympics then its based around Cav, if he wants the tour then Sky becomes the worst aspects of Garvelo Wiggins becomes Cristian VandeVelde.

I'm more concerned by the fate of the HTC womens team which is awesome and the riders have more uncertain futures than Cav and his train.

why does everyone seem to assume wiggins is done? he's already confirmed for the vuelta iirc.

some rumor that cav could go to greenedge?? now that would be a larf and a half, he had the press over here eating out of his hand at the TDU.

Lots of talk on twitter last night ghat there had been separate sponsor offers to finance the women's team, hope they come through.

The Cav interviews on the BBC on Monday really were great, I highly recommend digging them out.

From Vaughters re: Cav going to Sky

@fredmantis @bradwiggins... I do need to rescue Brad.

lol

So I'm having to come back to london for a Funeral (my godfather), but it does mean I'll be in town for the olympic test event, anyone want to go and watch?

sorry about yr godfather, Ed

is this a track event?

Road test event, not sure when the track one is.

Sorry to hear about your godfather Ed, I was supposed to be doing an overnighter to Bognor on Friday night bit I'm shockingly out of fitness. So..... I might well ride over to the test, maybe at Richmond, or maybe bushy.

check in here at 1pm PST/2pm GMT/3pm CST/4pm EST:

http://ec2.tourofutah.com/tourtracker/

hopefully wifi in airport will be strong enough

bump

?

and I have a beer and bike racing, commentary seems to consist of the producer or sound guy point things out, basic but good

Now on course: Robert Forster, the German sprinter for UHC, we were both on a "gentlemanly" Rapha ride a few months ago (pre ToC) that ended up with a very ungentlemanly sprint up to the GGB... He blew by me at 32mph up a 6% grade... very humbling.

This also marks Ted King's return to racing after broken c-bone in Philly... a mere week after his USA Nats podium... kept him off Liquigas' TdF team.

what's on??

scroll up!

CVdV in long sleeves takes the best time!

durrrrrr

DZ rn

ToU tracker either does not work today or is blocked outside USA

He blew by me at 32mph up a 6% grade... very humbling.

this makes me want to puke btw

So, some transfers so far:

Thor Hushovd is off to BMC
Mark Renshaw sings a 2 year contract with Rabobank
Stuart O'Grady and Pieter Weening off to GreenEdge
Martin and Peter Velits going to Omega/Quick Step
Gallopin and Meersman to RadioShack
Kenny van Hummel off to Vacansoleil

Feel free to add to the list, I'm sure I missed some.

Is Cavendish to Sky a done deal? (I've been on holiday and missed a week's worth of news)

Jens Voigt to GreenEdge
Cav is not official to Sky but it's been confirmed by hundreds of sources.
Also, Gilbert to BMC (working out fine details of transfer/contract minutae).
Y'all probably don't know him but Tejay VanGarderen is also going to BMC.

BMC is going to have one killer equipe o_O

wow yeah

I don't see how this BMC team is going to be any less of a cluster**** in the classics for Thor than Garvelo was this year. That said, BMC rode really well in those races for no reward this year, so I suppose Thor could feel like he's the one to put them over the top.

I think Thor's main source of butthurtedness was when Vaughters instructed Thor not to chase with VanSummeren up the road in this year's Paris-Roubaix. Kinda struck me as a non-team player, but if you look at all his big victories this year, he pretty much was on his own in those. I bet BMC splits up Gilbert and Hushovd on all the spring classics and grand tours so that they just rack up wins all season long. 2013 Worlds could be interesting though with Cadel/Gilbert/Thor triple attack.

I bet BMC splits up Gilbert and Hushovd on all the spring classics

Doubt it - there's no point putting all your eggs in one basket. Better to have two of them to combine against Cancellera.

Gentleman's bet on this then? I think it's a conflict of interest and puts riders' egos at stake to have two "A" riders targeting the same race (Lance/Bert, FrAndy, etc.).

I'm not saying they'll both ride ALL the spring classics (even given his impressive performances over hillier terrain in the TDF, I wouldn't expect Hushovd to win any of the Ardennes classics), but I don't think they'll ask Gilbert to sit out Paris-Roubaix or Flanders (which I would obviously expect Hushovd to ride).

“I seek safety. It’s important to be at a team where I fit in socially and feel at home,” Hushovd told Norwegian journalists.

well, he was rooming with dave z right?

supposed to go to a garmin party next week- if i see dz i'll ask him if he scared thor away

I seem to remember dz "welcoming" thor to roomying with an "epic Pink Floyd The Wall" session....

hunt3r braggin itt

maximize scarce opportunities innit

@joaoisme:
Last year Thor shared a room with me at the first camp. This year he's got @dzabriskie. Man that is a rough start for the big man.

@dzabriskie:
Going to miss the Pinkfloyd concert tomorrow...wonder if my roomate Thor is up for a deep dark Wall session...
about 3 hours ago

― i love you but i have chosen snarkness (Steve Shasta), Monday, November 29, 2010 6:18 PM (8 months ago)

BMC Drama already:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/9375/Evans-on-Hushovd-Australian-says-he-doesnt-want-to-ride-with-a-sprinter-in-next-years-Tour.aspx

Hushovd isn't a real sprinter any more though is he? He can't compete with Farrar, Greipel, Cavendish and the likes. He broadened his game, and is there for the classics and stage wins in big rounds.

Regardless, remarkable way to welcome a new team-member publicly.

Given this year's tour hushovd is now firmly with the punchers and barrodeurs. Maybe rhiis bid for Cav?

http://cdn3.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net//2011/08/14/2/20110814ispa_001_600.jpg

lol I do that all the time