Tale of the Transfers

by Chris... on Sep 11, 2008 6:03 PM EDT in Transfers Comment 113 comments

The Silly Season is far from over, and speculation abounds as to what responsive moves will occur now that the first wave of moves is in the books. To this point, however, it's been an unusually active transfer season, and one that reshapes the peloton in a few interesting ways. We'll have all winter to pick this apart, but here are some early conclusions:

First, data: I'll update the sidebar link, but the WVCycling Transferlijst is my personal fave. It's the work of Dutch and Belgian fans, and seems to be updated enough to have Lance riding for Astana. [Users guide: red type = "vraagteken" = rumors? not sure why else Bettini would be on two teams, neither of them Quick Step.]
The new Team Cervélo is shaping up in interesting ways. On the flats, they'll have a multi-pronged assault squad starting with Thor Hushovd and Heinrich Haussler, with Roger Hammond, Andreas Klier and Bjorn Leukemans (maybe) helping or leading in the classics. When the road turns up, there's Thomas Voeckler and Inigo Cuesta pitching in to protect captain Carlos Sastre. Still pretty barebones, but it's a good, solid start if they're building a team for all 9 months of the season.
Katyusha might be a bit of a force on the cobbles next spring. A lineup that includes Filippo Pozzato, Gert Steegmans, Robbie McEwen, Joan Horrach, and maybe Vlad Gusev would be heard from, for sure.
Another new face, ISD-Danielli, could shake up the Ardennes, along similar lines, if Rebellin and Bettini join forces there.
Speaking of the Ardennes, no set of races will be more dramatically transformed by personnel moves, and for the better. After Belgium's top two squads Silence Lotto and Quick Step failed to make much impact on Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallonne or Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year (one podium, three total top-10s), both squads are showing increased interest in the prestigious triplet of races. Quick Step has added Sylvain Chavanel and Stef Schumacher to a roster that may yet retain Paolo Bettini (ain't over til it's over). Silence! Lotto will surround Cadel Evans with Philippe Gilbert, Bernhard Kohl, and Sebastian Lang for a more powerful team effort.
The last big shakeup, unfortunately, will likely be at Columbia. Victims of their own success in stockpiling talent, winning races, and transfering away from a hostile home environment in Germany, Columbia is rumored to be losing Ciolek, Gerdemann, Burghardt and Klier, before it's all done. All are Germans who presumably want out to be closer to home... or to have a better chance at captaincy, an issue among Columbia's crowded ranks. It's nice to be overflowing with talent and still have everyone like each other, but that can only last so long.

That's a start. If you know of other sites to check, or needed updates to what I've posted, or have anything else to add, feel free.

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Columbia,

E BH is also rumoured to leave the team, that would leave a massive hole on the talent part of the team, added Ciolec’s and Gerdeman’s departure.

Seems like Columbia is building the team around Cav, not a bad thing.

by Bruce Suomi on Sep 11, 2008 6:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

EBH

Seems like they could have featured him a little more this year. Who knows, these are complex matters. But I’d hope they could build around more than one hot young talent.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 11, 2008 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah,

but how could that work with so much talent in one team?

by Bruce Suomi on Sep 11, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

source?

that would make no sense at all! Edvald signed for a couple years. where did you get that info?

by King of Doping on Sep 11, 2008 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

It doesn’t make a ton of sense. Didn’t he just sign there this season? He said he was really excited about it. Of course, that was before the season started. But I would be surprised if he’s leaving already, not the least because it would require a buy-out.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd be surprised too

but I remember hearing the rumor practicaly a month ago.

I know folks hate reading it but I’m thinking that Bob Stapleton is not being the smartest of DS’s. On the plus side he transitioned from T-Mob to High Road to Columbia. One the minus side transferring from Germany to California is looking to be quite naive from a talent perspective. I mean Bob’s American and all but to use a college football metaphor its like changing your recruiting base from Florida to Montana. Or another analogy is from soccer and the low level of coaching talent in the US as opposed to any country in Europe. Given that Bob also thinks quite highly of his own intelligence I’m thinking that he’s just now beginning to pay some dues after inheriting such a large stable of T-Mob talent.

by ursula on Sep 11, 2008 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't know that Stapleton considers himself the DS

But give him credit for finding a sponsor in a rather bleak landscape, that’s noteworthy in its self.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. - G. Marx

by flying dog on Sep 11, 2008 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hm

I wonder about this. Are they an American team, really? Or are they all in Girona or Nice or something?

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 12, 2008 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah me too

I’m coming down hard on Stapleton but hell if I know what’s happening. The team just seems to be in more flux than is normal for a standard big team. Does anyone know their budget that Columbia is giving them? Can they afford all their riders?

by ursula on Sep 12, 2008 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read somewhere (can't remember where)

that Columbia were only paying 3 million dollars or so a year, as against the 12-15 that T-Mobile used to shell out. It didn’t seem a lot to me at the time but I reckoned that Stapleton was trying to stretch out the T-Mob payoff until better sponsors were ready to come back. Sadly for him the rush of very rich Russians/Ukrainians/Kazakhs has helped keep up the salaries of the top riders.

by Monty. on Sep 12, 2008 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah

That explains much. Thanks Monty.

by ursula on Sep 12, 2008 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't believe the figure at the time

It just seemed far, far too low. Less than someone like Barloworld pays. But seeing that list of not-yet-confirmed riders made me think again.

by Monty. on Sep 12, 2008 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Three million?

Too low. Not possible when you consider what it covers.

The three-year sponsorship agreement runs through 2010 and includes both the men’s and women’s professional cycling teams, which are top ranked worldwide and have won over 70 races combined in 2008 – the most wins of any competing team.

Plus the anti-doping programme.

The one report I’ve seen, about the success of it for Columbia the company, said three mil plus, but not how much plus. Given how much Columbia were losing earlier this year, I’m not sure we’ll know how much plus for a while..

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 12, 2008 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And this seems to be where the three million begins life:

Slate Olson, a former Nike cycling advertising manager, said most pro team cycling title sponsorships cost $3 million to $8 million. The U.S. Postal Service paid nearly $9 million a year to sponsor Armstrong’s team when the cyclist won seven consecutive titles.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 12, 2008 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and of course there’s stapleton’s own deep pockets until he brings on additional sponsors. i don’t think money is a real issue for this team. they’re not chelski or middle eastlands, but they’re not strapped either.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 12, 2008 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's the report I saw too

the money does seem to be a fourth hand estimate

by Monty. on Sep 12, 2008 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

title sponsor only part

Columbia may only be paying just over 3 million for the title sponsorship – the title sponsor never covers the full budget of the team. Stuff like how much the bike sponsor is paying – in this case Giant – the co-sponsors, blah blah, all comes into it, too. So Columbia may be paying 3 mil and change for the title sponsorship – every team sets their title and presenting sponsorship levels differently.

I wouldn’t read too much into these un-renewed lists for now. There are always a flurry of signings at the end of the season, always some riders who don’t have official renewals yet. The Vuelta, worlds, there are still some important races on the calender.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

2009 squad list

posted over on gossip page.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 12, 2008 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

beautiful, just saw it.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Finnish ES commentators.......

by Bruce Suomi on Sep 12, 2008 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Popovych

I keep expecting ISD-Danieli to buy him out. Not sure if they will. But they are half Ukrainian. There’s a list of names associated with this team in the previous Gossip – or the one before. Eh, I can’t keep these things in my head very well, but I want to say that Greipel is going there.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 7:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I see no mention of Bettini

He is apparently o the outs with Quickstep over the Schumacher signing. It’s the lead at CN.com

by Fred Marx on Sep 11, 2008 7:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Check under ISO-Danielli

by ursula on Sep 11, 2008 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yes

blabbed at length about that in the schumi thread. i didn’t really think it worthy of its own. that, and i’m lazy.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This I know.. :)

and i’m lazy.

by Fred Marx on Sep 11, 2008 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sssshhhh

don’t tell :-P

all i got is in the post below this one. i’m sure more will creep out of the cracks in the coming days.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fred says

your room was always a mess too.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 12, 2008 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ha!

still is, actually. bike shit everywhere. and more surfboards than people. rough.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bettini

Yes, he’s certainly leaving QS. But no one seems to know where he’s going – I just took a trip around a few Italian forums. And most are completely surprised by the Schumacher signing. Also, there’s some confusion in the rumor mill about whether Bettini was really going to retire or not.

The main transfer rumor I got on Bettini is that ISD-Danieli wants him. Otherwise, not much else doing, in the main because no one really thought he was available – there was talk earlier that he’d be renewed, Lef said that publicly at least once earlier in the season. Which is why Bettini is so bent today.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Bettini and Lefevere are at dagger’s drawn, I just hope Paolo has more sense than to listen to Patrick if he advises he go and ‘prepare’ for Varese.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Clément Lhotellerie

I see he’s under Caisse d’Epargne. Another good pick-up by them beside Larsson

by ursula on Sep 11, 2008 7:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Powerhouse

But they were this year too and I think their results are a little disappointing. They’re not T-Mobile, where careers went to die… yet. But if they go from a great team to an even greater one, they need to start winning. Mostly it’s the grand tours. Need a plan, and one that doesn’t start with “Alejandro”.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 12, 2008 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

So probably they need a new rider or two because as worthy as their riders are, outside of Uran probably they don’t scream Grand Tour winner. They scream super domestique: a great support team in need of…. hey Lance! ;)

by ursula on Sep 12, 2008 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Team Building

This would make for a good full post, maybe in winter: what’s the key to building a winning team? Clearly there are teams that aggregate talent, but if you don’t do it right, it’s a problem. Unzue gets credit for being Indurain’s DS, but OTOH it’s hard to imagine Indurain needing much help. However, the sport isn’t entirely predictable, so maybe building a winning squad is just as much about getting talent and hoping it gels than any master strategy.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 12, 2008 2:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep

Something to talk about in those bitter months when the drizzle never stops and it gets a little chilly so you need a jacket on.

by ursula on Sep 12, 2008 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

cool!

I like him too much to think he was pulling a Sella. We good on that assumption?

by JFS_PGH on Sep 12, 2008 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meh

Unconfirmed (I think) reports earlier this year of him being one of the guys informed by the UCI of dodgy bloodvalues in the passport-program. Followed by comment from some teammate on how he was jeopardizing the whole team with his actions. Not sure what truth was behind that story though.

Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets

by Jens on Sep 12, 2008 4:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Translation

As you guessed:
Green = confirmed
Red = question mark

by Lopex on Sep 11, 2008 7:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cervelo being a Canadian company should have picked up...

Dominique Rollin and Svein Tuft by now. (Maybe if we start the rumor they will!)

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. - G. Marx

by flying dog on Sep 11, 2008 7:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

lol, that would be sweet

Dear Cervélo,
Please hire Dominque Rollin and Svein Tuft for your new team. If Cameron Evans does not yet have team, please hire him also.
Love and kisses,
The Cafe

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and apparently...

Cam doesn’t. that was just a rumour about Garmin? Columbia?

by nickel17 on Sep 12, 2008 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Totally sweet!

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Sep 12, 2008 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+3

by nickel17 on Sep 12, 2008 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Yosser Hughes' Of Cycling

Giz A Job I
Micahael Boogerd (36):

"If a team called and they’re serious, I would consider a return. If I got serious about training, I could be back at a top level pretty fast. I don’t know if a comeback is possible, but because my knee injury forced my departure from the sport, I didn’t leave the way I wanted to."

Giz A Job II
Joseba Beloki (35):

"If I had an offer, I’d come back tomorrow. My career didn’t end the way I wanted it to. I wouldn’t be the same Beloki from 2002 and 2003, but I could be a rider like Chechu Rubiera or Iñigo Cuesta who works for a team captain. Armstrong’s comeback fills me with hope that maybe I too can return. It’s been an unfair ‘stop’ of my career. I was never sanctioned. I’ve never been implicated by a court. I was never identified by a judge to be on any Puerto list. We’ve been asking for two years for the courts to let us defend ourselves and for them to show us evidence, but there’s nothing. I’ve had no serious offer. My only real offer came when (Alexander) Vinokourov called me in 2007 to join Astana, but once it hit the press, it blew up. I don’t want to race in Portugal on a miserable salary in unimportant races. I want to be a big team with a normal calendar. I didn’t leave my career the way I wanted to. There’s always something inside me that I didn’t leave the sport the way I wanted to. I just want to chance to come back and race like anyone else."

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 7:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Is the cycling scene ready for a Senior tour?

Wouldn’t it be fun to see some of the greats “racing”? I can remember going to an auto race just to see Paul Newman race, and I never did see him, just the car he was allegedly driving. It would be much cooler to see Hinault and Lemonde, mano a mano again.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. - G. Marx

by flying dog on Sep 11, 2008 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pop along to a post-Tour criterium and you might see the likes of Seán Kelly out-sprinting Freddy Maertens.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Beloki

was he clean? Can’t recall if there was anything on him. His comment about not being the guy he was in 2002 and 2003 — yeah, I get it.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 12, 2008 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He was implicated in Puerto but cleared for lack of hard evidence.

Don’t suppose we’ll ever know for sure……

by Albertina on Sep 12, 2008 4:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

saiz...

do you really have to ask?

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

because my memory sucks. And because I can’t believe he’d have the gall to say so openly “I wouldn’t be the same Beloki from 2003” without blushing.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 12, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

two separate things...

i actually didn’t read your whole post – just the question. but he’s alluding there to his big crash, i think. and dopage aside, he was never the same rider after that probably for both physical and psychological reasons. pretty horrifying moment, really.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

there was a certain accident on the road to gap in the 2003 tdf

"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind

by umwolverine on Sep 12, 2008 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ProTour

Anyone any ideas on what the story is for next year, in terms of squads sizes? One of the criticisms of the collapse of the ProTour was that squads would scale back in size, tossing a lot of riders on the scrag heap. Is that happening or are they sticking with their ProTor sizes?

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 7:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

some shrinkage

Euskaldi is going with a smaller roster, I know. Depends on the budget, I’m guessing. I haven’t really been watching that at all, though.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

most teams are aiming for a "25-rider team"

AFAIK

by King of Doping on Sep 11, 2008 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

astana not a slam dunk

furthering rumors that the comeback will not be with Astana is an online chat with Sally Jenkins here

have heard rumblings that it will be his own team sponsored in a similar way to team type 1, but cancer oriented, with his usual cast of sponsors backing him…

makes sense really and maybe why we haven’t seen some riders sign yet

by humbug1 on Sep 11, 2008 8:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just linked to it elsewhere, but Bicycling’s commentary on it worth a read. Team Livestrong is what I thought, not Astana. That has Sastre probably off-loaded to Katusha.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

eh? Sastre?

I’m confoosed.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're confused ...

… try being me! Obviously mean Valverde.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Noooooo!

Contador.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

wait...

So the plan is to start a new team, called livestrong, and send Contador off to Katyusha?

Huh.

Me, I’m not sure Contador goes there, but we’ll see. One more random: There was a week or so talk about a new Spanish sponsor entering the sport – like a big one, and starting a team. No doubt they’d want to buy Contador if they could. It was originally rumored in connection with Sastre, but it would work for Contador too. Methinks Contador really needs a new team right now.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Methinks Contador really needs a new team right now."

Methinks he doesn’t. He’s got a good team at Astana, and leaving in a huff because Lance might race the Tour and might be strong enough to take over as leader when they actually get to July seems shortsighted. And you know accountants—they usually see the big picture.

by majope on Sep 11, 2008 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And you know accountants—they usually see the big picture.

Tell that to Enron’s investors and see how high it flies :)

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh they saw the big picture all right

then lied like rugs about it.

by ursula on Sep 11, 2008 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What I'd like to see happen

Contador gets pissed about possible Lance signing, CDE scoops him up. Lance has Livestrong in place the whole time and goes with that as his new team. Levi is left as sole leader of Astana for the Tour.

Everyone’s happy – or at least I am :-)

Oh, and Zoe too.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Sep 12, 2008 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Happy for about fifteen minutes

Then his DS tells him “you know, now you have to deliver at the Tour” ………… Levi loses 4 mins inexplicably on first mountainstage.

Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets

by Jens on Sep 12, 2008 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

not really a huff

Contador has won the Tour, and has already missed a number of years of his career – first, injury, then this year the Astana Exclusion. I think he will be under heavy pressure from people around him in Spain to find a team where he can chase his own ambitions. Why should he as a Tour winner ride for someone else? That’s a bit bizarre, really. He’s not Heras.

It would certainly make for more interesting racing.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Total agreement

Why would a cyclist in the prime of his career subjugate himself for another, especially after winning the Tour already and being favored to do so again? And don’t say money – if he’s competitive enough to win the Tour then no amount of money should force him off his ambitions to do it again. That would be simple greed, something I think he’s above.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Sep 12, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

si...

That, and he’ll make more money in the long term anyway, winning a second tour than in one year of riding for Lance.

I’m interested to see how this part of the story plays out, actually.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Me too

I will lose a ton of respect for Alberto if he knuckles under and rides as gregario. There’s being a team player and then there’s just being stupid and wasting a year of your cycling life.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Sep 12, 2008 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, you only get so many years...

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Best Supporting Actor Oscar

But if he does play a gregario and LA’s film is a hit he could be up for an award come bangle and bauble season in Hollywoodland.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 12, 2008 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, ok then. That's worth it.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Sep 12, 2008 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So the plan is to start a new team, called livestrong, and send Contador off to Katyusha

In Lindesay’s version, the licence and the contracts are owned by Bruyneel and he can tell Astana to get lost, bringing in a new sponsor – Nike – for the newly rebranded Team Livestrong. And if Contador doesn’t like the new set-up, he gets off-loaded to someone loaded.

That even works in the Windscale-to-Sellafield trick of burying a dodgy past under a new name.

I know, it’s all just wild speculation until the 24th.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds like a soap opera. Good writing!

by dheadrick on Sep 11, 2008 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Johan tried that

The Kazak Defense Minister would have him entombed alive in an old nuclear test site.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Sep 12, 2008 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1 :D

by Bruce Suomi on Sep 12, 2008 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol

yeah, i’m thinking that in the kazakh defense minister, bruny may have met his match :-)

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kazakh defence (with a C. I'm British) minister?

I was thinking he looks quite a jolly soul actually:

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0aL96SIfLw10z/610x.jpg

by Albertina on Sep 12, 2008 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sure

Until you wake up surrounded by freshly poured concrete. Then he doesn’t look so jolly.

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

by Drew... on Sep 12, 2008 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sally Jenkins

Weirdly (it may seem to some but not to me) I’ve never read the two LA books (these days I only read fiction when I have to), and really don’t have much of a clue who Jenkins is. But this comment in that online chat is just brilliant:

a lot of doping in cycling, I believe, is a function of emergency. The events put real stress on the athletes, and so what you see is guys who maybe take something to help them recover, or to combat an injury. So not every guy who pops a test is a serial doper, but rather someone who is hurting, or just trying to stay aboard the bike for another day in the midst of suffering. That’s my suspicion.

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 11, 2008 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

unplanned?

OK, sure, some of the gregarios. But the worst cases (in terms of impact on the peloton) are all deliberate programs. The problem hasn’t been limited to guys slapping on a testosterone patch.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris... on Sep 12, 2008 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So that old T-Mob convoy

to Freiburg was just an unplanned, spur of the minute, lets go and surprise the Dr, sort of trip. As you do when you are in the middle of a three-week stage race.

by Monty. on Sep 12, 2008 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ha!

they hitchhiked the whole way. and the doc, luckily anticipating their needs, had a few blood bags lying around...

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Remember Sinkewitz?

I accidentally rubbed some T cream on. Which I just chanced to find in my toilet bag. Ain’t coincidence a strange beast.

by Monty. on Sep 12, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol, yeah

I do remember that excuse. I just had it lying around, really. So silly.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not as hilarious as Leukemans.

I was having sex when the testers came so my levels of synthetic testosterone were inflated.

Er, what?

by Albertina on Sep 12, 2008 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

now that was a good one!

by Bruce Suomi on Sep 12, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Ahh Guten abend fellas! Come in, come in"

“Vould you like some coffee or tea or perhapz some schnitzel und a homologeus bloodtransfusion?”

Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets

by Jens on Sep 12, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

rofl :-)

here, have a seat on my couch…

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

More on Bettini

This is about ten days old, but I wrote about Bettini here. I get ISD-Danieli, LPR, and Liquigas. But really, not much to go on there.

by gavia on Sep 11, 2008 8:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

isn't Gerdemann

confirmed for Milram? or is it still speculation?

by nickel17 on Sep 11, 2008 10:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think Linus is getting picked up by the Cervelo womens team...

sorry I had to.

by humbug1 on Sep 12, 2008 12:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

lol!!

by Bruce Suomi on Sep 12, 2008 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The stupidest transfer this season

Pineau, big favorite of mine, has signed bij QST, hate that team. Hate it to say the least! Why QST? They have nothing? He has to ride voor Schumi, bah!, and Boonen, bah!. Think he lose one fan.. But.. his pocket is growing again

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Sep 12, 2008 3:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm not quite sure on this

I like Bweeg, and the support that the sponsor has given to all sorts of cycling over the years, but right now Pineau and Voeckler are the only serious hopes they have for getting wins, so they have to stick in a lot of attacks that go nowhere. Being on a QS might let him be a bit more selective and give him actual victories rather then brave attempts and gallant 5th places.

by Monty. on Sep 12, 2008 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

I can understand his decision, but I’d like to have seen him stay in France somewhere. Or, well, anywhere but QuickStep which is pretty overbuilt.

by gavia on Sep 12, 2008 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Liquigas

add Sylvester Szmyd (Lampre), Fabio Sabatini (Milram), Olivier Zaugg (Gerolsteiner) and Brian Vandborg (GLS).

pounding along in three ratios like a sonata
like a Ritter with pommelled scrotum atra cura on the step
Botticelli from the fork down pestling the transmission
tires bleeding voiding zeep the highway

by fmk on Sep 12, 2008 6:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Leukemans to VacansOleil

Bozic and Marcato to

Ricardo van der Velde and Raymond Kreder go to the little Garmin squad. 2 promosing riders how nowadays ride by Rabo CT

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Sep 12, 2008 9:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Leukemans...is that confirmed?

I’ve heard a few contrary rumours doing the rounds

by Albertina on Sep 12, 2008 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah sportwereld.be has the story

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Sep 12, 2008 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

also here

at De Tijd— says he signed for one year—I think.

by majope on Sep 12, 2008 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yep 1 year

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Sep 12, 2008 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh man

that’s gonna be confoosing bij Garmin:

Vandevelde or VanDERvelde?

which one?

mind if we call you Bruce to keep it clear?

by R Mc on Sep 12, 2008 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No their gonna be to the training/junior squad

Little confussion ;) They found the chance their gonna be a proffesional bigger. Think their right but Garmin is gonna be a little Rabo CT! Third rider in 2 year. Hmm hope their not all that good as Maaskant

Some say the best things in life, are one the inside.

by Frinking on Sep 12, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs