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Around SBN: Miikka Kiprusoff Wins 300th Game, Buffalo Crushes Boston

Kohl to Silence Lotto

The rumors have been confirmed: as per cyclingnews, Bernhard Kohl is going to Silence Lotto.  The polka-dot jersey should really beef up the mountain firepower for Cadel, which was desperately lacking at this year's Tour.  Quote from CN: 

In a press statement, Kohl said, "the whole team is strongly focused on the Tour de France as the season's high point. As we saw this year, you need a strong team to really be able to win. That means you must have at least two or three riders who have the class to ride in the top ten. With Cadel Evans and me Silence-Lotto now has two strong riders, who can be at the top of the race. We will have to wait and see which of us will be stronger in the end."

Sounds like he has ambitions to be the leader as well if Cadel falters.  Will he play loyal domestique?  Next year's Tour is already shaping up to be very interesting.  I can't wait!

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just read this...

and Lang is going there too. hmmm…

i agree with Kohl that if SL is serious about the TdF, they need more than one rider who can ride in the top ten.

by nicknorco on Sep 8, 2008 9:28 AM EDT reply actions  

Other interesting comments

from the team website:

So the revelation of the 2008 Tour de France will be able to blossom within the Silence-Lotto atmosphere, and to become an absolute value at the top of the great tours without being immediately set under pressure. With Cadel Evans, Silence-Lotto has an absolute leader for the coming two years. The team management is certain that Cadel Evans and Bernhard Kohl will be completely complementary with regard on circumstances. … Omega Pharma’s anti-snoring product breaks regularly through new international markets. This month, Silence will be in Austria, and thus Bernhard Kohl’s transfer was ideally timed. Omega Pharma has also important commercial assets in Austria through the Bittner production plant at Feldkirchen.

so, 1stly that the team says Cadel is the leader for the next 2 years and they will complement each other, and 2ndly, which doesn’t surprise me, the team has some monetary/marketing reason for getting an Austrian. IMO more than any other team (or at least that I’ve read) they really make it about the marketing, perfect example is all the name changes while keeping the same overall sponsor (Omega Pharma). Apparently too, they’ve got more sponsorship money which is why they can sign these riders…

And comments from Kohl and sponsor Marc Coucke at sporza (google translated version):

Kohl – “The Tour is for Silence across the major priority and that has given the decisive,” said Kohl. “For Cadel Evans work is important for my education. I can learn a lot from him.”

Coucke- “Bernard Kohl fits perfectly into our picture,” says Silence-Lotto manager Marc Sergeant to Sporza. “We have seen that in the Tour is important for several kopmannen to have.” “Look at CSC. They had next to the brothers-Sastre and Schleck also won the Tour. "We took Popovitsj, but that proved not enough. Now we get to Popovitsj Kohl and a double buffer around Cadel Evans,” it sounds. … “But Kohl is still young and another case. He still feels unable to withstand the weight of the whole team to contribute and would like to drive next to someone with more experience.”

They seem to be on the same page here about Kohl helping Cadel and learning from Cadel … wonder if that was really Kohl’s goal (it’s quite possible he’s thinking that it might be tough to replicate this year’s success and better to gain some experience/not have the full weight of team leadership).

by guidemd on Sep 8, 2008 10:30 AM EDT reply actions  

It's interesting too

about the increased sponsorship from the Kuwaiti government. Football doesn’t have a monopolyon oil-rich billionaires.I wonder how they feel about sharing the billing with a treatment for headlice?

by Monty. on Sep 8, 2008 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions  

So let's see...

… uh… Evans… Kohl… Popo… uh… uh… Cioni and..well… \o/… and Marc Seargent?

vs. Contador, Leipheimer, Kloden (hell with the umlaut), Colom and Ekimov/Bruyneel
vs. Vande Velde, Frischkorn, Pate, and Vaughters
vs. Schleck the Younger, Tony, Jens!, Schleck the Elder and Riis.

Sorry Bernie… it’s not looking good…

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc.

by crashdan on Sep 8, 2008 10:32 AM EDT reply actions  

colom will ride for katyusha (or however that's spelled) next year

"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 8, 2008 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions  

silence

also has that van den broeke? kid who did really well at the Giro – hoping they will put him on the tour team as well.

by kimchi on Sep 8, 2008 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions  

and don't forget

Matthew Lloyd, even if his Vuelta isn’t going that well.

by Monty. on Sep 8, 2008 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions  

r-u-b-e-l ......... katuysha

Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets

by Jens on Sep 8, 2008 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions  

Horner still not getting respected.

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

by flying dog on Sep 8, 2008 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions  

I have a feeling

Kohl won’t be at quite the same level next year. I wonder if Gerolsteiner went all out in their preparation at the Tour this year in hopes of attracting a sponsor. I’d be surprised to see Schumacher dominate TTs again next year.

by mysterion on Sep 8, 2008 10:47 AM EDT reply actions  

Support for Evans....

and vice versa? Any thoughts on whether Popo’s less than adequate Tour prep related to Evans arguable lack of support for him in, was it Paris-Nice? And will Evans learn that lesson and try to give Popo and Kohl some support in other races next year?

by baloo on Sep 8, 2008 12:31 PM EDT reply actions  

doesn't sound like popo.... being petty that is

"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 8, 2008 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions  

larsson

the Larsson transfer is now confirmed also. he’ll ride for caisse for 2 years.

by Jen See on Sep 8, 2008 2:07 PM EDT reply actions  

What a moron

This is what I’ve been trying to tell you. There are other swedes as dumb as me. Here’s proof.

Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets

by Jens on Sep 8, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions  

So I guess Silence! wants to follow the tried and true formula of

getting a strong contender from another team to apprentice to the current team leader for a couple of years, before promoting him to lead dog.

Sometimes it works.

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

by Drew Davis on Sep 8, 2008 3:49 PM EDT reply actions  

It does?

Seriously, when has it worked? Not trying to be snipey… just curious about an example.

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc.

by crashdan on Sep 8, 2008 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions  

Spot on

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

by Drew Davis on Sep 9, 2008 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions  

Actually I was being sarcastic but it didn't come across

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

by Drew Davis on Sep 9, 2008 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions  

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