Skil-Shimano 2010 Roster

by Chris Fontecchio on Nov 11, 2009 12:14 PM EST in News

Courtesy of Radsport:

Piet Rooijakkers, Albert Timmer, Tom Veelers, Roy Curvers, Kenny van Hummel, Koen de Kort, Floris Goesinnen, Robin Chaigneau, Job Vissers (NED), Thierry Hupond, David Deroo, Steve Houanard, Yann Huguet, Alexandre Geniez (FRA), Robert Wagner, Simon Geschke (GER), Bert De Backer, Dominique Cornu (BEL), Yukihiro Doi, Fumiyuki Beppu (beide JAP), Feng Han, Long Jin, Cheng Ji (alle CHI), Frederik Wilmann (NOR), Mitchell Docker (AUS).

Not many changes from last year, when they threw a mix of sprinters and classics guys into the field with the odd nice result. Kenny van Hummel is the folk hero, along with being a solid sprinter. Some young talent in guys like Veelers for the classics. The biggest news is the arrival of Dominique Cornu from Quick Step. Cornu is a stage racer with a solid rep against the watch. At 24, there's time for him to add the climbing piece, though whether that ever gets him beyond the middlin' one-week events to the bigger stuff remains to be seen.

Oh, and the Asian cyclists... having some connections to that part of the world, I find it cool that they are investing in Japanese and Chinese riders. It's a beachhead. Check back in a decade or so.

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They have a new co-sponsor in Bastion Hotel Group, from Limburg which will be their new centralized training base.

and I doubt Cornu will find climbing legs. His stage races that he has done well in are races like Tour of Belgium, Dunkirk and Missouri. Though I guess you can’t totally rule it out.

One thing they could try to do a little better on is wins. They only had 7 all season with 5 coming from Van Hummel.

by Vlaanderen90 on Nov 11, 2009 5:19 PM EST reply actions

They are all OK riders but who's capable of winning in the team?

What do you fear most?
1. coup d’etat
2. putsch

by Frinking on Nov 11, 2009 6:01 PM EST up reply actions

Thats what I don't know...they had a lot of 2nd and 3rd places but they don't really have anybody else that can win besides Kenny

by Vlaanderen90 on Nov 11, 2009 6:20 PM EST up reply actions

This is what has bothered me this fall...

Here is a team that just had its first TdF, and all things considered, did just OK. They got a lot of mileage out of Kenny, but really not for the right reasons. I fully expected them to go hard at a big signing or two this offseason to bolster their chances at grand tour invites…and to keep up with Vacansoleil. They did nothing…bringing in new/very young talent. Cornu is nice, but come on??? Wilmann is a rider for the future. He is a very good climber and still young…he may blossom this season. Skil have stated as such, that they are going to build the team around him.

I also think Skil can win more, if they dedicated more riders to the finishing “train” for van Hummel. When Kenny wins, he usually has to do it himself. If this is where the wins are going to come from…they better put more effort there!!

"If me and King Kong went into an alley, only one of us would come out. And it wouldn't be the monkey."
"I don't really trust a sane person."
"I never met a man I didn't want to fight." The one and only Lyle Alzado

by TRDean on Nov 12, 2009 11:25 AM EST up reply actions