Darn, too late, Stuey (Stuart O'Grady) has made what he calls the "hardest decision of my career" to leave Leopard-Trek to join the new Australian team, GreenEdge.
Aw, Stuey, we'll miss you!
But I hope you have a really great time with GreenEdge, who - in case you didn't know - are the new Australian team currently being formed.
Go, Stuey!
Other news of the moment: (Tour of Poland report coming in due course): well, it's transfer season, so all the rumours are flying.
It's now official, HTC Highroad are folding, so all of their riders are up for grabs: Cav has already accepted his new contract, but he's being a bit tight-lipped about where it actually is.
Logically, he'd be coming to Sky, being (more or less) British: however, there wouldn't be much point anyone buying Cav without taking on Renshaw and Bernie Eisel as well. This was going to be a problem, as they had contracts which extended beyond Cav's, but now that HTC are folding, they are all free.
However, Renshaw might well be wanting to go to GreenEdge, who are cheerfully up-front about their wish to get as many Aussie riders as they can. So there's no reason why Cav couldn't go to GreenEdge with Bernie - if they can afford him, that is!
I have doubts about what will happen to Sky if Cav does come on board: he is very much the Compleat Sprinter, he and his train, and Sky can either send a GC contender to the Tour, or a Sprint team. Not both. So if Cav joins Sky, it will very much change the character of the team. Oh well, guess we have to wait and see.
Other transfer news: Quick-Step and Omega Pharma Lotto are merging, so that means another team's worth of riders are going to be looking for contracts elsewhere. Selfishly, all I'm concerned about is having to learn another set of kits!
That's all for now - Tour of Poland report is being written!
The commentators at Post Danmark Rundt yesterday decided to announce that Cav was going to Sky. LOL we're not sure if this is correct, or if they just got a bit carried away after Sky won the team competition of the race!
ReplyDeletePS Hoping that the fact you posted this means you're ok with all this rioting going on!
Leelu
Hi Coug,
ReplyDeleteAbout something completely different: did you notice THE t-shirt is back. It's now in Chicago and OGL seems to protect the picture the whole time with his arms. What would that mean?
(Glad your back.)
Hey, Coug,
ReplyDeleteA quick clarification. Omega Pharma and Lotto are splitting into two teams. Quickstep is merging with Omega Pharma and Lotto is on it's own. So, actually, that doesn't reduce the peloton - just changes them around a bit. The loss of HTC, of course, is a straight up loss. About which I am very sad, actually, as I've come to enjoy Cav quite a bit and loved watching that lead-out train. I do hope at least Renshaw and hopefully Eisel end up whereever Cav goes.
But, your point is a good one. We are going to have to learn new kits and new names (OmegaStep?).
PeeDee
Lol, we sure will have a lot of kits and names to learn next year.
ReplyDeletePlease, please, may it NOT be OmegaStep. It's ridiculous, don't you guys think?
I'm so sad about HTC disbanding too. :( It's just a joy to watch such an organised team. :)
I don't think Cav will go to Sky. I think he will go to Green Edge - as will many of the others up for grabs right now. But, it will certainly be interesting to see.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to hear about Stuey as rumors had been flying and he posted on twitter that he'd not signed anything and reminded everyone to not believe what they read...and then this - so I was caught shocked. But, I am sure he is making the best decision for him. I'm sad for LT. Stuey was a "rational mind" with vast experience.
I'm happy to see all the Boyz arriving in the states - and many in CO already. I hope LT is giving enough time for altitude shift. Past 10,000 ft "there is no recovery" from what I am told - and this Tour of CO is going to be hard, hard, hard!
I'm so excited!
And yes! Welcome back Coug, missed you!
BolderEl
I don't know much about the relationship between Renshaw and Cav, but I got the sense from Renshaw's TDF interviews that he wouldn't mind trying for wins himself. It was subtle. Imagine the opportunity to follow your dream on a nationally based team? Or maybe it would be enough for Renshaw to be on that team with Cav? Hmmm, I agree that Sky would have difficulty managing a pure sprinter with a GC contendor at the TDF. I heard Cav is supposed to make an announcement this week. Am dying to know.
ReplyDeleteAnd what about Bernie? He would likely stay with Cav, but what if he came to Leopard to replace Stuey? *sniffle, Stuey* No more jokes about I love U2 man. :'( Well, at least they're all handling it with class.
This is all very interesting!
ReplyDeleteBarbara - so "that" t-shirt is back, huh? Come on TinkerJil, make him throw it away!
Leelu! (*big over-excited hugs*) You're back! Don't worry, one and all, the riots are actually quite small and localised, and although Britain is a tiny, tiny place compared to anywhere else (except Lux) (ha ha hahahha aaahhaa hahha stoppit Coug, stoppit) it's actually quite big when you live in it. So I'm managing to avoid the riot areas quite nicely.
PeeDee, you are so right! I'd forgotten about Lotto going it alone. Let's hope they don't choose bright yellow as their team colour - all the advertising stuff for Lotto in Poland was yellow. Could cause some confusion, having a yellow kit.....
OmegaStep is not that bad, as a name... no worse than QuickStep. Perhaps we should make up a dance to go with it?
I would love, love, love Cav to go to GreenEdge, I think it would give them, as a new team, a tremendous boost, and it would give him the chance to be the big fish in the small pond: although yes, it's a bit sad for Renshaw always having to be the lead-out man, but he and Bernie Eisel get nearly as much publicity as Cav does!
Hey Boulderado, thrilled to hear that the Boys are arriving already, get out there and Stalk-a-Schleck for us! It's so exciting to think that you might see them out training, or might bump into them at the supermarket, buying sun-block or rash ointment....
Gnasher, well said, they are indeed all handling it with class. Someone is going to have to make up a spreadsheet to keep track of who is going where!
Coug
Sad to hear that Fabu is going home today.....I thought he would be riding the rockies with Jens, Frankie & Andy. I'm sot sure yet who else from LT will be here. They need TIME to adjust to altitude.......
ReplyDeleteBolderEl
News on cyclingnews.com is that Renshaw will be signing with Rabo to be one of their lead sprinters, but it hasn't been properly confirmed. I'd be happy to see Renshaw get his own chance to ride for himself, but I'm also sad to see HTC and that whole lead out train get separated :( Also glad to see Stuey going to GE but again, so sad to see that LT unit get broken up like that, esp. since we've been following them since Saxo. I really dislike transfer season for this reason! A
ReplyDeleteNot quite a spreadsheet, but cyclingnews has posted a guide about who's transferred where, which will be updated as announcements are made:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cyclingnews.com/news/the-cyclingnews-guide-to-rider-transfers-2011-2012
I'm glad to know you're alright Coug. The news is making it sound like it's total anarchy out there.
Well done, Figgy, that's a superb page, well worth bookmarking - and it saves me having to do a spreadsheet, yay!
ReplyDeleteCoug