Transfers and rumours

[TomKUC]

Only thing I can think is that the performance staff aren’t getting him what he wants - he’s not gonna get more leadership at trek he gonna become more of a domestique than he was at ineos

 

[No Ta Doctor]

I think I've found the Ganna shaped hole in Lidl-Trek

The race Mads P most wants to win is Paris-Roubaix. He'd take any monument gladly, but if you offered him just the one - P-R, with not a millisecond's hesitation.

As far as I can see, there are a only few riders that have experience of Paris-Roubaix, especially at the sharp end. Edward Theuns got an 8th place in 2017 (GvA won! Now that's a blast from the past) and the incoming Meeus got an 8th as well, though coming in close to 5 minutes down on MvdP in 2024 (winning a sprint from a small group).

That's it for top tens throughout the team, other than Mads P himself. Now there are riders that could go on to be very good in P-R, but they've not been there yet - Withen Philipsen and Söderqvist in particular have a lot of potential. Stuyven, who left the team this season, had three top tens in the bag already and then got a podium this year.

So the Ganna shaped hole? Paris-Roubaix. He's only got the one top ten (a 6th place three years ago), but we know he's a monster on the cobbles that can put down really impressive power, and who can be at the pointy end of a long and hard race. Perfect Lieutenant for Mads.

The Mads P Project Cobblestone is on I tell ya!

It's like Cav Project 35 all over again, just with a rosy-cheeked prankster and some massive stones

 

[wakemalcolm]

The Mads P Project Cobblestone is on I tell ya!

It's like Cav Project 35 all over again, just with a rosy-cheeked prankster and some massive stones

But that was based on delivering Cav into a finalé where he was invincible. What's the circumstances where Mads is?

 

[phreak]

They have a similar problem to Ineos a few years ago. Plenty of riders to get you a top 10 in GC or a classic, but not really the riders who will beat Pogacar, Vingegaard, MvdP, or WvA. Even Red Bull has a similar issue. It reminds me a bit of ONCE back in the day, except now, you don't have the best rider/s focusing on a small number of events, so there's plenty to go around. They do everything now.

Pederson is a great example. Over the past five years, he's almost guaranteed to get you a top 10 spot, and has 13 top 10s out of the 14 monuments he's finished. His best finish was 2nd though, and that was over a minute behind Pogacar in Flanders.

Skjelmose is also a pretty solid bet for a top 10 in a GC, but like Gee, Ayuso, and now Gall, it's hard to see how they convert those top 10s into wins given who they're up against.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

But that was based on delivering Cav into a finalé where he was invincible. What's the circumstances where Mads is?

If Mads comes into the velodrome with Pog, who do you think will win? If he comes into the velodrome with MvdP it's probably close to 50/50. But he's got to get there first.

 

[wakemalcolm]

If Mads comes into the velodrome with Pog, who do you think will win?

Probably Jasper Philipsen if Ganna's providing a sedan chair delivery service to riders not able to make it on their own.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Probably Jasper Philipsen if Ganna's providing a sedan chair delivery service to riders not able to make it on their own.

I'm not sure I ever said anything about a sedan chair....

 

[gsk82]

Had there been any mention of NCI receiving a fee for Ganna?

 

[wakemalcolm]

Had there been any mention of NCI receiving a fee for Ganna?

Domestique cycling are reporting that there's no transfer fee involved and NCI are just happy to have him, or more likely, his EUR2.5m salary of the books.

 

[gsk82]

Domestique cycling are reporting that there's no transfer fee involved and NCI are just happy to have him, or more likely, his EUR2.5m salary of the books.

Jesus. They're desperate.

 

[CarbonClem]

James Shaw to NCI. Nice for him

 

[Pross]

Domestique cycling are reporting that there's no transfer fee involved and NCI are just happy to have him, or more likely, his EUR2.5m salary of the books.

When you think of it that way you can see their point. I'm a big Ganna fan but I don't think he has given them value for money in recent years. You used to be able to bank on him winning any big TTs on flat courses but now even that is dependent on Remco not being present and arguably Tarling offers a younger, very similar alternative. He has shown he can potentially win reduced sprints at the end of a touch Classic but again, you wouldn't back him against MVDP, WVA, Mads or Phillipsen (and probably Brennan now too). He's a useful engine for chasing or keeping the pace high but that's a lot to pay for that capability and NCI lack a real finisher to make it worthwhile.

That said, NCI need to think about what their ambitions are and reinvest the savings. If they don't, it's just going to look more and more like a fire sale. I was thinking when typing the bit above about Ganna's sprint capability that Turner is in a similar situation but they are losing him too. I'm really not sure where they are going as a team, they don't currently have a top flight GT rider although with an injury free season Onley could potentially get into the pack chasing the lower podium steps and it's hard to see anyone left contending the big one-day races.

 

[wakemalcolm]

When you think of it that way you can see their point. I'm a big Ganna fan but I don't think he has given them value for money in recent years. You used to be able to bank on him winning any big TTs on flat courses but now even that is dependent on Remco not being present and arguably Tarling offers a younger, very similar alternative. He has shown he can potentially win reduced sprints at the end of a touch Classic but again, you wouldn't back him against MVDP, WVA, Mads or Phillipsen (and probably Brennan now too). He's a useful engine for chasing or keeping the pace high but that's a lot to pay for that capability and NCI lack a real finisher to make it worthwhile.

That said, NCI need to think about what their ambitions are and reinvest the savings. If they don't, it's just going to look more and more like a fire sale. I was thinking when typing the bit above about Ganna's sprint capability that Turner is in a similar situation but they are losing him too. I'm really not sure where they are going as a team, they don't currently have a top flight GT rider although with an injury free season Onley could potentially get into the pack chasing the lower podium steps and it's hard to see anyone left contending the big one-day races.

You look at their roster for next year and you think: who are they going to send to the cobbles?
Only Tarling from their P-R team last year is contracted for next.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Not to worry: Clement Champoussin's signed for NCI to errrr......harvest a few points to stave off relegation?

 

[misforturob]

James Shaw to NCI. Nice for him

Joe Blackmore has signed for NCI too