Team Transfers and Rumours 20/21

[xcd]

Who is Willie’s managing agent ?

[RossW]

bit of a anti climax if true... 

 

anyway glad he has a team to ride for. Im sure he will light up the pro conti circuit again!

It appears to be true

 

https://www.wielerkrant.be/nieuws/2019-10-22/zuid-afrika-moet-vertrekken-bij-team-katusha-maar-heeft-al-een-nieuwe-ploeg-te-pakken

[J Wakefield]

I find it weird that this is a anticlimax? Has anyone sat back and thought:

 

Burgos have a solid race calender

Won stages at Vuelta Etc along with other big Spanish races.

 

Maybe with that, Willie goes to the team as a looked after rider, gets freedom, picks his calender and has support instead of being that support and a all over calender?

 

Does it matter who his agent is? No, Was he in talks with other teams? WT? Yes, but just cause a team is PC doesn’t mean it’s a step down. PC teams were ahead of Katusha and DD this year overall in rankings. Are they also a let down if riders signed for them?

 

There some PC teams I would work for before some WT teams.

 

Get behind the rider and personality and wish him well instead of telling him you all disappointed cause he is racing his bike at the highest level and has a job where some SA riders don’t. It beats coming back home and selling tubes at Cycle lab.

[tubed]

When I see the guy on the Trek who sells tubes riding loops around Table Mountain in the morning, I think to myself, damn he still rides well and its a pity it ended so ignominiously.

 

I also often wonder if it wouldn't have been better if he rode for another smaller team than saying 'oh well he rode in the service of US Postal at the height of their success'.

 

Looking forward to scrolling through the results of the 'smaller races' next year to see how Willie does.

[Wayne pudding Mol]

I find it weird that this is a anticlimax? Has anyone sat back and thought:

 

Burgos have a solid race calender

Won stages at Vuelta Etc along with other big Spanish races.

 

Maybe with that, Willie goes to the team as a looked after rider, gets freedom, picks his calender and has support instead of being that support and a all over calender?

 

Does it matter who his agent is? No, Was he in talks with other teams? WT? Yes, but just cause a team is PC doesn’t mean it’s a step down. PC teams were ahead of Katusha and DD this year overall in rankings. Are they also a let down if riders signed for them?

 

There some PC teams I would work for before some WT teams.

 

Get behind the rider and personality and wish him well instead of telling him you all disappointed cause he is racing his bike at the highest level and has a job where some SA riders don’t. It beats coming back home and selling tubes at Cycle lab.

John I always enjoy your insight but the last line here is your best comment ever

[NotSoBigBen]

I find it weird that this is a anticlimax? Has anyone sat back and thought:

 

Burgos have a solid race calender

Won stages at Vuelta Etc along with other big Spanish races.

 

Maybe with that, Willie goes to the team as a looked after rider, gets freedom, picks his calender and has support instead of being that support and a all over calender?

 

Does it matter who his agent is? No, Was he in talks with other teams? WT? Yes, but just cause a team is PC doesn’t mean it’s a step down. PC teams were ahead of Katusha and DD this year overall in rankings. Are they also a let down if riders signed for them?

 

There some PC teams I would work for before some WT teams.

 

Get behind the rider and personality and wish him well instead of telling him you all disappointed cause he is racing his bike at the highest level and has a job where some SA riders don’t. It beats coming back home and selling tubes at Cycle lab.

Bloody well said .... And flipping coffee all over at the end!

[Vetplant]

I find it weird that this is a anticlimax? Has anyone sat back and thought:

 

Burgos have a solid race calender

Won stages at Vuelta Etc along with other big Spanish races.

 

Maybe with that, Willie goes to the team as a looked after rider, gets freedom, picks his calender and has support instead of being that support and a all over calender?

 

Does it matter who his agent is? No, Was he in talks with other teams? WT? Yes, but just cause a team is PC doesn’t mean it’s a step down. PC teams were ahead of Katusha and DD this year overall in rankings. Are they also a let down if riders signed for them?

 

There some PC teams I would work for before some WT teams.

 

Get behind the rider and personality and wish him well instead of telling him you all disappointed cause he is racing his bike at the highest level and has a job where some SA riders don’t. It beats coming back home and selling tubes at Cycle lab.

 

 

Bloody well said .... And flipping coffee all over at the end!

Well said, we all needed to hear that.

[Long Wheel Base]

I'm happy for Willie. It must be so tough in the pro peloton. There are riders with a "better" palmares than Willie in even smaller teams(Dan Martin for Eg). Three things I can say for sure is that Willie will make the most of it, he will still enjoy riding his bike and his hash tags on IG will change.

[Shebeen]

I find it weird that this is a anticlimax? Has anyone sat back and thought:

 

Burgos have a solid race calender

Won stages at Vuelta Etc along with other big Spanish races.

 

Maybe with that, Willie goes to the team as a looked after rider, gets freedom, picks his calender and has support instead of being that support and a all over calender?

 

Does it matter who his agent is? No, Was he in talks with other teams? WT? Yes, but just cause a team is PC doesn’t mean it’s a step down. PC teams were ahead of Katusha and DD this year overall in rankings. Are they also a let down if riders signed for them?

 

There some PC teams I would work for before some WT teams.

 

Get behind the rider and personality and wish him well instead of telling him you all disappointed cause he is racing his bike at the highest level and has a job where some SA riders don’t. It beats coming back home and selling tubes at Cycle lab.

it's natural to think that a smaller team is a step down. Definitely not going to have the same level of equipment, budget, coaching etc.

 

It would have been nice if he was head hunted by a WT team, but there are only so many slots out there.

 

Sure burgos won a gt stage with masnada, but what else? They're #80 on the UCI rankings.

 

At the end of the day, it is what he makes of it, and I for one will be wishing him the best of success

[J Wakefield]

it's natural to think that a smaller team is a step down. Definitely not going to have the same level of equipment, budget, coaching etc.

 

It would have been nice if he was head hunted by a WT team, but there are only so many slots out there.

 

Sure burgos won a gt stage with masnada, but what else? They're #80 on the UCI rankings.

 

At the end of the day, it is what he makes of it, and I for one will be wishing him the best of success

 

 

They run a Spanish race calendar, not the total calendar with classics in Belgium etc which all adds up points wise. they invited to all the WT / European races in Spain and others. When they there they do well. 

 

Their equipment is good, Not all WT teams coaching is above PC level and so forth.

 

What I'm saying is that yes teams are WT but I know of 1 or 2 team in WT who has no budget for camps, testing equipment etc. Yet, there PC teams doing that with their budget that is less. 

 

He did speak to WT teams, sometimes that isn't the best option going forward. 

 

Im not sticking up or defending him here, Im saying there is a different view to him riding on Burgos that has more good than bad in it.

[Wayne pudding Mol]

At the end of the day, Willie is living the dream, being paid to ride a bike.  How many of us are doing our dream job?

 

Would you move to a beautiful place for your dream at a possible pay cut and know that you are wanted?  I would

 

Good luck to him, I will now extend my interest to wherever Burgos ride

[Twaatie]

They run a Spanish race calendar, not the total calendar with classics in Belgium etc which all adds up points wise. they invited to all the WT / European races in Spain and others. When they there they do well.

 

Their equipment is good, Not all WT teams coaching is above PC level and so forth.

 

What I'm saying is that yes teams are WT but I know of 1 or 2 team in WT who has no budget for camps, testing equipment etc. Yet, there PC teams doing that with their budget that is less.

 

He did speak to WT teams, sometimes that isn't the best option going forward.

 

Im not sticking up or defending him here, Im saying there is a different view to him riding on Burgos that has more good than bad in it.

Might be PC team now but at least he still has WT level coach .....

[lechatnoir]

Burgos did so well in this year's Vuelta, my guess is they'd be a slam-dunk for an invite next year. Politics aside of course.

 

Good on ya Willie... 

[Shebeen]

They run a Spanish race calendar, not the total calendar with classics in Belgium etc which all adds up points wise. they invited to all the WT / European races in Spain and others. When they there they do well.

 

Their equipment is good, Not all WT teams coaching is above PC level and so forth.

 

What I'm saying is that yes teams are WT but I know of 1 or 2 team in WT who has no budget for camps, testing equipment etc. Yet, there PC teams doing that with their budget that is less.

 

He did speak to WT teams, sometimes that isn't the best option going forward.

 

Im not sticking up or defending him here, Im saying there is a different view to him riding on Burgos that has more good than bad in it.

I totally understand that, and really hope he thrives. The proof will be in the pudding, go Willie!

 

we all got excited when he moved from a Spanish PC team to Katusha (and I'm pretty sure you were also stoking that!).... So I don't think it's surprising that an equal but opposite reaction is the initial response here.

[Gen]

I find it weird that this is a anticlimax? Has anyone sat back and thought:

 

Burgos have a solid race calender

Won stages at Vuelta Etc along with other big Spanish races.

 

Maybe with that, Willie goes to the team as a looked after rider, gets freedom, picks his calender and has support instead of being that support and a all over calender?

 

Does it matter who his agent is? No, Was he in talks with other teams? WT? Yes, but just cause a team is PC doesn’t mean it’s a step down. PC teams were ahead of Katusha and DD this year overall in rankings. Are they also a let down if riders signed for them?

 

There some PC teams I would work for before some WT teams.

 

Get behind the rider and personality and wish him well instead of telling him you all disappointed cause he is racing his bike at the highest level and has a job where some SA riders don’t. It beats coming back home and selling tubes at Cycle lab.

I think it is a fantastic move for him.

 

Solid team with solid financial support and most certainly a better move than if he had gone to DDD or whatever they are now.. let's face it they are only WT on paper.. that's it.

[T-Bob]

And still no news on Bennett for the 2020 season. Wonder what the back story on that is as the reports said it was because he'd give a handshake to Bora at the begining of the year. 

 

Other key riders (officially) without a team for 2020: 

 

- Cavendish 

- Chaves

- Rohan Dennis

- Jan Bakelants 

- Sasha Modolo

- Impey

- Tubby Betancur

- Brambilla

- Amador

- Adam Blythe

- Petr Vakoc

- Julian Vermotte 

- Alex Dowsett

- Nils Politt

- Alex Howes

- Peter Stetina
- Ian Boswell

- Jaco Venter

- Harry Tanfield

- 

 

Then the TDD retirement village of Cummings & Eisel.