Pro-cycling thread

Ahh gotcha. Sagan won't be staying it they just signed those two.

I imagine that’ll free up some serious wedge, even if other sponsors have been contributing to his salary.

He’d be a weird choice in some ways for DQS but he’s got the relationship with Specialized so I wouldn’t rule it out. Could do for his career what it did for Gilbert’s.

Wait, where did you hear Sagan off to DQS? That would be quite a surprise indeed. Don't think the DQS 'culture' is for Sagan though.

Dan Martin's luck continues, teammate broke his collarbone riding back to the hotel yesterday

Rumours have been around for ages...

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/peter-sagan-linked-with-move-to-deceuninck-quickstep-for-2022/

The only other place I can see him is ISN or the Middle Eastern backed teams.

Or, if he does a cracking giro, to EF?

He was on Cannondales before, doubt that EF could afford him.

Well, EF is the only US world tour team, there must be an interesting sponsorship oppotunity there, right? I thought Sagan was quite popular over there. Should bring some extra dough in.

They've been looking to offload Sagan and invest his (huge) wages cost in young bolters for a bit. May get one or two others in as well.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sam-bennett-to-leave-deceuninck-quickstep-at-end-of-2021-season/

Surprising, I think, though you never really know what's actually going on.

Sagan's bum will forever be on a Specialized biek methinks, so his future team has to be too

Lefevere saying he can't afford to keep him at market value in 3, 2, 1...

Wow. Bennet has been massively undervalued at times by his employers hasn’t he? No room for sentiment with Lefevre.

They’ve got a bit of a dream leadout train there too but Morkov is getting on a bit.

I think Lefevre has ample evidence that a good sprinter combined with the train he builds for them does well at DQS but take away the train and they’re screwed. Cav, Gaviria, Viviani have all gone right off the boil when they left.

Obviously if they can find someone to pay a big salary they are probably fine with not winning as much given how short a normal sprinter career is but Patrick can probably replace Sam Bennett and keep winning.

I wouldn’t necessarily include Cavendish in that list. His 2016 was extremely successful, and Epstein Barr took him out for the following years.
He was better before Quickstep and briefly after.

Gaviria, Viviani, I would agree.

Nizzolo has his ‘permission to circulate’ certificate printed on his helmet. Presumably this stops him having to pull the actual paper version out if he gets pulled by the carabinieri.

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That intermediate sprint sums up this stage

I don’t think I saw Ewan at all in the run in.

He was too far back.

UAE managing to take themselves out there.

Did Gaviria get put into the barriers by his own teammate?

Yep, proper 'mare for UAE there.

Yep, Richeze took him into the barriers.

Some ride by Pidcock yesterday. Real Tokyo gold possibility subject to qualification

What bike is he riding? Doesn't appear that Pinarello have mountain bike offering currently

BMC Fourstroke