The Signings and Transfers Thread 2015

[Berk on a Bike]

Do you know if their core mission has changed since they were established, or has it always been the one stated on their site?

"MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung’s goal is to give talented African riders a path into the pro peloton while raising funds for Qhubeka."

This suggests there is no need for this to be an African team or even predominantly African. Nor do they need to specifically recruit established African riders already in the pro peloton, as long as they provide sufficient places for developing African riders. At the recent Worlds, Smith made the point that he was not looking to sign any of the best u23s, because they were not African and he was only able to sign developing riders from Africa..

According to this list MTN-Qhubeka-Dimension Data-Deloitte (delete as appropriate) has seven African riders out of contract. Some of them may get re-upped or perhaps replaced by new African up-and-comers, I suppose.

 

[SWSteve]

If their aim us to be a professional cycling team whilst raising funds for qhubekha, remind me his signing one if thbifgest names in cycling to be able to advertise your cause us a bad thing?

By bringing in Cav Rhys will lead to more invitations to bigger profile races, thus bringing in more attention to Samsung/Deloitte/Qhuebhekha. Hopefully this will increase the return sponsors get, keeping them attached to the team longer, and then allowing longer development of African talent.

Interestingly, Deloitte today announced how they are making big changes to their recruitment/recommendation, where they will be masking details of people's education and backgrounds to try and level the playing field, I wonder how much this will be exploited with team Qhubekha....

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Kittel may be on his way to EQS, if he can buy himself out of his contract at Giant-Alpecin
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/sportwereld/cnt/dmf20150930_01894623

 

[Bobby Mhor]

According to this list MTN-Qhubeka-Dimension Data-Deloitte (delete as appropriate) has seven African riders out of contract. Some of them may get re-upped or perhaps replaced by new African up-and-comers, I suppose.

Brian Smith said something on these lines the other day on Eurosport when talking about an up and coming rider (Under 23s race I think), he basically inferred his hands were tied when it comes to signing young talent out of which I took out African only, I'm sure it was a German lad they were talking about.

 

[mjr]

Kittel may be on his way to EQS, if he can buy himself out of his contract at Giant-Alpecin
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/sportwereld/cnt/dmf20150930_01894623

Cue facepalm from whoever's gone to EQS believing they can lead a GC team. (Martin?)

 

[User169]

Lidl to become sponsor of EQS.

 

[le velo mec]

Simon Clarke and Matti Breschel signing for Garmin

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Lidl to become sponsor of EQS.

...apparently facilitating the signing of Marcel Kittel, the rumour goes.

EDIT: @Marmion beat me to it.

 

[simo105]

Steele van hoff has left NFTO for OnePro so he can ride in bigger races, what im struggling to understand is the fact nfto and onepro are looking to step up.

 

[le velo mec]

One pro definitely have ambitions to step up, I expect nfto do but last I heard I didn't think they had secured an appropriate sponsor. S van H used to ride for Garmin and took a step down for this year so I guess he wants more but not yet ready for world tour

 

[mjr]

Steele van hoff has left NFTO for OnePro so he can ride in bigger races, what im struggling to understand is the fact nfto and onepro are looking to step up.

Maybe he thinks OnePro have more chance of wildcard invitations (and let's not forget, there aren't as many Spanish pro teams as there used to be... Vuelta 2015 invited one from Spain and one from Colombia, then one South Africa and two from France who had also been at the TdF... so maybe there's an opportunity there?) because of Matt Prior's publicly-stated plan to take them to World Tour by 2020? NFTO are stepping up but do they have similar stated ambitions to progress so quickly?

 

[simo105]

Ah ok cheers for that i was under the belief nfto was stepping up but if its unsure then i dnt blame him

 

[simo105]

Maybe he thinks OnePro have more chance of wildcard invitations (and let's not forget, there aren't as many Spanish pro teams as there used to be... Vuelta 2015 invited one from Spain and one from Colombia, then one South Africa and two from France who had also been at the TdF... so maybe there's an opportunity there?) because of Matt Prior's publicly-stated plan to take them to World Tour by 2020? NFTO are stepping up but do they have similar stated ambitions to progress so quickly?

Shame really. Was hoping OnePro would be a way for young british talent to come through the ranks but looking at the recent signings there going the way of sky.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Shame really. Was hoping OnePro would be a way for young british talent to come through the ranks but looking at the recent signings there going the way of sky.

Only Brit signed by Sky is Alex Peters. OnePro let a few Brits go recently and have signed up three Kiwis, a Dane, a Pole and now an Aussie. Plus Kristian House who is about 85 years old.

 

[mjr]

Plus Kristian House who is about 85 years old.

Aren't you confusing him with Malcolm Elliot?