Team Sky - Dogma with Di2 group.

The RadioShack squad isn’t the only big shiny new team for 2010. Team Sky has scooped up some strong British and European talent with the goal of putting a British rider on the Tour de France podium in five years. Their recent acquisition of Bradley Wiggins with a four year contract shows Sky is serious about reaching that goal. The monetary pay-off had to have been significant to get Wiggins out of his 2010 contract with Garmin. In the end it just would have been a messy legal battle that only would have prolonged his departure to Sky, created more tension within the team, and would have only benefited the lawyers. Garmin-Transitions is putting up a brave face and are sure they have a strong squad to contest the Tour. Rest assured,  Team Sky manager David Brailsford isn’t going to get any karma points by poaching a rider that was still under contract. At this point cycling is a free market and contracts can and will be broken if enough Euro is splashed around.

January 4th Sky will unveil the complete team kit. The question remains to the loyal argyle fans who cheered for him during the Tour -  are you Team Wiggins or Team Garmin-Transitions?

Word is that Adidas is the clothing supplier

Roster
Kurt Asle Arvesen (NOR)
John-Lee Augustyn (RSA)
Michael Barry (CAN)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)
Kjell Carlström (FIN)
Sylvain Calzati (FRA)
Dario Cioni (ITA)
Steve Cummings (GBR)
Russell Downing (GBR)
Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP)
Chris Froome (GBR)
Simon Gerrans (AUS)
Matthew Hayman (AUS)
Greg Henderson (NZL)
Peter Kennaugh (GBR)
Thomas Lövkvist (SWE)
Lars Petter Nordhaug (NOR)
Serge Pauwels (BEL)
Nicolas Portal (FRA)
Morris Possoni (ITA)
Ian Stannard (GBR)
Chris Sutton (AUS)
Geraint Thomas (GBR)
Davide Viganò (ITA)
Bradley Wiggins (GBR)

In the Garmin car at ToM. We discussed fashion and the appropriate time to use a Windsor knot.

It was with great sadness that I read today that Bradley Wiggins – someone who you had recognized as raw talent – was leaving Garmin-Transitions and joining Team Sky with a four year contract. I know how disappointed you must be to have a potential Tour de France champion leave the team. All is not lost. Christian Vande Velde can still be a threat for the podium at the Tour, and you yourself have mentioned David Zabriskie could have a breakout year. And let’s be honest, Team Sky paid you a bundle to get Wiggo out of his remaining year – that’s a lot of cash for POM-martinis. However one piece of the equation is still missing – another Englishman.

Me and my BFF

Taking a page from Fat Cyclist, I am proposing you bring me onto the Garmin-Transitions team. On the surface you might have some reservations. Yes, I’m a hair over 40 and perhaps past my ‘prime’. And yes, technically I have dual citizenship with Ireland due to my father. However, my mother is British and all I need to do fill out a British citizenship form, pay 460 pounds and before you know it I’m singing God save the Queen. With my move to South Carolina I have been able to get in great training miles and I’m getting good sensations in my legs. But I can bring more to the table than just cycling skills. Let’s face it, you need someone on the team that ‘gets’ Zabriskie. I’m that guy. I understand his love of comics and can match him with his random movie quotes. Let’s not forget David Millar. Dave and I got on famously a few years back, putting back a few cold ones and discussing our love of Underworld. While I don’t quite have the accent that Dave has, after a few months of hanging out I’ll develop an outrageous British accent that will finally make my parents proud.

And just like Wiggins, I also look dapper in a scarf

Sure Wiggins was fourth at the Tour, but he was a PR nightmare! He was a deer in headlights whenever the camera was turned on him and then there’s those drunken Tweets sent out after a few Guinness (well I can’t 100% guarantee no drunken Tweets). I’m a natural when it comes to speaking on camera and can drone on forever about myself, the team or how fabulous POM is to drink after a race. Finally, I’m a big deal on Twitter, which as you know, is how all communication will be done. To further sweeten the pot I suggest we put a philanthropic angle to my arrival to the Garmin-Transition team. We need a cause that really tugs at the heart strings. The world needs a charity for children who have never felt the joy of an Egyptian silk shirt with pearl buttons against their skin or even the sheer pleasure of owning an ascot, never mind even wearing one. And instead of a charity wrist band we could get scarfs and cummerbunds designed with our charity’s hand stitched logo. You and I have spoken in the past of the importance of fashion. How can you let the children of today become the Old Navy wearers of tomorrow? Is that a world you want to live in? I know I don’t.

Your public relations person has all my people’s information so lets talk soon and iron out the details. And remember, we’re not doing this for me or for you, but for the children.

]]> http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/an-open-letter-to-jonathan-vaughters/feed/ 8 http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/garmin-transitions-statement-on-wiggins/ http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/garmin-transitions-statement-on-wiggins/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:20:08 +0000 BrowneEyeMedia http://neilbrowne.com/2009/12/garmin-transitions-statement-on-wiggins/ Bradley Wiggins will not be racing for Team Garmin-Transitions in 2010. Although we understand his strong desire to be a part of the UK’s first-ever Pro Tour team, we would have loved to continue with him through 2010. His departure is not the outcome we hoped for. That said, Team Garmin-Transitions has an incredible group of riders assembled for the season. As always, we have worked hard to build a team that will be competitive throughout the year. The team features Christian Vande Velde who was 8th overall in the 2009 Tour after significant injuries; including five broken vertebrae; sprint sensation Tyler Farrar, David Zabriskie, David Millar, Dan Martin and other outstanding athletes that we’re fortunate to work with. In addition to the great new talent we have signed including Johan Van Summeren and Jack Bobridge, we have renewed our partnership with Garmin and added Transitions and POM Wonderful to our family of sponsors. And we’ve expanded our sports science program to include some of the best sports scientists in the world. We will continue to give our fans many reasons to cheer in 2010 and we look forward to exciting racing in the months to come.

“We are pleased to add a rider of Ivan’s caliber and experience to our successful squad,” said Joannou. “Ivan is a formidable sprinter and has won stages at the biggest races in North America, including the Amgen Tour of California, the Tour of Missouri, and the Tour de Georgia.”

Dominguez, a native of Cuba who was granted US citizenship earlier this year, raced with Rock Racing this past season after a brief stint in Europe with ProTour team Fuji-Servetto. Since turning pro in 2000, Dominguez has ridden with the top teams in North American road racing including the Saturn Cycling Team, Health Net presented by Maxxis, and Toyota-United.

“Signing with Jamis/Sutter Home is really special for me,” said Dominguez. “I have the opportunity to ride with the #1 team in the NRC and I’m reunited with former teammates Sebastian Alexandre and Luis Amaran.” Alexandre, now Jamis/Sutter Home’s Directeur Sportif, rode with Dominguez on the predecessor Colavita/Bolla Men’s Cycling Team in 2004. Amaran, #10 in the NRC’s men’s standings, was a member of the Cuban National Team with Dominguez in the late 1990s.

“Ivan’s strength and speed will be a great addition to the team,” said Alexandre. “I look forward to having him on board when we start our 2010 season in January at the UCI 2.1 Tour de San Luis in Argentina.”

Dominguez is rumored to be leaving Rock for Jamis/Sutter Home Photo: Courtesy of Rock

Reading between the lines on Ivan Dominguez’s own Facebook page, he is not riding with Rock in the 2010 season and is joining Team Jamis/Sutter Home. This is an interesting move, if true, with Rahsaan Bahati leaving Rock and starting his own squad, Dominguez was to be Rock’s go to guy in the field sprint. If Dominguez does go to Jamis/Sutter Home he will have to share sprinting duties with Sebastian Haedo, younger brother of JJ Haedo. Dominguez is stating that he’ll announce something tomorrow.

Photo taken after our first contract meeting

I’ve got more top secret news to throw into the rider transfer rumor-mill mix. Rahsaan Bahati is going to announce news tomorrow regarding the formation of a new team. Currently I’m embroiled in some intense negotiations with Bahati for my signature on a pro contract for 2010. However, there are a few sticking points. Currently I’m asking for a million dollars a year base salary, plus performance bonus, which is pretty standard for a rider of my caliber. Also, I’m demanding that Bahati stop Twittering as @fakeneilroad and to transfer those following the fake neilroad to the official @neilroad Twitter. Because I value the opinions of my twitter- and blog-verse, I have created this poll to weigh in on my situation. Vote on the poll and let me know what my next move should be.

UPDATE

Cruz is headed to Rock Racing in 2010

I just had an email exchange with Tony Cruz of BMC and he confirmed he’s  riding for Rock in 2010. Cruz is another rider with European experience and proved his worth in the 2005 Giro when he was a teammate to Paolo Savoldelli, that year’s overall winner. Since then he’s been the consummate teammate on every team he’s been a member of. New riders and new equipment, Rock is pulling out all the stops for 2010.

Landis wondering how he'll look in R&R jeans?

My sources tell me that Floyd Landis will be racing for Rock next year. The Rock team is to be registered in Mexico with the long-tern goal of being the first Mexican registered ProTour team. Rock has had a limited European and South American campaign in 2009 and to make that ProTour dream a reality, team owner Michael Ball might be thinking of protracted trips out of the country. Landis has that experience and the harder races overseas would suit him better. It’s an interesting combination of independent thinker, “telling it like it is” Landis and the very hands-on team owner Ball. Very interesting… Looks like Fred Rodriguez, Victor Hugo Pena, Ivan Dominguez and Oscar Sevilla are back as well. Maybe 2010 is going to be a good year for jeans?

BMC is going to have more than one American national champion on the squad if my sources continue to be correct. John Murphy, reining American criterium champ from team OUCH, is going to be riding for BMC. This seems like a smart move for him as he’ll be learning about the Classics from the the masters: George Hincapie and Allessandro Ballan. That’s not to say Murphy has no experience on the pave. As a member of the National U-23 team, Murphy has raced the cobbles of Belgium before. I hope BMC has the patience to bring Murphy along like Garmin did with Farrar.

This was news late last night when I was told, however other on-line cycling sites have now started to post that Alberto Contador looks to be going to the Spanish team Caisse d’ Epargne. I’ll take it a step further by saying my Spanish conection said he will. Either that or I really need to improve my conversational Spanish. This is another move that makes sense. It’s a Spanish team with the sole purpose of having Contador repeat at the Tour. There won’t be any drama with Vinokourov about who’s leading the team and Caisse d’ Epargne needs a G.C leader that isn’t banned from one country and may be soon banned from others. With Valverde out of the picture that could free up some payroll money for Contador.

While there has been no announcement about the Tour de Georgia for 2010, they have a spot on the UCI calendar, so who knows what could happen? Sure it’s a long shot, but think about how cool the American calendar could be. In April racers compete in the Tour de Georgia, then Tour of Battenkill (April 29th and May 2nd ), from there go to Southern California for a series of short stage races that are in the works. A drive north to Nevada City for the start of the Amgen Tour of California which starts May 16th.

With still a couple of months to go before the start of the 2010 racing season, it’s already looking to be interesting.

Talk about the obvious happening. Basso is not returning to CSC. It’s like dumping your girlfriend the night before prom and then trying to get her back the folowing day. Good luck with that! If I was a betting man I’d say Ivan is headed to Discovery. Basso would have Levi, George, and Tommy D backing him up at the Tour. Discovery needs a Tour winner and Basso could be that guy.