Against all odds and predictions, Carlsberg - Danske Bank have finished the 2017 MG in 16th place in the CT position, with 2040 points. This puts them well ahead of the relegation zone, securing their spot in the PCT again next year. We have neglected giving them media attention this year do to budget cuts in the cycling department, but it seems Carlsberg didn't need it to thrive.
Despite lacking a true leader, Carlsberg managed to score in most areas. Leading the way was Danish puncheur Christopher Juul-Jensen, who adjusted to returning to a home team by doing his best 2015 Marc De Maar impression. Juul-Maar, as his manager affectionately calls him, performed well above expectations to finish 21st overall, with 595 points. In addition, Davide Appollonio, an Italian sprinter singed in free agency this past offseason, had a phenomenal first half of the season, winning several stages and staying in the mix when some thought he would be outclassed. He finished the year 367 points, also above expectations. Andre Steensen also capped a surprisingly good season, Marc Christian Garby, while not quite up to the level of the top PCT climbers, managed to leave his mark on several races throughout the year.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses though. Juul-Jensen and Appollonio cooled off as the season wore on, and the points intake slowed down with them. Alberto Contador did not find his legs the entire year, scoring only 70 points despite receiving constant leadership and support. Likewise, Frederik Nolf had one of the best cobbles teams in the division backing him, but never made it past the minor placings.
Despite this, contributions from domestiques and a constant presence in breakaways on all terrains allowed Carlsberg to continue racking up enough points to sustain their position mid-table. Of course, riders always know they can be better, but with a top 20 goal this year, the Danish squad definitely succeeded in what they set out to do.
News of their survival came with more good news on the sponsor front. After threatening to pull sponsorship at several points in the last few years, both Carlsberg and Danske Bank have agreed to two year contracts to continue sponsorship of the team they helped found in 2014. Rumor has it Carlsberg does have an opt out if the team relegates this coming season, but we cannot confirm those reports. Either way, with sponsor security in hand, management has a lot more options going into the offseason.
Team Manager baseballlover312 held an end of the year press conference yesterday:
"It was a great year. maybe some teams wouldn't say so based on a 16th place finish, but with our place as a promoting team without a large budget, I think we really overachieved what most people thought we could do. A few guys really stepped up this year to earn their place, and we recognize that. I've spoken with several guys privacy to let them know they've secured a place going forward. Seeing the young guns contributing was a joy to see too. Moving forward we have a lot of options. Obviously, we are pleased with our results this year, but we are looking to improve in every sense moving forward, and there will be a lot of trimming to do with our squad to make sure we can do that next season. Having Carlsberg and Danske Bank back on board, who have been with us since the beginning, is a real vote of confidence, and we're going to use it to the best of our ability. The offseason is soon upon us. But for now, the guys deserve a little relaxation and some fun at NC's.
We will have much more coming on Carlsberg's results and future in the coming days. Stay tuned for more in depth coverage, and remember to check out our front page in the Carlsberg Team HQ page on our website for full results from the year.
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Congrats on a good season even though I have to admit that it hurt a bit seeing my plan B Juul-Jensen outperform Gautier consistently.
Still I'm happy you survived!
Appo and Juul-Jensen really got some surprise results this season and was a key to your great season, will be interesting too see what your plan is in the transfer season and also what Role AKA will have now that he is home again
Edited by viking90 on 05-05-2018 16:45
At the beginning of this year, Carlsberg manager baseballlover312 outlined the goals given by the sponsors for this season. Today, we take a look back at the how these played out throughout the season
1
PCT Team Standings
Top 20 - Success
2
GP Herning
Win - Failed
3
Stage Wins in a Season
10 - Success
4
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Top 5 - Failed
5
Post Danmark Rundt
Stage Win - Failed
First, the team wished to finish in the top 20 of the PCT standings. Affectively, this meant avoid relegation with one spot in hand. This was a massive success! The team finished 16th and was never really in danger to slip into relegation spots throughout the year.
Next, the win goal was GP Herning. As a home race that embodies the team's long time cobbled focus, this made sense as a goal. unfortunately, the cobbles squad underperformed throughout the year, and leader Frederik Nolf ended up in 8th place as the best finisher, far below what was hoped.
The next goal was a strange one - top 5 in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. This was a PTHC race and a strange one to make a goal out of for a newly promoting PCT team. That showed in the results. The goal was failed, and the team didn't even secure any noteworthy minor placings.
Team Manager baseballlover312 spoke to us briefly about sponsor goals:
"Obviously, it's always important to keep our sponsors happy. They have been with us since the beginning, and their constant support for our team and Danish cycling must be reciprocated with results. Obviously, we only compelte 2/5, mostly due to some failure on the cobbles, but we accomplished the season long goals, and I think our sponsors will recognize that fact. I'm proud of what we accomplished this year."
Overall, it was a successful year for the Danish squad, who managed to avoid relegation while putting together plenty of good results on all terrains. The amount of Danish flags on the list will also keep the fans and sponsors very happy. Full team palmares can be viewed below and always on our website.
*Noteworthy results are considered - top 5 in a stage, top 10 in a classic or GC, top 3 in another classification, or top 5 in those classifications for GT's.*
At the end of this season, our analysts here at Sporting News got an insider interview with the scouting department at Carlsberg - Danske Bank. Today, we can report on what they found out about the progress of their several young talents.
Asbjørn Kragh Andersen
Sprinter - 4 > Max - Age 25 - Pot. 5
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
2017
75
52
64
65
69
72
77
53
78
75
60
61
73
2018
77
52
64
65
70
74
78
53
80
77
60
61
75
AKA has been with Carlsberg since their inception in 2014. After years of development and working at Spotify this year on loan, he seems to finally be fully developed. Kragh Andersen is a classic sprinter, with a great top speed. he is a diesel on the flat, and uses his engine to end up in perfect position coming down towards the line. He does lack a very quick acceleration though, so he relies on picking a good wheel and not jumping too late in order to get results. One would assume that with Davide Appollonio's emergence this year, AKA will get secondary sprint leadership this year, but transfers could go in any direction. Either way, ti seems AKA has finally reached his full potential.
Niklas Eg
Stage Racer - 1 >3 - Age 22 - Pot. 3
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
2017
66
70
68
69
71
69
68
59
60
67
66
65
67
2018
66
73
69
71
73
71
71
59
60
67
66
65
69
Eg is an interesting talent. After being loaned to Wiggle in the CT division this past year, he raced his heart out, seemingly going through two years of development in one by racing hard throughout the year in breakaways and as a domestique. he followed it up with a 17th place in the Tour de l'Avenir, where he showcased his climbing and time trialing abilities. Those are is strengths, and he figures to be a solid lower tier stage racer in his prime. He lacks a bit on the short hills, and that might be a focus point of his training in the future, depending on the direction team trainers go with his instruction. This year was a very big step for him.
Kasper Asgreen
Puncheur - 1 >2 - Age 22 - Pot. 4
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
2017
66
61
69
67
67
65
64
55
63
67
68
65
67
2018
66
61
70
67
68
66
64
55
63
68
69
65
67
The final of our loan outs from this season, Asgreen spent the year at World Cycling Centre, developing his skills and helping their leaders claim the CT division title! Asgreen was in a lot of break throughout the year and enjoys animating the race. His main skills lie in short hills, but he prides himself on being a fairly all around rider that just likes to attack and help out. He doesn't look to be a true leader later in his career, but will still be a valuable addition to the Danish lineup.
Aviv Yechezkel
Cobbles - 1 > 2 - Age 23 - Pot. 3
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
2017
68
55
62
64
66
68
68
70
60
72
69
69
64
2018
69
55
62
64
67
68
68
71
60
72
69
69
64
The only non-Dane on our list today, Yechezkel is a bit of a project for the development team at Carlsberg. He did not get a loan, which meant that he had to race on the PCT circuit this year, and while he clearly progressed, it wasn't by as much as he possibly could have. He also seems to develop slowly in general, and at 23 is only just beginning to rise in caliber. He doesn't project to be a leader, but the team believes they have a top flight cobbles rider in the Israeli who could be a main lieutenant for their leader in a few years. Only time will tell, but he's on his way.
Mathias Krigbaum
Fighter - 1 > 2 - Age 23 - Pot. 3
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
2017
73
65
68
68
69
69
67
62
65
63
69
69
67
2018
74
65
68
69
70
70
68
62
65
63
69
69
68
Finally, Mathias Krigbaum rounds out the current prospect queue for Carlsberg. A complete diesel on the flat, Krigbaum is the epitome of a fighter. He attacks and attacks when he's given free reign, and is a powerhouse for his teammates when they call on him for his help. At his peak, he could have one of the premier engines in the peloton. Already this year he managed to win stage 8 of the Tour of America from a tough breakaway, and podiumed on a later stage as well. If he continues that, he will be very valuable despite not projecting to have superior skill in any of the main disciplines. He does have a bit of talent on the time trial bike, but it is yet to be seen whether they will divert training attention o foster that talent at the risk of losing power potential on the flats.
Overall, Carlsberg are more stacked with young talents then every before, and are sure to be active for more in the upcoming transfer season. While none of them project to be world beaters, they will all be important pieces of the squad in a few years time.
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Sorry I forgot to respond to these before. Had already been working on the next post and lost track.
Atlantius wrote:
Congrats on a good season even though I have to admit that it hurt a bit seeing my plan B Juul-Jensen outperform Gautier consistently.
Still I'm happy you survived!
Thanks for the well wishes. Honestly, there's no way your team should be relegating before mine. Gautier and Lo Cicero are far better than Juul-Jensen and Appollonio, and it just didn't play out that way. I send my deepest commiserations to you and your team. I'm sure with a little bit of a reboot you'll be right back up here. Interested to see how it works out for you!
viking90 wrote:
Appo and Juul-Jensen really got some surprise results this season and was a key to your great season, will be interesting too see what your plan is in the transfer season and also what Role AKA will have now that he is home again
They really carried the team well beyond expectations. Juul-Jensen was picked up in the hope of being a PCT version of De Maar skill wise, so I had a feeling he could possibly over perform with his acceleration. Not that I was counting on it, but I hoped. Appollonio on the other hand was a complete surprise. I thought he would be a guy for hopefully consistent top 10's, and instead he won four stages. Couldn't have asked for more.
As for AKA, thanks again for taking him in and maxing him out! It was great to see him on Spotify throughout the year. As for his role, I'm a bit torn. Obviously his acceleration will limit his ability as a main sprinter in PCT. He can lead in secondary races of course, much like Bertilsson this year, and maybe that will breed success. A lot of it depends on what happens in transfers, and those goals are still very up in the air for me. Appo has certainly earned a spot on the team, that's for sure. AKA will be an important piece no matter what though.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Quite cool talents all-round actually, Eg is a really nice Dane, Asgreen is a rider I envy a lot because I still believe one day that he, Kanepejs and Lilovski will be united on the same team (<3) and Krigbaum has a high flat stat so is awesome by default.
trekbmc wrote:
Cool to see AKA maxing, love high flat sprinters!
Quite cool talents all-round actually, Eg is a really nice Dane, Asgreen is a rider I envy a lot because I still believe one day that he, Kanepejs and Lilovski will be united on the same team (<3) and Krigbaum has a high flat stat so is awesome by default.
Yeah, it's truly awesome to see AKA maxing. Brought him in myself and it took four seasons since I didn't have a 1-3 start (should have planned for it seeing as I was 24th that year in CT anyway, but I was stupid). So seeing him fully maxed is awesome. And his flat really makes him a weapon for sure. His acceleration is what holds him back, so we'll see how it goes.
As far as the other guys, it's just nice to have some talent in the queue, especially Danish talent. I've missed out on all the big guns the last few years (SKA, Wurtz, Pederson as you well know ), so it's nice to at least have a bunch of solid domestiques to move forward with. As far as Asgreen though, I haven't said these guys are completely unavailable. Since we're out of transfers that's all I'll say for now. But keep an eye out for my availability post after NC's.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
After some long anticipated weeks, the MG renewals period is finally completed for another year. With their history, we figured Carlsberg - Dankse Bank's renewals would be interested, and boy were they.
As always, we'll start with the retirements, and there were plenty. The biggest by far for the cycling world was that of Tom Boonen, who at the age of 38 has finally decided to step away from the sport that he dominated at times in the preceding decades. Boonen's retirement was not in question, as he made it clear last season was going to be his last, and he no longer had individual ambitions, as shown by his relative anonymity throughout the season.. Still, the first MG season without Tommeke will certainly be strange!
However, the biggest retirement for Carlsberg specifically has to be that of Alex Rasmussen. The Danish sprinter has been with Carlsberg since their inception in 2014, and was their leading scorer that year. He was a key part of their long transition from CT bottom dweller into a mid tier PCT squad. He never could make it over a hill, but often, he didn't need to, and with burst of speed being among the best in the division and a knack for finding the best wheel, "Razzie" became an underdog champion and a fan favorite.
Unfortunately, every rider sees their talent start to slip eventually, and for a guy as one dimensional as Rasmussen, it can happen sooner rather than later. At the age of 34, Rasmussen's negotiations with the term were short, and they reached a mutual agreement to part ways for the good of both sides, under the implication Rasmussen will retire unless a Scandinavian CT team should want him as a road captain this year, which seems unlikely. Team manager baseballlover312 commented on the situation.
"Going through renewals this year was insanely difficult. Razzie came to me early and told me that last year had been pretty difficult for him. He was happy we made PCT but felt as if he was starting to be left behind by the more youthful peloton. He was still a great road captain and leadout rider for us, so I hoped he would bounce back, but as we sat to hammer out a contract, he said the opposite.
Razzie has been with us since the very beginning. He signed with us when it seemed like no one else would, and didn't flake on his home country project even as we sat in the basement of the lowest division around. When people have counted him out because of hills or lack of top speed, he's found a way to prove them wrong. Razzie is the epitome of what this team is about. He embodies it, and will be missed. If indeed he decides not to sign for this coming season, he definitely has a job waiting for him in one of our team cars!"
Another retirement is German puncheur Stefan Schumacher, who has had a long and successful career. He came out for retirement late last transfer season looking for another shot at glory. It didn't quite work out that way, as he wasn't noteworthy for most of the year results wise, though he did do a great job helping Juul-Jensen to his career year.
Three more potential retirements come from some others, the biggest being Alberto Contador. El Pistolero signed with Carlsberg to be their main GC leader last season, but simply could never find even a hint of form, and ended up being surpassed by homegrown talent Marc Christian Garby by the end of the year. A team very well may be willing to take a flyer on the legend, hoping his climbing legs are feeling better again next year, but in any case, he certainly won't be making the $200k he made last year, and demanded again despite his underperformance.
Another rider who may be retiring is Wei Cheng Lee. As recently as two weeks ago, he won the Taiwanese NC's. Apparently the Carlsberg manager sees that as a fluke against a weak field. His skills have clearly diminished, and that's not great for a guy that's strength has always been being a multidisciplinary domestique. He had two solid year with Carlsberg, but it seems he'll be heading home now, either to retirement or to help a lower level Asian team.
Finally, former Valio "bull of the year" Chris Anker Sørensen has severed ties with the team that coveted his services for so many years. They finally got them, and then he laid a fat egg when it mattered most, constantly being dropped when lesser domestiques like Schoffmann and Ebsen were still there fighting with their leaders. The drive may have still been there, but the ability definitely wasn't, so he's gone.
Other riders let go for free agency include Jose Mendes, who came over from Indosat last year and claimed one stage to his name. Carlsberg reportedly wanted him back, but he was not willing to take the pay cut they insisted. Christian Cominelli is also gone, likely as a result of the failure of the cobbles squad last season, which was his only real role. Finally, Christian Bertilsson has elected for free agency. Team manager baseballlover312 wanted to comment on what transpired.
"What happened with Christian is unfortunate because he was a solid piece for us last year as a leadout rider and secondary sprinter, taking a stage for us in the Tour of America. That being said, he was signed for 50k last season. This year, he comes out of the gate demanding over 3 times that! Obviously we agreed that he deserved a raise, but when you reject almost twice your current wage after scoring 55 points in the damn season, sorry. We can't have that kind of selfishness on our team. Frankly, we'd rather roll with what we have. He can try free agency."
With all those riders leaving, that still leaves the team with 22 riders heading into the transfer period.
Among rider who stayed, Matti Breschel takes the largest pay cut to $85k from $155k, as his skills showed clear decline in the past year. Rumor is he may be looking to go down to CT. Frederik Nolf gets the next biggest pay cut of $60k to $200k after a disappointing season. Rumor is he may be on the move too. Other riders surprisingly willing to take paycuts were Marc Christian Garby and Davide Appollonio, both who had fairly successful seasons, but take wage cuts of $20,000 each.
The biggest winner of renewals by far is Asbjørn Kragh Andersen, who now makes 3x his former salary! bbl312 spoke about this contract.
"AKA has been with us since the beginning, and since that beginning, he was repeatedly taken less to stay with the team rather than trying to move to a bigger budget squad through free agency. Now, he gets his pay day. We think he's shaped into a sprinter that can win races for us, so we're paying him like one. That being said, he knows he has to perform now, no excuses. He has to earn that contract, or he won't be making it next year. Hopefully he's up to the challenge, cause we believe in him."
It's likely that the AKA situation made it easier to cut ties with Bertilsson, who as we reported, was demanding similar money.
Obviously, not all of these riders will be riding in a Carlsberg jersey next year just because they've been renewed. Transfers are going to be crazy in the Carlsberg HQ. We'll keep you updated with the rumor mill as news breaks. Until then, we access the landscape and wait for the frenzy!
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
Edited by baseballlover312 on 16-07-2018 16:44
Carlsberg have never been big sellers in the transfer season. Even selling sprinter Mitch Docker last year turned out to be an insanely difficult task, with him going for the minimum in the final days of the window. This year though, Carlsberg reportedly have a few guys they are willing to sell, including some leaders who are very likely to leave.
Per our team sources and rider agents, we've constructed a list that shows the potential availability of the riders. This just means they are available for the right offer, not that they will be sold. Although we list the likelihood, our sources tell us that almost everyone outside of a couple of names could go for the right price. That price might just be higher for some guys.
When asked about availability and his own targets, team manager baseballlover312 had this to say to our reporters:
"We don't have as much wage cap as last year, but we also have a solid core that emerged last season and effectively kept us mid tier. Don't let that fool you though, we will not be sitting ducks and miss out on big leaders again like we did last season. The chances of repeat performances from JJ and Appo are unlikely, and we know that. Just ask Marc. His 2016 wasn't nearly that of his 2015, even though he still rode great. We will not accept relegation this year, so improving is a must. Cobbles is a discipline we put a lot of work into last year to no avail. Nolf signed a team friendly extension in order to potentially move on to another suitor, so that's known, but most of our guys know their job isn't 100% secure. We're gonna do what we have to in order to improve our squad in disciplines like cobbles and stage racing where we underperformed last season. We always value loyalty and commitment on this team, but we also will do what we must to stay afloat. Everything is on the table."
The transfer season will start soon, so fans and opposing managers alike will likely be scouting the landscape of other team's rosters, planning out their moves in anticipation of the frantic 10 days ahead of them. As always, we'll be right here reporting on the goings of it all.
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
Edited by baseballlover312 on 13-07-2018 17:42
The transfer season is over, and Carlsberg has had quite the roster shake up, although they did not accomplish all of their goals, and look se to fight relegation again. In any case, the team also sold more riders than ever before, so we give a quick look at the riders who left the team this transfer season, before we move on to new arrivals.
Team manager baseballlover312 also spoke on the departures.
John Kronborg Ebsen - Climber - 2014-2017
John Kronborg Ebsen was a founding member of the Carlsberg squad in 2014. The Dane was their top climber that year, even if that now sounds ridiculous. He's been an attacker every step of the way, winning the 2014 Danish Championships from a breakaway, and wearing his national jersey for the 2015 season. After 4 years on the team, he was traded to Adastra - Argon 18, where he will ride in the CT division for the 2018 season.
"John came to us early in the transfer season and said that he would be requesting a transfer to CT. It was not due to hard feelings, but simply logistics. As he past 20 year of age, he felt he would rather compete in CT than feel overmatched in PCT. It was very tough to see him go, no question, but we respected his wishes, and when an offer arose, we took it. He's a standup guy and an amazing teammate, and we'll miss him here. We wish him best of luck this season!"
Matti Breschel - Cobbles - 2017
As a cobbles focused Danish team, Matti Breschel was on the radar of Carlsberg for years before they finally signed him from free agency last season. However, the cobbles duo of Nolf and Breschel did not live up to expectations. His only notable result came in his 9th place in Lincoln GP, shown above. After just one season at Carlsberg, with his skills declining at the age of 34, he moves down to CT to battle hard for one last shot of glory at Compal - Merida.
"Obviously Matti is a Danish hero, and we loved having him, but frankly, he wasn't living up to expectations in PCT last year, and at 34, he isn't getting any younger. Hopefully he'll have a chance to get results for another year in CT. We needed a revamp and Compal needed Breschel. Win/win."
David Veilleux - Puncheur - 2016-2017
Veilleux was a late pickup for Carlsberg's 2016 promotion campaign, helping Marc De Maar on the hills and often finding himself in the minor placings. Last season, he was also a key part of Juul-Jensen's success in PCT. However, like Ebsen and Breschel, Veilleux's skillset is more apt for the CT division, and with several young riders in the wings, Carlsberg sent him in a package with Ludvig Lundberg to Telia-Brussels Airlines mid way through the transfer season.
"David has been a favorite rider of mine for a very long time. I just loved his story and what he's brought to the table for us. However, with Jesper Hansen's emergence last year, and our wage cap being spent on a lot of young talents, we felt moving him was the right move at this junction. With his skillset, hopefully that won't come back to bite us! I know he and JJ really gelled well out there."
Ludvig Lundberg - Climber - 2016-2017
Finally, Carlsberg also sent Lundberg to Telia in the package with Veilleux. Lundberg was a key climbing domestique in 2016 for Marc Christian Garby, but with Carlsberg effectively abandoning climbing this season, his role became expendable. His highlights include several GC top 10's in 2016 when Garby failed, as well as 3rd in the Volta a Portgual KOM last season.
"We liked Ludvig, but once we failed to grab a GC leader this transfer season, it became apparent that his role as a mountain goat wasn't really necessary for our success. When the opportunity to trade him to a Swedish CT team arose, I think both sides agreed that it was the best plan moving forward. We wish him the best of luck this season as he rides for a home nation team!"
Surprisingly, Frederik Nolf was not one of the riders sold this transfer season. Though it was management's intent to sell him in order to obtain a GC riders this transfer season, such a sale seemed impossible, and the two sides reconciled. He will still be riding in green and blue this coming season.
Of course, with these departures, also came new arrivals to Carlsberg, but these will be touched on in our next segment. Stay tuned for more updates!
Although a few riders left Carlsberg during the 2018 transfer a few also joined the squad, including some big names that are sure to beef up the squad as they hope to steer clear of relegation once again.
Pieter Vanspeybrouck - $400,000 - From: Bennelong
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fgt
Dwn
Pro
76
66
71
62
78
71
72
82
67
69
74
79
62
Pieter Vanspeybrouck is one of the top cobbled riders in the world, no doubt about it, although he has bounced around the past couple of years, and has not really had a full team of support around him most of his career. The Belgian finished 5th in Ronde van Vlaanderen last season, and has shown this level of talent for years. As Carlsberg sought a new cobbles leader, he comes in from from Bennelong - Mitchelton on a transfer fee of 1.15 million. Shockingly however, he also managed to convince team management to keep his friend and compatriot Freferik Nolf on the team, the very man he was supposed to replace. He now leads a fearsome Carlsberg trio across the pave of the division this coming season.
Ramon Sinkeldam - $115,000 - From: eBuddy
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fgt
Dwn
Pro
74
65
75
64
74
70
68
77
68
68
75
74
64
The second piece added to the Carlsberg cobbles setup is Ramon Sinkeldam. The first Dutch rider for Carlsberg since Joost Van Leijen in 2014, it's easy to look at Sinkeldam as the third fiddle with Nolf and VSB above him, but this isn't necessarily the case. His proficiency in hills makes him the ideal candidate to score in mixed terrain classics, and his versatility means that he can be used as a foil where other teams lack depth. It wouldn't be surprising to see him capitalize on this to score. Together, He, VSB and Nolf will have their eyes set on dominating cobbles in the PCT division.
Thomas Vedel Kvist - $80,000 - From: Spotify (FA)
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fgt
Dwn
Pro
75
62
65
64
74
75
80
71
77
78
75
73
64
Released by what is now Volvo this past renewal season, Kvist decided to return home to Denmark on a discount of just 80,000 this year. Carlsberg have been linked to Kvist for a long time - they were reportedly close to landing him in their inaugural season of 2014, but didn't have the budget to pull it off. Finally, they have what they've longed for. Kvist is a flat powerhouse that can sprint well, loves to attack, and has no gripes with little rest in between. This will be perfect for coming to the aid of Appo and Kragh Andersen, or attacking on his own for results. Oh and yeah, he isn't too shabby on the cobblestones either!
Jasper Stuyven - $70,000 - From: Lierse
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fgt
Dwn
Pro
70
63
77
58
75
67
68
62
66
74
79
69
58
Carlsberg is a Danish team, but they've undoubtedly gotten more invested in the Benelux region this year, as Jasper Stuyven also joined the team on a late transfer from Lierse - Pizza Ullo, for only the minimum fee of 70,000! With several puncher domestiques being shown the door over renewals and the transfer season, manager baseballlover312 felt it was necessary to replace them with a top lieutenant for Christopher Juul-Jensen. He gets just that in Stuyven - a great puncher who loves to attack and has a solid kick that will really complement but not overshadow JJ this year, as he looks to maintain his shocking scoring of last year.
Gaëtan Pons - $50,000 - From: (FA)
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Did I say Benelux? I meant it. For the first time, Carlsberg has a rider from all 3 Benelux nations. Pons was a late addition, as he found himself without a job just a couple of days from the end of the signing window. His versatility caught the eye of management though, and he was able to get himself a ride. Pons effectively replaces David Veilleux, with a better sprint. At only 26, Pons is a puncher/sprinter hybrid, excelling on tough days that shed the sprinters, but don't cause much selection among the favorites. In this way, he hopes to score minor points throughout the year while also helping JJ. And of course, he's not all that bad at holding his own on the cobbles, so if pitches are steep on the stones, he'll have a role too.
Team manager baseballlover312 spoke on the new arrivals:
"Obviously, we had a plan to upgrade our cobbles team and get a GC rider going into this transfer season. We definitely did the first, although we clearly didn't do the second. It was disappointing to see these plans go awry, but we also acknowledge that we've made the best of it here. I talked with Fred and he's fully on board with our plans and has no ill feelings. I'm very excited to add Pieter and Ramon to the fold and really push it on the cobbles. Hopefully it doesn't turn out like 2014 though. Thomas is an amazingly versatile Dane that we've loved for a long, long time. A few grand more in our original budget and he might be a 5 year vet of our team by now. Regardless, he'll be instrumental on multiple terrains this year. Jasper and Gaeten will also be awesome pieces for us. They have interesting skill sets that should aid JJ while not being pack fodder themselves. Excited for the upcoming season.
In addition, the Danish squad welcomes 24 year old Time Trialist Mads Würtz on loan from PT team Grieg - Eftel, as well as young Rasmus Tiller from Volvo, who excels at, you guessed it, cobbles. Looking forward to an amazing year with them on board!
Of course, these weren't the only arrivals in Carlsberg's camp this year. They also added two Danish talents on full time contracts, as well as 3 stagiares, to add to their already growing list of talents from last season. There's plenty of youth on the horizon! However, these additions will be covered in full in our third article in the transfer wrap-up, so stay tuned
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
Edited by baseballlover312 on 31-07-2018 04:59
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Your signings definitely make for a cool team! Vanspeybrouck should obviously be a great one, but I also think Sinkeldam could prove a great points scorer. Especially as Vanspeybrouck will be the favourites for all cobble races, hopefully making Sinkeldam sit with him deep in the finales.
Good luck this season! Hopefully your cobble campaign and some trickery from Juul-Jensen will see you stay clear from the danger zone and avoid relegation
ember wrote:
Your signings definitely make for a cool team! Vanspeybrouck should obviously be a great one, but I also think Sinkeldam could prove a great points scorer. Especially as Vanspeybrouck will be the favourites for all cobble races, hopefully making Sinkeldam sit with him deep in the finales.
Good luck this season! Hopefully your cobble campaign and some trickery from Juul-Jensen will see you stay clear from the danger zone and avoid relegation
Thanks for the kinds words. Your plan here is certainl the hope! If our cobbles team fails again this year, I think we have little chance to stay up. We've obviously made a huge investment there, and I expect Juul-Jensen and Appo to drop off considerably, so even with AKA joining the fray, cobbles are gonna be make or break I think!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Really Jealous that you picked up Stuyven for the minimum, when I saw him up for transfer i wanted to pick him up so bad but I just didn't have the space.
Your cobbles squad is going to monsterous this year, I wouldn't expect you to relegate as I've definitely seen worse teams than yours. That said, the 1 dimensional aspect with just focusing on cobbles may break you if you get super unlucky.
Really rooting for you this year as you have a ton of riders I really like, but dont expect my sprinters to go easy on AKA and Appoliano
Really liked the signing of Sinkeldam, if I were not to spend every penny on training I would definetly give you a fight about him
I´m glad you took Vanspeysbroeck out of PT but not so happy that you have Wildcard to Vlaanderen and Roubaix
Take good care of Tiller, please and former Spotify Veteran Vedel Kvist!
maxime86 wrote:
Really Jealous that you picked up Stuyven for the minimum, when I saw him up for transfer i wanted to pick him up so bad but I just didn't have the space.
Your cobbles squad is going to monsterous this year, I wouldn't expect you to relegate as I've definitely seen worse teams than yours. That said, the 1 dimensional aspect with just focusing on cobbles may break you if you get super unlucky.
Really rooting for you this year as you have a ton of riders I really like, but dont expect my sprinters to go easy on AKA and Appoliano
Stuyven really fell into my hands and was a pretty happy accident. his skillset meshes well with JJ, so he should be a big help on the hills.
Hopefully we score enough cobbles points to make it worth it, cause JJ certainly it's going to be a top 25 scorer again!
And I wouldn't worry too much about my sprinters. Their job is to scrounge up some points when they can. Not expecting to compete with the best.
viking90 wrote:
Really liked the signing of Sinkeldam, if I were not to spend every penny on training I would definetly give you a fight about him
I´m glad you took Vanspeysbroeck out of PT but not so happy that you have Wildcard to Vlaanderen and Roubaix
Take good care of Tiller, please and former Spotify Veteran Vedel Kvist!
I love Sinkledam. Needed a guy to help on the hills for cobbles and really complete the 3 headed monster, and I think he's the perfect fit. originally he was gonna be the 2nd guy, but can't complain about having him as the third either! Plus he's more versatile. With this squad, I couldn't pass up those wildcards!
Tiller will be well taken care of, and Kvist will surely have a ton of fun racing at home!
Yellow Jersey wrote:
That cobblestone depth.. I feel some managers shaking more than the riders when they go through them
I have a feeling PCM AI will aid them, and of course I don't even have the best cobbler in PCT this year, but yeah. I'm hoping for some fun team domination at points!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Finally, we come to another important part of Carlsberg's transfer season - one that will define the team's future. This year, several of Carlsberg's talents from last year's window who we loaned out have come back to the team. Asbjørn Kragh Andersen returned to the team fully developed, or at least seemingly so. Niklas Eg and Kasper Asgreen also return. Aviv Yechezkel, on the other hand, heads down to CT to develop with out friends at Valio - Delaval.
Of course, the team have also signed several new talents for the upcoming year!
Jonas Gregaard - $50,000 - Climber - Pot. 5
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Jonas is their most highly touted talent of the transfer season, and definitely the biggest out of Denmark this year. The 22 year old from Herlev is a great climber who can hang with the best on long, steady climbs. In the future, they hope he can become a top mountain goat for them, with potentially even the opportunity to lead. His mold is very similar to Garby, and hopefully he'll have as much success! This season, he'll ride for ENI - MOL in CT on loan to get some experience, so thank you to them!
Patrick Olesen - $50,000 - Climber/Puncher - Pot. 4
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Patrick Olesen is a guy Carlsberg have been after for a while, but weren't able to land until now. At 24 years old, he is a bit over age for a talent, as he is no longer l'Avenir eligible. However, we still think he's too valuable not to add to the fold. The Dane rode for the now defunct Red Bull in 2016, and then for Indosat as a stagiare last season. However, he was released each time, and lack of race days has meant his development has stalled. Luckily, Carlsberg have signed him to a full contract, and believe they can fix that. Eventually, he looks to be a very solid climber/puncher hybrid that would make an awesome domestique for GC guys.
Erik Nordsaeter Resell - $10,000 - Cobbler - Pot. 4
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While the two full signings were climbers, Resell, the team's first stagiares of the year, focuses on the cobbles. The Norwegian is very solid on the flat as well and is good at responding to attacks. Scouts don't have him panned as a future leader, but his role in the cobbled classics will no doubt be instrumental in the success said leaders for years to come.
Arturs Belevics - $10,000 - Time Trialist - Pot. 6
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Despite the immense betrayal of being passed on by Evonik out of juniors, Latvian Arturs Belevics has happily for a home as a stagiares for Carlsberg this year. It's very clear that his skill mostly lies in the time trials, where he really excels. In fact, our scouts project that he will eventually be better than every time trialist currently on the team's roster, which is pretty impressive! Additionally, he has a lot of power on the flats. between he and Krigbaum, Carlsberg's sprinters won't have to worry about being caught out of position for a long time!
Filip Bengsston - $10,000 - Sprinter - Pot. 4
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If you've been following the MG for a while, the team's final stagiare should be very familiar to you. Bengsston was a stagiare for Carlsberg on the CT level in 2016 at 21, but was cut in the shuffle to fielding a PCT team. Last year, he was a stagiare for Netia. He is still yet to get a full contract, but at least he's not without a team this upcoming season. He's back in green and blue for now, although it remains to be seen what his future will be past this season. He has a pretty good kick, so hopefully for him, he can earn his spot!
Team manager baseballlover312 spoke about the talents:
"We are absolutely thrilled to have all these young guys joining the squad, either full time, prior to their loans, or as stagiares. Gregaard in particular is a guy we have been plans for, but for all of them, it's always really fun to see them develop. And of course, they're only adding to a talented group of young guys we already had in Kasper, Niklas, Mathias and Aviv. It's gonna super fun seeing them showcase for us in l'Avenir this year, and helping out the main squad as well! A few years down the line, you're looking at the core of our team!
With that, our features on Carlsberg transfer are just about done. We'll release our final overview and verdict on the roster tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Colombo Classic
Christopher Juul-Jensen
Gent-Wevelgem
Tour de Pologne - Stage 1
Strade Bianche
SAA Tour d'Afrique - Stage 2
Tour de Romandie - Stage 2
Corsica International - Stage 2
Tour of California - Stage 2
Marc De Maar
Berlin ProRace
Lincoln GP
Ringerike GP
Kenya Mountain Classic
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt - Stage 2
Volta a Portugal - Stage 6
Ludvig Lundberg
Japan Cup
Aviv Yechezkel 
Alberto Contador. El Pistolero signed with Carlsberg to be their main GC leader last season, but simply could never find even a hint of form, and ended up being surpassed by homegrown talent Marc Christian Garby by the end of the year. A team very well may be willing to take a flyer on the legend, hoping his climbing legs are feeling better again next year, but in any case, he certainly won't be making the $200k he made last year, and demanded again despite his underperformance.
Wei Cheng Lee. As recently as two weeks ago, he won the Taiwanese NC's. Apparently the Carlsberg manager sees that as a fluke against a weak field. His skills have clearly diminished, and that's not great for a guy that's strength has always been being a multidisciplinary domestique. He had two solid year with Carlsberg, but it seems he'll be heading home now, either to retirement or to help a lower level Asian team.
David
Ramon Sinkeldam - $115,000 - From: eBuddy
Gaëtan Pons - $50,000 - From: (FA)
Arturs Belevics - $10,000 - Time Trialist - Pot. 6
