Returning for a second year as a member of the MGUCI's Continental Tour is Tryg - Ritter Sports, formerly Tryg Insurance Cycling Team. Following a successful first season, which saw the team score a handful of victories to finish 11th in the overall standings the decision was made to bring on a second title sponsor: German chocolate manufacturer Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co, known best for their Ritter Sports brand.
Despite the introduction of a new backer, nothing has changed from Tryg's previously established multiannual dedication to the development of a new generation of Danish cycling talents. Although the 2019 season showed that the compiled squad could compete with the best that the CT division had to offer, the sponsors have insisted on maintaining their developmental requirements. As such, going into the 2020 season and beyond, Tryg - Ritter Sports hopes to become a household name when it comes to developing the MGUCI's greatest stars.
History: 2019 Season
Establishing a new team from the ground up, rather than merely taking over a pre-existing one, meant signing an entire squad in a single transfer season. Weeks of meticulous scouting meant that many of the incoming cohorts greatest talents had been identified. Tryg was quick to pounce on their targets, quickly bringing future greats such as Jonas Vingegaard, Max Kanter, and Niklas Larsen into the fold. Although the likes of Marc Hirschi and Tadej Pogacar went elsewhere, the majority of Danish and German talents joined the Tryg family.
That wasn't all however; as talented as they may be, the neo-pros weren't ready to lead the team, and instead more regional talent was brought in from free agency. Local stage racer Magnus Cort Nielsen, Norwegian puncheur Daniel Hoelgaard, and Belgian Nikolas Maes formed the core of the team's leadership. Genki Yamamoto and 2019 Chilean RR Champ Wolfgang Burmann also joined to support Cort Nielsen. Together, they formed a squad which saw great success in the hills and cobbles; Cort Nielsen also did well to pick up points in stage races, despite the lacklustre performances of his supporting cast.
Primary Title Sponsor: TryghedsGruppen
TryghedsGruppen are the primary shareholder of Tryg Forsikring, the largest Danish insurance company. They also own interests in Falck Healthcare and SATS, a Nordic fitness chain. The membership of TryghedsGruppen is formed primarily from policyholders with Tryg Forsikring or alternative Danish insurance broker Alka.
This is the second year of TryghedsGruppen's three-year sponsorship deal, which has been dedicated to the development of Danish cycling. As an insurance broker, it is only natural that TryghedsGruppen would ensure the sport's continued growth in the country. However, the relegation of Carlsberg - Danske Bank from the ProContinental Tour, and the disappearance of several other Danish title sponsors might mean that TryghedsGruppen will demand greater things from the team if they are to renew their contract come 2022.
Secondary Title Sponsor: Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co
Founded in 1912 by Alfred Ritter, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co are the company behind the Ritter Sports brand of chocolate, which will appear on the Tryg - Ritter Sports jerseys through the 2020 season. Since then they have grown into an internationally recognised brand, sold all across the globe. With TryghedsGruppen reluctant to commit more resources, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co were brought onboard to finance the team as it balances a commitment to talent development and competitive results.
Although they have primarily dedicated themselves to investing in the arts, Ritter Sports has taken this opportunity to expand their community outreach to sports as well. As a business they are committed to sustainable development through routine investment in the future, knowing well how that can pay dividends. As such, they have bought in to the Tryg philosophy of domestic talent development aimed at future success. In order to achieve this they have signed on for the next two years.
Focus Regions
With the addition of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co, Tryg - Ritter Sports will be looking to build upon their already established squad of young riders. Primarily this will involve Danish and German riders, with the new sponsor increasing the emphasis on the latter.
It is difficult to determine the exact composition of any incoming talent while information on what members of the initial cohort have been retained is yet to be released. Despite this, with a large amount of riders from the sponsor's primary markets unlikely to depart, and suspecting the relatively diminished strength of this year's prospects it is uncertain that as heavy an investment will be made in Denmark or Germany.
Instead, the team might look to bring in riders in internationally as part of a corporate social responsibility measure by Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. The sponsor is dedicated to ensuring that it acquires it cocoa in a sustainable manner, and as part of that duty they seek to invest in the regions they source from: Nicaragua, Peru, and Ghana. Peru has the most cycling pedigree of the three, while Nicaragua is the primary beneficiary of the reinvestment initiative. Should the scouts sent there uncover any local talents, it wouldn't be surprising to see them signing for us.
That being said, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co aren't the only ones with interests outside the domestic sphere. TryghedsGruppen, primarily through Tryg Forsikring, also have large markets in the rest of the Nordic sphere, most significantly Norway and Sweden. Although the latter has come up somewhat short in recent years, there are still plenty of potential riders who might arrive from these countries.
Provide a pathway to the ProTour for Danish Talents
Ongoing
Offer West African riders European opportunities
Complete
Offer Central American riders European opportunities
Ongoing
A host of future stars currently ply their trade with Tryg - Ritter Sport. This was the greatest desire of the title sponsor in the previous season, and they now look forward to the continued growth of these riders within the Tryg programme. It is the mission of TryghedsGruppen to ensure a pathway for young Danish cyclists from the local amateur scene into fully professional outfits in the ProTour. Newly introduced sponsors, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co, have expanded this focus to include granting the opportunity for promising riders from West Africa and Central America.
Leadership:
Continue to work with Cort Nielsen
Complete
Sign a leader from Germany
Complete
Reduce reliance on foreign stars
Incomplete
Make a push for promotion
Complete
It was in the group of riders brought in to fight for victories that Tryg perhaps suffered last year. TryghedsGruppen did not set any significant expectations, only asking that a single Danish leader be signed by the team. The management duly complied, however foreign riders were necessary for the remainder. This year, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co has increased pressure for German leadership, with TryghedsGruppen also advising against more foreign stars after the failure of Yamamoto.
Financial:
Invest in Cort Nielsen's development
Complete
Spend significantly on scouting new talent
Complete
Limit wages for riders outside target regions
Partially Fulfilled
The introduction of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co has resulted in an influx of money into the rebranded Tryg - Ritter Sport team. Nonetheless, there is still a heavy emphasis on local investment, with many funds earmarked for domestic riders, be they German or Danish. TryghedsGruppen remains the primary contributer, and as such they now expect that their star, Cort Nielsen, will be have no expense spared on him.
This would mark the first time that the Tryg management encountered the joy of the renewal process, and with the MGUCI mandating one-year contracts everything and anything was on the cards. Despite this, the goals were relatively straightfoward - fitting into the three year plan originally agreed to with TryghedsGruppen. The team would look to carry on with talent development, while still holding on to the pieces which had led them to successes in the 2019 season. Extensive research had gone in to find allegorous negotiations to those that the team faced, and strict limits had been set out for what certain riders would be offered, with the vast majority of the team intended to be kept.
As the saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. Although the two primary considerations of the management were fine, the leadership and talents both accepted reasonable paycuts, administrative errors caused problems elsewhere. The secretary in charge of maintaining contact with those riders who management were not fully sold on but intended to delay negotiations with failed to inform the said riders that they were still a part of the plans, and instead told them that they weren't being offered contracts. Obviously these riders did as they well should and began looking elsewhere for offers. Not the biggest disaster, but still an unneeded frustration.
The Departures
There were a total of seven departures from last year's squad of twenty, including three loan-ins returning to their home team. The remaining four all suffered as a result of our clerical error, a mistake that we will hopefully be able to rectify at some later point. Included amongst them was stagiare Magnus Bak Klaris, who was unfortunate enough to not be initially considered for a full-time contract this season. Elsewise it was Genki Yamamoto, Wolfgang Burmann, and draft-pick Kristian Aasvold, who wouldn't be a part of the initial Tryg - Ritter squad. We'd like to thank them all for their services.
To be completely fair, none of these riders were likely to continue with Tryg - Ritter, even without the interference of idiocy. Genki Yamamoto was signed for a not insignificant sum last year, and his performances failed to live up to the expectations that his transfer fee had set. Perhaps the team might have made a return on this investment, had they found a suitable buyer, but it is quite possibly more fair to allow the man his best chances in free agency. Similarly, Burmann's role in supporting Cort Nielsen's efforts in the climbs was deemed surplus to requirements with the Dane doing fine on his own. With the arrival of a new South American team on the scene, perhaps the former Chilean RR Champion will find a better home there.
Post-Renewals Squad
Retained [13]:
Rider
2020 Wage
Difference
Availability
Magnus Cort Nielsen
€160,000
-€100,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Daniel Hoelgaard
€135,000
-€50,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Nikolas Maes
€80,000
-€10,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Jonas Vingegaard
€50,000
-€30,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Niklas Larsen
€50,000
-€20,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
El Mehdi Chokri
€50,000
-€15,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Max Kanter
€50,000
-€10,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Georg Zimmerman
€50,000
-€5,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Mikkel Honore
€50,000
±€0
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Casper Pedersen
€50,000
±€0
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Mathias Norsgaard
€50,000
±€0
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Didier Munyaneza
€50,000
+€40,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Torjus Sleen
€50,000
+€40,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Formerly Loaned In [3]:
Rider
2020 Wage
Difference
Availability
Hannes Bergstrom Frisk
€0
±€0
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Jannik Steimle
€0
±€0
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Muhammad Abdurrahman
€0
±€0
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Released [4]:
Rider
2020 Wage
Difference
Availability
Genki Yamamoto
€0
-€50,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Wolfgang Burmann
€0
-€50,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Magnus Bak Klaris
€0
-€10,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Kristian Aasvold
€0
±€0
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Totals:
20 riders
€875,000
-€260,000
⬤⬤⬤⬤
Where to From Here?
Going into the transfer window Tryg - Ritter Sport appear to be in a relatively strong position. They've kept a hold of their leading trio and even managed to reduce wages across the board while doing so. Almost all of the talents have also returned for a second season, this time on minimum wage; better yet, presuming another go at the Tour de l'Avenir just two of them will need to find loans at the PCT level (⬤⬤⬤⬤). The glaring weaknesses come on the flat, with Yamamoto leaving there is nobody to lead the team in sprints, and Norsgaard is a couple years away from being a TT leader. Furthermore, Maes has continued to decline and might not reach the heights he managed in 2019.
There are a number of interesting transfer targets on the market this season. The obvious No. 1 for any Danish team has to be Mads Pedersen, although competition for his signature is expected to be fierce. Also up for consideration are the empty timetrialist and sprinter positions, which might be filled by one of the various German and Danish riders who have been unleashed into the open market. Alternatively, a deal might be made with another team. Along the vein of focusing on target markets the team will be looking to offload those who don't fit into that demographic - although not afraid to hold onto them if no good offers come in. Finally there are the respective Danish and German neo-pro classes to consider, with plenty of talents for the scouts to pursue. With a decent amount of cap space, and spots to fill, this will be an interesting transfer season for Tryg - Ritter Sport.
With the first transfer deals being confirmed, and a whole host of free agents being signed from the market, Tryg - Ritter Sport have been right in the thick of it. There have been three signings from free agency, and two riders whose teams have agreed to transfers. Those who followed Tryg during last year's transfers might be surprised by some of the names now on the books. Only one of the five riders is a neo-pro, this same rider is incedently the only Dane signed so far, joined by a single German and three riders from outside the team's primary regions.
Avid supporters may well be asking what happened, and the answer is simple: an opportunity was spotted. The previous year's wise investment into the next generation of Danish and German talent meant that Tryg had a host of prospects on minimum wages attracting the eyes of high-spending professional teams. That, combined with the solid scoring of Tryg's leading trio, convinced the management of the tenability of an immediate promotion push. Rapid discussion with sponsors ensued, and a plan was worked out whereby the scouting staff would prioritise cyclists who could lead the team in the Continental Tour for both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, so as to guard against any potential failures. To this end a multitude of decently high-profile signings have been made.
Sindre Skjostad Lunke joins us from Aker - MOT, where he has spent the past few seasons riding as a domestique for the great Rein Taaramäe. He is a rider very much in the vein of Magnus Cort Nielsen, who he will likely be sharing leadership duties with throughout the season. Impressive on the mountains and quick to recover, the addition of being capable on the TT bike means that we will be expecting good things from him in this year's stage races. Unfortunately the arrival of Lunke meant the departure of Niklas Larsen and Jonas Vingegaard; two young men blessed with talent. The management wishes them the best as they continue on in their journey to greatness, and believes that Aker - MOT will have the resources necessary to continue their development. The pair won't be alone however, as they are joined by a third Dane: Casper Pedersen, although his stay will only be temporary.
Andris Smirnovs, 30, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 65,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
74.59
68
77
56
74
69
67
68
72
78
78
70
56
Another signing from the ProTour, Smirnovs spent the 2019 season attacking the hills in support of Latvia's golden boy, Tom Skujins. Older than Hoelgaard, and weaker than him on the longer slopes, Smirnovs is likely to be spending another season working for another cyclist. That being said, he is more than capable of striking out on his own, and his aggressive nature will force other teams wary of Tryg's newly formed double threat. At thirty, Smirnovs is in his prime, and if he continues to accept the impressively low wage he is currently on, he may well spend most of it with the team. He joined the team for a cash deal of just €325,000.
Alexander Krieger, 29, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 70,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
74.87
58
62
55
71
74
75
63
79
79
62
68
55
Joining us from the wilderness of free agency is Alexander Krieger, the German sprinter formerly of OMV Petrov - albania.al having been forced to seek greener pastures after his former team went defunct. Krieger will step into the role abdicated by Genki Yamamoto, fighting for stage wins and the green jersey in stage races, and leading the team in the mandatory C2HC flat races. Krieger did a terrific job for OMV Petrov in their final season, managing to find himself a handful of podiums as well as a victory in Le Tour de Langkawi; he ended the season in the Top 30 of the CT Individual Rankings. If he can repeat that performance, then the management will be very happy.
Bjorn Tore Hoem, 29, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 50,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
73.40
77
72
67
74
69
74
53
58
62
61
72
67
Bjorn Tore Hoem is our second signing from free agency. Hoem spent the 2019 season riding for Sauber Petronas but could not agree a satisfactory deal with the ProContinental team. The Norwegian is a strong climber, capable of grinding his way up inclines with astonishing power. He does, however, lack somewhat in punch, and often struggles to stick with attacks; additionally his timetrailling is mediocre at best. Fortunately for Hoem, he will be riding in a supporting role for the duo of Cort Nielsen and Lunke, protecting them as the gradient increases, and chasing down any attacks. The management also fully believes that he will be able to score some points of his own on the side.
Frederik Rodenberg, 22, 1.00 XP, Wage: € 60,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
67.68
60
61
63
67
70
61
59
70
71
63
63
66
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
75.34
60
64
64
70
77
73
59
79
79
63
64
74
The departue of Niklas Larsen was inarguably a loss for the team's future, but signed in his place is another young Danish sprinter, Frederik Rodenberg. Rodenberg is talented in all the same areas as Larsen, most notably their capabilities in a bunched sprint. What made Larsen stand out was also his pace in short prologues, incidentally this is also an area in which Rodenberg excels, although not to the extent of his peer. Instead Rodenberg has gained some repute for the length of his sprint, being able to maintain his maximum pace for not inconsiderable lengths of time. The only talent signed by Tryg so far, and the only Dane, but what a superstar he will be in the future.
Future Expectations
It's fair to say that Tryg - Ritter Sport has been quite successful in the opening volleys of the transfer window. In just a few days they have managed to secure a stage racer, a sprinter, two superdomestiques, and a future star. All this while retaining a fair proportion of their budget. The departure of Jonas Vingegaard and Niklas Larsen as well as the imminent sale of El Mehdi Chokri are all saddening in that these riders will no longer be part of the Tryg family which welcomed them into the MGUCI peleton, but they are also happy occassions in that they will go on to do great things for their new teams while their departure opens up opportunities for other talented young riders.
Having secured so much in the way of leadership, fans of Tryg - Ritter Sport shouldn't be expecting any more headline signings. Instead the focus is likely to shift to acquiring another class of talents and balancing the books to fit within the MGUCI's financial regulations. There is still quite a bit of activity going on in free agency that the management are not at liberty to disclose but with any luck a few more riders from focus regions will be joining the squad. Unfortunately, balancing the books will mean more riders departing, with the most likely pair being Didier Munyaneza and Torjus Sleen, who remain transferlisted. Aside from that, the possibility of a replacement for Nikolas Maes being signed is still open, although it appears unlikely at this point.
The 2020 transfer window is coming to a close, and with it the opportunity to sign or cut riders fromt the various squads that are licensed by the MGUCI. Although they have not been quite as prolific as in the first part, Tryg - Ritter Sport have made some changes since the last update was released by the team. Fortunately enough, with no more moves planned the management time was found to draft another press release.
In direct contrast to the earlier trends, the latter part of Tryg - Ritter Sport's transfer window was almost solely focused on securing the signature of various talents. Although not all of the plans were executed as the management had intended; missing out on Norman Vahtra, who understandably wasn't interested in discussing terms with the team which had screwed up his contract last season, and Mikkel Bjerg, who chose more lucrative offers from foreign teams over the opportunity to ride for his homeland. Instead, two different signings were made from free agency, a Luxembourger was brought in on loan, and a series of stagiaires were lined up to join the team in August.
The Signings
Andreas Kron, 22, 1.00 XP, Wage: € 100,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
69.12
64
70
65
69
70
66
64
64
66
67
68
64
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
75.69
68
79
66
77
74
70
64
67
74
74
71
65
Andreas Kron is one of the biggest talents of Denmark's 1998 class, and also one of the biggest puncheur talents of the 1998 class in general. After several days of stressful negotiations we are very happy to announce that he signed on to ride with us for the 2020 season, and hopefully beyond. Although he won't be capable of much beyond domestique duties and the occassional breakaway for now, the coaching staff fully expect that he will develop into a world class puncheur, even prior to any further investment in his training. Alongside Mikkel Honore, Kron will form the core of our hills squad in the future.
Aksel Nommela, 26, 3.26 XP, Wage: € 50,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
71.20
57
66
58
67
69
62
70
74
74
68
66
65
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
74.98
57
67
58
70
70
72
73
78
78
68
67
65
With Niklas Larsen permanently departed from the team, and both Max Kanter and Casper Pedersen heading out on loan, Aksel Nommela was brought in as a leadout for Alexander Krieger. The 26-year-old Estonian still possesses the potential to develop further as a rider, with the coaching staff expecting him to become a decently powerful sprinter on the cobblestones. Not necessarily a future star, and a late bloomer, but a man with potential for many fruitful years riding under the Tryg - Ritter Sport banner.
Kristjan Johanson, 23, 1.50 XP, Wage: € 10,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
68.62
72
68
54
63
63
59
52
62
66
55
76
54
73.63
79
69
54
65
68
62
52
62
70
58
78
54
Our second Estonian signing of the window, Kristjan Johanson is a future mountain goat. Johanson has a remarkably light frame, which allows him to fly up inclines with ease. He also posseses remarkable confidence when descending, and just as he flies up he can also fly down. Unfortunately, what Johanson has in confidence for descending he lacks in confidence in his own abilties; the young climber refuses to set off on his own, preferring the company of others. Nonetheless, he will grow into a powerful mountain domestique, or possibly a leader in his own right.
Frank Awuku, 23, 1.00 XP, Wage: € 10,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
69.23
65
68
66
67
71
70
67
70
71
67
64
64
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
75.00
65
69
66
72
72
82
70
77
78
67
64
64
Frank Awuku comes from a nation with everything but cycling prestige; with the backing of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co we intend to see him develop into someone that will inspire his compatriots to follow in his footsteps. Awuku's strength lies in his ability to attack in the final few hundred metres before the line, finding a gear higher than his opponents. That is not the young man's only facet though. On the far left of the preceding image, Awuku has also shown himself capable of using his punch to attack inclines, and years spent riding the rough roads of his native nation has lead us to suspect he might also be able to manage himself over the comparatively easy cobbles of Europe. One for the future certainly.
Rasmus Iversen, 23, 1.00 XP, Wage: € 10,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
66.38
62
63
68
65
66
65
65
62
64
65
64
68
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
72.24
69
68
75
70
71
72
65
62
65
66
64
75
Rasmus Iversen's greatest asset is his ability on a TT bike. While this is currently rather limited, and only really considerable when compared to others his age, he has the potential to grow into a useful component in a TTT set up. Although he currently struggles when it comes to bumps in the road, and often falls off the back on even the easiest of mountains, the coaching staff believe this young Dane can be trained to make it over the mountains. This will see him become a helpful stage race domestique in the future.
Anthon Charmig, 22, 1.00 XP, Wage: € 10,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
66.24
67
65
61
65
68
62
60
61
66
67
64
62
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
73.14
76
73
62
68
72
69
60
61
73
75
65
63
The team will be joined by two additional Danes come August, the first was Iversen, and the second is this man, Anthon Charmig. Charmig is the next in a long line of Danish climbers of some pedigree, notably Magnus Cort Nielsen, in support of whom the Dane will ride. Charmig may well never reach the heights of Cort Nielsen, instead likely to evolve into either a strong domestique or otherwise a stage-hunter or polka dot wearer. The management tend to favour the latter, with their eyes on those riders coming through the junior ranks currently.
Michel Ries, 22, 1.00 XP, Wage: € 50,000
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
67.08
68
66
61
68
67
66
58
61
66
67
69
61
Joining us on loan from EA Vesuvio in an exchange for Max Kanter is the young Luxembourgish Michel Ries. Although there aren't currently any plans for a long term future for the rider with us at Tryg - Ritter Sport, we are still committed to his development. He is a welcome, albeit temporary, addition to the Tryg family. Discussions between the respective coaching staff of EA Vesuvio and Tryg - Ritter Sport have indicated that they desire Ries to develop his climbing abilties, so expect to see him on the mountains often.
Take good care of Awuku please Very glad to see someone pick up Johanson!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
knockout wrote:
Lunke and Smirnovs is a nice duo to add in CT. I hope Smirnovs will bring you joy after 5 years with Evonik. Take good care of him
We're very happy to welcome Smirnovs onto the team, although it is yet to be seen whether it will be him or Hoelgaard leading us on the shorter climbs. Hopefully the pair gel well and both find themselves in strong scoring positions.
Nemolito wrote:
Some nice signings, Rodenberg as your future Krieger Looking forward to racing against you this season!
Rodenberg a future Krieger, and a replacement for Larsen. Nice to see you going a somewhat similar path as me last season, signing a star Belgian cobbler. Hopefully Maes still has what it takes to compete against the likes of Baugnies.
jandal7 wrote:
Take good care of Awuku please Very glad to see someone pick up Johanson!
We'll take very good care of our young Ghanaian, hopefully he'll manage to score us a NC jersey for next season.
redordead wrote:
The flat stat is clearly unimportant for this team
Some very nice signings, a push for promotion seems likely
Hey, flat is plenty important -- nearly got us our first win in our first race. Just a bit difficult to fit into the format. Promotion is the goal, so fingers crossed we sneak it.
This is such a nice HQ. Beautifully done! And that's only regarding lay-out. Those racers are impressive as well. Looking forward on how you'll keep telling this story
The final event of the transfer window is the Continental Tour draft, introduced in 2018 it provides a final opportunity for CT teams to expand their squads to tackle the expanded calendar. Tryg's participation in the 2019 draft was not the most successful, with both picks being talented young Norwegians. Of the pair, Kristian Aasvold was not offered a contract during the off-season whilst Torjus Sleen was sent to the transfer list almost immediately. Although Sleen did survive to the end of the window, staying with the team to continue his development, fans were hoping for a more fruitful selection this time round.
Magnus Bak Klaris, 24, 1.28 XP, Wage: € 0
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
67.53
61
65
64
66
68
64
68
64
66
60
64
64
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
75.69
61
70
64
71
71
67
75
64
66
65
65
64
Steven Kalf, 25, 3.98 XP, Wage: € 0
OVL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
70.15
58
65
65
72
71
68
71
70
69
64
67
67
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
73.29
58
66
65
76
74
70
75
73
70
65
67
67
Once more Tryg - Ritter Sport have had an apparent focus on youth in the 2020 CT Draft. Klaris spent last season with Tryg as a stagiaire, and despite not showing enough progress for a full-time contract, he was considered to possess great enough potential to spend a full year with us, just on an allowance from the MGUCI. Joining him as Tryg - Ritter's #2 draft pick is Steven Kalf, who was dropped by Fablok after a mediocre season last year. This pair will both develop into strong cobblers, just waiting for a leader to replace Maes.
Post-Transfers Squad
Nikolas Maes
Daniel Hoelgaard
Magnus Cort Nielsen
Sindre Skjostad Lunke
Mikkel Honore
Bjorn Tore Hoem
Mathias Norsgaard
Torjus Sleen
Andreas Kron
Michel Ries [Loanee]
Frederik Rodenberg
Andris Smirnovs
Magnus Bak Klaris
Steven Kalf
Alexander Krieger
Aksel Nommela
Georg Zimmerman
Stagiaires
Rasmus Iversen
Frank Awuku
Anthon Charmig
Kristjan Johanson
Loaned Out
Casper Pedersen
Max Kanter
Stage Racers 56 RDs across 13 Races
M. Cort Nielsen
72
78
74
72
76
75
74
60
54
71
65
64
72
27
Sindre S. Lunke
69
78
72
73
76
74
78
58
60
64
68
69
76
27
Bjorn Tore Hoem
67
77
72
67
74
69
74
53
58
62
61
72
67
29
Georg Zimmerman
67
73
70
61
75
75
73
52
60
68
66
72
61
23
Kristjan Johanson
63
72
68
54
63
63
59
52
62
66
55
76
54
23
Torjus Sleen
68
67
68
69
66
69
69
60
63
68
70
64
67
23
Michel Ries
68
68
66
61
68
67
66
58
61
66
67
69
61
22
Anthon Charmig
66
67
65
61
65
68
62
60
61
66
67
64
62
22
Of the three terrains that we targetted last season it was the mountainous classics and stage races (here combined into a single category) which we scored the least in. The decision was made to significantly strengthen this area of the squad with the signings of Lunke and Hoem and investment in the training of Cort Nielsen. Already having broken into the Continental Tour's Top 30, and scoring a handful of stage wins, Cort Nielsen's improvement should enable him to compete at a similar level in 2020. Lunke is also of similar or greater quality than Cort Nielsen was last year, he will have to compete with the Dane for leadership in a number of races. If our two leaders can cooperate well together and make the best of the support that Hoem, a step up from Burmann, can offer, then fully expect them both to be launching the team towards a promotion season.
Puncheurs 37 RDs across 13 Races
Daniel Hoelgaard
72
74
77
65
72
72
72
62
68
74
73
69
65
27
Andris Smirnovs
68
68
77
56
74
69
67
68
72
78
78
70
56
30
Mikkel Honore
69
64
72
65
71
71
68
67
65
71
68
69
65
23
Andreas Kron
70
64
70
65
69
70
66
64
64
66
67
68
64
22
It was a breakout year in 2019 for Daniel Hoelgaard, after decent but not amazing results for Team Cerveceria Costa Rica he produced a duo of dominant performances at Rio Vista Chinesa and Grands Prix Cyclistes. An influx of stronger puncheurs and a shift away from routes that favoured his capabilities on longer climbs might mean that such performances become less sparse this season but the team will be hoping he can repeat his 7th place in the Continental Tour's Individual Rankings. To help him with that arrive Smirnovs, who might even have an opportunity to lead for himself where cobblestones mix with hills.
Sprinters 28 RDs across 11 Races
Alexander Krieger
71
58
62
55
71
74
75
63
79
79
62
68
55
29
Aksel Nommela
68
57
66
58
67
69
62
70
74
74
68
66
65
26
Frederik Rodenberg
67
60
61
63
67
70
61
59
70
71
63
63
66
22
Frank Awuku
66
65
68
66
67
71
70
67
70
71
67
64
64
23
The departure of Yamamoto opened up an opportunity for a true sprinter to be signed, stepping into that hole is Alexander Krieger. The young German should be a step-up from the Japanese rider, who is now spending his time as a leadout in one of Tryg - Ritter's Continental Tour competitors. Similarly to last year, Krieger won't have any strong idea of a sprint-train, which may well limit his scoring potential. Despite that, Nommela might be able to protect him in the last few kilometres, and if he picks the right wheel he might repeat his Top 30 Continental Tour standings from last season.
Cobblers 27 RDs across 13 Races
Nikolas Maes
78
54
65
62
76
71
67
77
60
64
70
60
62
34
Steven Kalf
69
58
65
65
72
71
68
71
70
69
64
67
67
25
Magnus Bak Klaris
68
61
65
64
66
68
64
68
64
66
60
64
64
24
After having spent quite a bit securing a decent cobbles squad last season, a decision was made to shift the focus away from the terrain. This proved to be a prudential decision, as a multitude of other squads began their own heavy investment in the area. Nikolas Maes did put in some strong performances last season, especially in higher category races. Despite his decline, he is being offered similar opportunities this season, which provides younger talents more avenues for development. Not as powerful as 2019, but hopefully still strong enough to secure the sponsor's goals in Burkina Faso.
Time Trials 2 RDs across 1 Race
Mathias Norsgaard
71
60
64
75
66
71
62
62
57
65
56
59
73
23
Rasmus Iversen
69
62
63
68
65
66
65
65
62
64
65
64
68
23
The weakest area of the team by far is when we are racing against the clock. Exclusively stocked with young talent, we aren't expecting much of anything in Lithuania this season. Instead, the focus will be on supporting Lunke and Cort Nielsen in stage races that possess a TTT.
Overall 150 RDs across 51 races
The management are very happy with the outcome of the 2020 Transfer Window. The new signings fit very well into the set up of the team, although they might have been better off with a timetriallist and a replacement for Maes. Instead we have transitioned into a team heavily focused on stage races. This is obviously centred on Lunke and Cort Nielsen, who will lead the team with the support of Norsgaard and Hoem. If the new signing score as they are expected to, and the training of Cort Nielsen enables him to increase his results even slightly, the management truly believe that they will be challenging for promotion by the end of this season.