While one of the season's highlights - the World Championships - are yet to be raced, we're now done with the National Championships. And we've taken plenty of great results there!
Before the NC races even started, Benedikt Mundle had already secured Liechtenstein's double NC title, given he was the tiny country's sole professional rider this year. Congrats to Benedikt - let's see which team he'll be showing his jersey for next year!
Our first riders actually involved in racing were the Italians. We didn't have any perfectly suited rider for the flat course, therefore Leo Basso tried his luck with an attack with 10km to go! He was caught with 1.5km to go and eventually finished 30th. Our best rider was Andrea Vendrame, who's on loan with Volvo, taking a great 8th place!
In the time trial, Fausto Masnada - on loan with Generali - got a nice Top 10 as well, taking 9th place. Let's see if we get a better suited course next year, but we can definitely be happy with those results this year!
Next came the Austrian NC. Only one rider starting for us - but for Hermann Pernsteiner, the hilly course obviously was the perfect terrain! And he indeed did a sensational job, fighting for the win until the line - finally taking 2nd place behind Konrad. Great result for Hermann - probably his best race all year, congratulations!
The time trial obviously wasn't as good, as he took 18th out of 21 riders. Still, a great season finale for him - or wasn't it the finale? Given his skills, it should be likely to see him again at the WC!
Next came the most important of all the NCs - the Swiss one! Given the flat course, it was very likely that a sprinter would win, and our best bet was Manuel Stocker. With Fabian Lienhard and Cyrille Thièry are decent sprinters as well, providing perfect support for Manuel. The main favorite was Aregger, however, given that Page didn't pariticipate.
We did indeed get a sprint, although it was a really messy one. Fabian Lienhard followed a late attack, perfectly preparing the terrain for Manuel Stocker - who went on to cross the line first! Congratulations to Manuel on the Swiss road race title!
In the time trial, there's currently obviously no way past Silvan Dillier. Nico Brüngger missed the podium by 30", taking 5th place - let's see if we can improve this result in the next years! But we got the most important NC title - definitely a success story! And one satisfying our sponsors, which is just as important!
Flat roads again in Germany, meaning a perfect terrain for Theo Reinhardt! However, the team support obviously was much less than in Switzerland, and the competition much stronger - although his 4th place is slightly disappointing, there's nothing wrong with this performance. It rounds off a fantastic season, where he was very consistent - well done, Theo!
No comment about the TT performances, though - as expected.
And sprinting was key in New Zealand as well - and the main question was if anyone would be able to beat King Bewley. The answer: Yes! A late attack caught him out, and so he "only" got bronze, with Tom Scully taking 5th - 3rd from the peloton. Good job!
The French championships were held on a hilly course - definitely not Thomas Boudat's speciality. Hence, our young sprinter who's on loan with cycleYorkshire only ranked 51st out of 56 professionals - meaning his 43rd place in the time trial actually was his stronger result. We'll wait for a flat parcours to see what he's really able to do!
The parcours was hilly as well for the Spanish road race - and surprisingly, our drafted sprinter Pedro Merino Criado finished on s.t. with the winner - but unsurprisingly wasn't able to fight for the top positions. His 19th place is still more than what we expected. The last place in the TT was however no surprise.
Hilly it was once again, as we move onto the Hungarian NC. Our stagiare sprinter talent Gergely Szarka was our sole participant - and like our Spanish sprinter, he finished inside the front group. The 7th place out of 10 starters definitely wasn't a bad result! In the time trial, he finished one place lower.
And last but not least, Issiaka Cissé, already Ivorian TT champion in the last couple of years, had maybe a once-in-a-lifetime chance of getting double championship. And he did it! He finished way ahead of his only competitor Sanogo in both the road and the time trial race, and therefore Issiaka Cissé will wear both NC jerseys next season! Whether for us or for another team is currently an open question - we'll see once transfers come!
So, in summary, our riders have won the following national championships:
Benedikt Mundle
RR + TT
Issiaka Cissé
RR + TT
Manuel Stocker
RR
Congratulations to those riders as well as to all others who did well in their NCs!
Let's see if we even get to see some of them in the World Championships - and nice holidays to all others!
bbl Exactly. Never good to fail your home race(s), but winning the Swiss NC definitely helped to gain back some credit
Although we had less young talents on the roster than last year, there were still six riders gaining enough experience to get a decisive next step in their development! For two of them, it's a two-year program finally yielding the desired effect, three more re-take a big step after already having developed nicely last year - and the team's sole full-time neo-professional took his first steps as well. Let's take a detailed look at their development paths, with current and planned further steps:
Fausto Masnada 4 -> Max (Stage Race)
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
2020
70
75
75
71
74
73
71
60
63
72
69
71
68
2021
71
77
76
73
76
75
73
60
63
73
69
71
70
Finally! After a PT loan wasn't possible due to his wage last year, we found a great deal with Generali this season, and Fausto did really well on the Italian team. He completes his stage racer development. Besides probably getting leadership in some smaller races, he'll be a very valuable domestique in both mountain and hilly races - and in stage races with team time trials he'll be a great asset, too! Welcome back, Fausto - may you show your full potential in PCT next year!
Andrea Vendrame 4 -> Max (Hills)
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
2020
71
61
74
58
73
72
72
60
70
73
66
67
70
2021
72
62
76
58
75
73
73
60
71
75
67
67
70
Having alread been out on loan last season, Andrea was riding for unfortunately disbanding team Volvo this year. As he finally comes back for good now, he's gotten even stronger in the hills, and besides being a helper for our puncheur leaders, we plan to give him some freedom for stage and KoM hunting in non-mountainous stage races. With his kick, he should be perfect for rather short, steep KoM sprints in those races. Welcome "home", Andrea!
Thomas Boudat 4 -> Max (Track-Sprint)
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
2020
71
51
68
62
70
72
77
58
77
76
62
66
76
2021
73
51
68
62
71
74
78
58
79
78
62
66
78
Just like Andrea, Thomas was already on loan last year. He then turned down our renewals offer - just to finally sign for exactly the wage we offered him nonetheless. After his PT loan to cycleYorkshire, he's now ready to become our specialist for flat races including a prologue/epilogue - as long as there are no bumpy roads, however. He didn't get many chances to shine on his 2020 team - he was e.g. tortured by sending him to the Giro - but we hope those experiences got him the required toughness for hard races!
Maximilian Walscheid 3 -> 4 (Track-Sprint)
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
2020
69
55
62
61
69
70
64
61
74
75
61
66
71
2021
71
55
63
62
70
72
72
61
77
77
61
67
73
Max
73
55
63
62
71
74
73
61
79
79
61
67
75
Max unfortunately didn't find a loan team last season, so it took him two seasons with us to reach the next level. Just like Thomas, he's a rider for flat stage races with a short time trial - and unfortunately, he doesn't like bumps any more than the Frenchman. He's still developing, so he'll certainly get his chances, but it's likely we'll have to release one of those two sprinters sooner or later. We'll see if Max will get a PT loan-out, or if we try to fully home-develop him by taking some risks. Next season, he should be the designated leadout for Boudat, if he stays on the team.
Gino Mäder 3 -> 4 (Stage Race)
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
2020
68
73
68
71
70
72
73
64
67
63
69
67
72
2021
69
75
70
73
72
74
75
64
67
64
70
67
74
Max
69
77
71
75
73
75
77
64
67
64
70
67
76
Gino mostly had a rather tough season. After some surprising results last year, he didn't get as much freedom this time around - but not least by taking a great 3rd place in Tour de l'Avenir he proved everyone that he still was able to reach the next level. Although he'll not become a superstar, he already is a very solid stage racer and should be a big help for either Fausto or our - yet to be signed - new leader. With his strong time trial skills, he's getting even more important for TTTs as well - and let's see if he can even attack the U25 standings next year. However, it isn't sure at all that he'll stay with us in 2021, as a PT loan-out would definitely favor his further development more - just like for Max Walscheid.
Stefan Bissegger 1 -> 3 (Track-TT, Stage Race)
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
2020
69
64
66
69
66
69
65
60
69
70
64
70
68
2021
71
66
67
73
69
73
68
60
70
71
64
70
72
Max
74
68
69
78
73
77
72
60
72
73
64
71
77
Figuring out a development path for our greatest talent was a hard piece of work. Finally - at least for his early career - we're going for the time trial path. But as you can see, it's not a pure TT development - given his strong track results, we decided to push his track abilities still a bit further, hence mixing a Track-TT education with some stage racing experience. That might sound weird, but as a result we get a good time trialist who won't lose contact on every tiny speed bump, by still somewhat building up on his good sprinting basics. We can't do everything, unfortunately - but we're sure that Stefan will be a very valuable rider in the near future. And he'll probably be the strongest Swiss time trialist in a not-too-far future!
That's all about our rider development work for the moment. We have to say that both our stagiaires did some good work as well, and chances are not too small they'll be in that list after the 2021 season as well!
Some interesting talents you got there. Obviously Masnada the one to watch next season, and looking forward to some possible training he might get in the future. Congratulations again on your five nc's, it will indeed be exciting to spot Stocker in the PCT peloton with his fancy jersey next season.
Nemolito wrote:
Some interesting talents you got there. Obviously Masnada the one to watch next season, and looking forward to some possible training he might get in the future.
Agreed! Big fan of your team, and definitely some targets on them with my new focus as well.
I guess we are back at the part of the year when these development posts are made and I can admire everyone else's talents in comparison to some of my own dross
Nemolito Thanks! Yeah, I guess Stocker will stay on the team, looking forward to seeing him in the jersey
Masnada will be a great allrounder next year, but I honestly don't know what kind of training would be best for him - especially given that Moscon is an even better training target
valverde I was not that enthusiastic when finding out about your new focus tbh, that will be really tough competition for Italian talents. And I guess Costagli will definitely not be riding for us now - but of course, still wish you all the best for next year
redordead Sure, I do have some nice talents, but "The next big thing" isn't really among them. Still pretty happy about what I've got now, but I think your "fully developed talents" aren't that bad, either
Abhishek Thanks again for the deals we had in 2019 - I remember some funny discussions about numbers back then
Masnada indeed looks pretty good, but I honestly don't have much of a clue about optimal planning for him...
Ollfardh Thanks for the development update. Obviously, I'm definitely hoping for Gamper to "come home" one day
And Fedeli had a very aggressive Giro, that was great to watch
Will be very fun to see Masnada maxed, and Mader is not far behind. I wouldn't worry too much about his results this year, as when he maxes the game will treat him as a completely different type of rider than it does now. Too early to worry imo.
Tough decision ahead about which young sprinter to sell/release as you intend. Ideally they'd be maxing in the same year so you could use salary as part of that decision, especially with how wonky renewals salaries for second tier sprinters can be. Might be worth delaying if you can, but Max needing a PT loan of course complicates things.
Looking forward to facing off again in PCT!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Last season, we accomplished 2/5 goals, failing two of them by one single and the last one by four spots. So, how did we do this year? Let's take a look at the goals overview:
Country
Race
Goal
Outcome
Züri Metzgete (C2HC)
Win
12th ( Gianni Moscon)
Giro del Trentino (C2)
Top 5
15th ( Mirco Saggiorato)
Coppa Placci (C2)
Top 10
Win! ( Gianni Moscon)
Trofeo Laigueglia (C2HC)
Top 10
2nd ( Gianni Moscon)
Team Standings
Top 10
4th
So in 2020, we're up to 3/5 - however clearly failing the remaining two, by 10 and 11 spots - does that mean we're still worse than last year?
In what concerns Züri Metzgete, yes, we've done clearly worse. On one hand, this year's profile definitely didn't suit us - as did pretty much none of those flat-ending "hilly" races. Still, having one of the top favorites and a strong team, we were totally disappointed by Gianni Moscon's 12th place. Let's hope it's not the final impression that lasts, as our home race was the final one of the year - and one of the most disappointing ones...
However, Gianni Moscon was at least partly responsible that we reached those three goals; he did great especially in hilly races in Italy. 2nd in Trofeo Laigueglia, winner in Coppa Placci - and let's not forget, 2nd in the C1 (and hence no goal race) Milano - Torino. So in both goal races he largely exceeded expectations, given that the goal was a Top 10 in both.
Furthermore, he finished 8th in the division's individual standings, being the 2nd strongest puncheur in CT and thereby contributing a lot of points to the amazing Team Result, which is a 4th place! He was not our top scorer, though, as Theo Reinhardt had a stellar season, finishing 3rd in the CT individual standings! Congratulations to our two team leaders - two Top 10 finishers was exactly what we needed to accomplish promotion!
True, there's one goal left we haven't talked about yet. It was a goal that was almost impossible to reach - a Top 5 in Giro del Trentino. A team time trial and two mountain stages - not exactly the best fit for our 2020 roster. Still, we had done really well in 2019, so hopes were still high we might achieve it - but we didn't. Mirco Saggiorato was better on one stage, Andrea Manfredi on the other - instead of supporting one rider and at least bring him in the Top 10, we didn't and therefore only got a 15th place. A really disappointing result, so let's no longer talk about it.
Overall, we did very well, by far outperforming the expectations for three goals. The other two didn't go well, though - so let's see what that means in terms of sponsor satisfaction. Do they weigh the overall great season higher than two bad races? Or will it be the contrary? We'll have to wait until we get our new budget to draw final conclusions - all we know is that we are over the moon looking back on this great 2020 season!
bbl I'd say that there's still quite a difference between Mäder and Masnada, even when Gino will be maxed. The Swiss will need mountains and TTs to shine, the Italian could be a great option for races like Hong Kong (I guess). The open question now is if I want to take the gamble and hope for a GT wildcard to max Gino on the team, or if he needs a PT loan. The same would be true for Max, of course.
Wish you all the best for the offseason, and see you again soon
Like I said earlier, don't think it's a bad thing per say that there are some races being hilly ending in a reduced bunch sprint, because else there would be no reason to have several riders (such as Ackermann) in your team. The good thing for you now is that with your well deserved promotion to PCT, you'll be able to choose what races you send Gianno to
3/5 goals is nice I think. I remember Coppa Placci and the amazing comeback very well, and I suppose you do too
Fabianski wrote:
On one hand, this year's profile definitely didn't suit us - as did pretty much none of those flat-ending "hilly" races.
Talking about flat-ending hilly races, Beltran says: "Hi and welcome, we have those in PCT also."
You did quite well in Laigueglia which had a flatter finish as well iirc. 3/5 goals is still pretty darn good and should ensure you a good budget for your PCT debut. Adding Masnada to the core of Moscon and Reinhardt is almost like you've already bought a great rider before transfers have even started
I think you're in for a strong season in PCT, good luck
After we have talked a lot about the team's success, let's now take a closer look at how each single rider performed - and let's also try to find out what the main difference with last year was! You can find the 2020 results for each rider below, including their individual rank, overall points as well as PpRD average and wage/point average.
CT Rank
Rider
RDs
Wage
Points
PpRD
Wage/Point
3
Theo Reinhardt
50
€ 130'000
596
11.9
218
8
Gianni Moscon
45
€ 150'000
459
10.2
327
45
Tom Scully
52
€ 100'000
179
3.4
559
61
Mirco Saggiorato
61
€ 65'000
128
2.1
508
68
Hermann Pernsteiner
55
€ 85'000
110
2.0
773
78
Andrea Manfredi
63
€ 55'000
93
1.5
591
96
Benedikt Mundle
78
€ 50'000
70
0.9
714
100
Leonardo Basso
67
€ 50'000
62
0.9
806
104
Issiaka Cisse
60
€ 60'000
59
1.0
1'017
115
Fabian Lienhard
62
€ 55'000
52
0.8
1'058
119
Cyrille Thièry
63
€ 55'000
50
0.8
1'100
151
Gino Mäder
76
€ 50'000
37
0.5
1'351
237
Maximilian Walscheid
80
€ 50'000
13
0.2
3'846
240
Manuel Stocker
63
€ 50'000
13
0.2
3'846
245
Stefan Bissegger
95
€ 75'000
12
0.1
6'250
254
Pedro Merino Criado
61
€ 0
11
0.2
0
255
Nico Brüngger
78
€ 0
11
0.1
0
297
Gergely Szarka
15
€ 10'000
5
0.3
2'000
n/a
Robin Froidevaux
15
€ 15'000
0
0.0
n/a
Two riders inside the Top 10, another one in the Top 50, a total of 8 riders in the Top 100 - overall it can be said that we hat great leaders and a good depth. Let's just compare those numbers to last year's Top 5 riders:
CT Rank
Rider
RDs
Wage
Points
PpRD
Wage/Point
21
Marco Guillén
54
0
303
5.6
0
41
Fausto Masnada
56
300'000
183
3.3
1'639
68
Mirco Saggiorato
57
65'000
115
2
565
75
Andrea Manfredi
60
50'000
105
1.8
476
81
Jan-André Freuler
56
60'000
94
1.7
638
As you can see, none of our riders was in the Top 10 and even in the Top 20 last year, two in the Top 50, and six in the Top 100. To make the difference really clear, you can find a comparison between the 2019 Top 5 and the 2020 Top 5 riders below:
2019 Points
2020 Points
2019 PpRD
2020 PpRD
2019 Wage/Point
2020 Wage/Point
800
1472
2.8
5.6
594
360
+ 84%
+ 100%
- 39%
Most importantly, the 2020 Top 5 riders scored twice as many points per race day as the 2019 Top 5. Furthermore, each point cost us much less this year - however, that number clearly shows the impact of Masnada's 300k wage last year. Still, we can say that we invested our money much smarter this year - and our leaders definitely did a great job!
So, let's now move on to the individual review for each rider:
Theo Reinhardt 596 points
Highlights:
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
GC Win, 2 Stage wins, Points jersey
Tour of Vancouver
Stage Win, Points jersey
Circulo de Juarez
5th GC, 3rd Points, 2 Stage podiums
Berlin Pro Race
3rd
Down Under Classic
4th
Ladies and gentlemen, please applaud our Rider of the Year! While we were hesitating between Theo and Nacer Bouhanni during transfers, we do by no means regret having opted for the German sprint star! He was the top scoring CT sprinter by a margin, even taking 3rd in the individual standings - way more than we expected, and an important contribution to our promotion challenge!
Moreover, he accomplished one of our (internal) season goals: winning a stage race, which he did in Gabon. Now, we expect him to come up with some pretty high wage demands - but he's already shown in C1 and even HC races that he can compete on PCT level, so unless he asks for an insane raise, there's no doubt he'll stay with us for at least one more year! Thank you for this amazing season, Theo!
Gianni Moscon 459 points
Highlights:
Coppa Placci
Win
GP Yekaterinburg
2nd Place
Trofeo Laigueglia
2nd Place
Milano - Torino
2nd Place
Tour of South Africa
6th GC, Stage Win, 5th Points
Tour of Britain
7th GC, 2 Stage Podiums, 2nd Points
Euskal Bizikleta
6th GC
While it's a bit of a surprise that Gianni doesn't come out on top of our internal ranking, he still delivered a great season, being the 2nd strongest puncheur behind almighty Wilco. He clearly displayed his strength on uphill finishes, while he was often below expectations on downhill/flat finishes - confirming that his lack of top speed keeps him from scoring even higher.
But in the end, he was the one completing two sponsor goals, and he also took home our first ever win in a one-day race, in Coppa Placci. He surely did get the support he needs from his teammates, and we'll definitely try to renew his contract for another season. The offseason should be long enough to work on his skills - although sprinting probably won't be the highest priority. We'll rather try to find better suited stages for him - and then, beware, PCT!
Tom Scully 179 points
Highlights:
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
3rd GC, 5th Points, 1 Stage Podium
Tour de Langkawi
Stage Win, 3rd Points
Post Danmark Rundt
Stage Win, 3rd Points
Tour de San Luis
Stage Win, 3rd Points
After the two team leaders, we have to state a clear drop in quality - and therefore in terms of points as well. While Theo and Gianni were both above 10 PpRD, Tom as the next rider in that list is down to 3.4. Which is pretty surprising, given that he showed in various races that he does have the skills to score much better. However, in about half the races he competed in, he simply didn't do his jobs. This is confirmed by the fact that he didn't even score one single Top 10 result in a one-day race, and several stage races - most notably the Herald Sun Tour - yielded zero points from him.
While we do know that he has got what it takes to succeed, we simply couldn't figure out the "recipe" that makes him fly. Unfortunately for him, we'll have two very similar riders in Thomas Boudat and Max Walscheid - who both are younger and fit our regional focus better. So unless he agrees on a pay cut, we will likely part ways during the offseason - hoping for him to join a CT team, as we think that PCT level is just too high for him. Sorry, Tom, and thanks for all those great moments!
Mirco Saggiorato 128 points
Highlights:
Tour de Langkawi
5th GC, 2 Stage Top 10
Tour of Eritrea
8th GC, Stage Podium
Mirco is the only rider who was among our Top 5 scorers in both 2019 and 2020. And although he scored even more points than last year, he drops from 3rd to 4th in our internal rankings - testifying to the quality increase on our roster. Mirco had several ups and downs this year, unfortunately disappointing in Giro del Trentino, one of the sponsors' goal races. On the other hand, he got GC Top 10 spots in Eritrea and Malaysia - which is more than expected, given our clearly weaker mountain support this year. And it easily makes him our Swiss rider of the Year.
As Mirco will turn 33 in the offseason, we expect him to slowly lose some speed on the climbs. He could still be a precious domestique in stage races - and in PCT he might even get green light for breakaways. We'll have to sit down and check our mutual expectations for next year, but we hope that we can keep him as a mentor for our Swiss talents!
Hermann Pernsteiner 110 points
Highlights:
Euskal Bizikleta
7th GC, 1 Stage Top 10
Gisborne GP
9th Place
Tour of Eritrea
2 Stage Top 10
National Championships
2nd Place RR
Our Austrian puncheur is the 5th - and final - rider above the 100 points mark. He was our most expensive transfer for the 2020 season, so the expectations were high. And while he definitely fulfilled them as Gianni's top domestique, he unfortunately failed when leading the team on his own. Except for the Austrian NC road race, where he took 2nd place!
So, our lesson learned for this year is that Pernie feels more comfortable as a domestique than as a team leader. Which is no issue, given that he did a great job in both hilly and mountain races - if he agrees on a domestique contract, he'll definitely get a spot on the team next year! In 2020, he definitely is our Domestique of the Year!
Andrea Manfredi 93 points
Highlights:
Tour de Romandie
Stage Win, 9th GC, 4th KoM, 6th Points
Compared to last season, Andrea lost 12 points. Which on one hand can be explained by the lack of mountain races, given that this terrain wasn't the team's focus. On the other hand, with there being only one highlight race, it's no surprise that he didn't score many points.
But that one race - the Tour de Romandie - definitely made up for his rather mediocre performances during the rest of the year! It was great to see him showing his best performance on the team's home soil!
Is that race alone worth a contract renewal? Actually, we expect him to get more freedom in PCT races - as an attacking rider, he was probably too strong for CT, but he could get some breakaway chances on a higher level. Depending on his wage demands, it should at least be worth a try!
Benedikt Mundle 70 points
Highlights:
Tour of Uppsala
KoM Jersey
Tour de San Luis
4th KoM, 1 Stage Top 10
National Championships
RR & TT champion
This is definitely a name that we didn't expect to show up so high! We hired him for two reasons: helping with sprint preparation, and attacking. He definitely did a good job on the attacking part - but actually attacked too often. He is one of the reasons why especially Tom Scully doesn't have any good results on flat classics - because Benedikt almost always attacked on the last kilometers, messing up the team's sprint preparation. He did often try his own luck - mostly to no avail. Worse, he didn't really make friends on the team with his sometimes egoistic behavior.
On the other hand, he mostly supported the sprinters during stage races, which was definitely appreciated! Will the double Liechteinstein champion stay on the team? Well, we now know more or less how to plan him, so we think that yes, he will get a new contract. But he probably won't get to race any more sprint classics - except if we don't send a proper sprinter there, of course!
Leonardo Basso 62 points
Highlights:
Lincoln GP
4th Place
And yet another big surprise, as a cobbled race is among a rider's highlights! We were hoping for Leo to take some Top 20 spots in those races, but he probably had the day of his life when he kept up with the very best to take 4th!!! in Lincoln GP!
While this was his standout moment of the year, he showed very solid performances in most other cobbled races, and in hilly races as well. And he was an important part of our TTT lineup. Can we replace such a versatile rider? No. We want him to stay - and we hope he'll agree on another year with us!
Issiaka Cissé 59 points
Highlights:
Ras Tailteann
Stage Podium, 7th GC, 6th Points
National Championships
RR and TT champion
Our sole African rider wasn't expected to score big, being the most important leadout man for Theo Reinhardt during most of the year. However, his sprint captain somehow completely messed up stage 1 of Ras Tailteann - and our Ivorian was there to fill the gap! 2nd place on stage 1, and a 7th place in the GC were clearly less than what we expected from this race, but he still did a great job getting at least something out of it.
And he clearly proved his worth later on, contributing big time to many of Theo's great results. And to round off the season, he won the National Championships and will be wearing a special jersey on every stage next year. Will he be riding for us? Chances are high, as Theo would definitely be happy to keep him around in his sprint train!
Fabian Lienhard 52 points
Highlights:
Jelajah SKL
2 Stage Top 10
Colombo Classic
10th Place
A couple of years ago, there was quite some hype around Fabian. He was meant to become a pretty strong puncheur with a lot of fighting spirit and a good sprint. However, we can't deny that we're pretty disappointed by his showings this year. He does not have a single breakaway attempt to his name - which for a strong fighter like him is a real shame.
But we probably didn't plan him very well, either, as he often was on domestique duties for Gianni. But there were still enough races left for him to try his own luck - which he didn't. We'll definitely give him another chance next year - just like for Andrea Manfredi, stronger pelotons might be beneficial for him, if they let him go into breakaways. But he definitely has to deliver something in 2021!
Cyrille Thièry 50 points
Highlights:
Colombo Classic
9th Place
Clasico San Cristobal
9th Place
Just like Fabian, Cyrille's scoring also suffered from our strong hills squad. While he joined lots of breakaways last year, he did a great job in protecting Gianni this time. But like Fabian, he didn't attack either when there was a chance, so that's a bit of a downside.
Nonetheless, he played his skills pretty well by taking two Top 10 finishes in one-day races. Given that he's still one of the strongest Swiss puncheurs - and a decent climber as well - the question isn't that much if he'll stay, but rather how much will he gain.
Gino Mäder 37 points
Highlights:
Tour de l'Avenir
3rd GC, Stage Win, 5th Points
Giro del Trentino
KoM Jersey, 3rd U25
Post Danmark Rundt
3rd U25
We have five riders above 100 points, six more above 50 - and Gino is the only remaining rider above 15 points. So, there's not even a question about our Young Rider of the Year - of course it's him, for the second time in a row!
It is true that we were hoping for some more points, as he "only" equals the 37 points from his 2019 neo-pro season. But he clearly showed in Tour de l'Avenir that his future could indeed be bright - although he'll surely need some training investment to come out on top. But he took our first ever time trial win there, as well as the first GC podium in a non-flat race - hats off, young man!
The only question we're currently asking ourselves is whether we'll be taking the gamble and aim for a GT wildcard to max him out "at home", or if we loan him out to PT. Time will tell...
Max Walscheid 13 points
Highlights:
Ras Tailteann
16th GC
Max only acted as a leadout rider this year, which explains his low score. His only points of the year came from a breakaway attempt in Ireland, where he collected a few bonus seconds to move into the scoring positions.
With the experience he has gained this year, he'll be a stronger sprinter next year, and his prologue skills have definitely improved as well. As for Gino, the question is whether he'll stay for his final development step or not - he'd love to learn more from his compatriot Theo Reinhardt, but is this really the best choice for his further career?
Manuel Stocker 13 points
Highlights:
National Championships
RR champion
Ras Tailteann
Stage Top 10
Tour of Vancouver
Stage Top 10
Manuel is another one of those riders we don't expect any points from - but he has again demonstrated his immense value as the leader of Theo's sprint train. The trio Stocker - Cissé - Reinhardt worked out pretty often - and it is one of the reasons why we have the division's 3rd best scorer on our team!
But Manuel's season highlight definitely was the road race at the Swiss NC - maybe the first race he has ever won? In each case, he'll be wearing a beautiful NC jersey next year - and we hope he'll do it as a Jura - Fiat rider!
Stefan Bissegger 12 points
Highlights:
Circulo de Juarez
3rd U25
Switzerland's greatest TT talent of the last few years already scored a few U25 ranking points in races with longer time trials - but got his best result in Mexico thanks to a great breakaway performance. He was definitely our Super-Combatif of the Year, with no-one else getting close to his number of breakaway attempts.
After the great progress he made this year, he's now already amongst our strongest time trialists, so we expect him to score a few more points next season - and to clearly strengthen our TTT lineup! Although it might still take a while to overtake Dillier as the country's top TTer, we're sure he'll do it sooner or later!
Pedro Merino Criado 11 points
Highlights:
Euskal Bizikleta
2 Stage Top 10
Tour de San Luis
1 Stage Top 10
We drafted Pedro to build up a sprint train for Tom Scully, which the Spaniard was meant to form together with Max Walscheid. Clearly a weaker formation than Stocker - Cissé, but it was still disappointing to see that this second sprint lineup almost never stepped into action. In a few races, Pedro still showed that the plan could have worked out - if not for the lack of consistency of himself and Scully.
In his home race, he even was our designated sprint leader, and he did OK-ish with two low Top 10 finishes. Still, it is clear that his contract will not be renewed; let's see if he'll get one with another team, which would already be a success for a 34 year old rider!
Nico Brüngger 11 points
Highlights:
-
Nico is one of those versatile riders who are good helpers on almost any terrain, but who aren't top-notch in any of them. Very similar to Leo Basso, in fact, except that Nico scored way fewer points. Still, he was very important for our rather successful TTT season, being our best time trialist this year.
However, with him turning 33, and Masnada, Mäder and Bissegger all improving their TT skills, Nico probably won't get a spot on our roster next season. He was really happy to get another chance after about 5 years without a contract, and he was a well-appreciated domestique on our team. Thank you, Nico, and all the best!
Gergely Szarka 5 points
Highlights:
Course de Solidarnosc
Win Team standings, 4th U25
Tour de l'Avenir
1 Stage Top 10
The hopeful Hungarian sprinter first showed his potential at Tour de l'Avenir, where he took a 5th place on a flat stage despite being boxed in. He furthermore contributed to winning the team standings in Poland, where he also took 4th in the U25 rankings - the first points of his career!
As a stagiaire, he didn't gain enough experience to make a significant step in his development, but what we've seen from him was really convincing - so don't be surprised if Gergely gets a full-time contract next year!
Robin Froidevaux 0 points
Highlights:
-
Robin is our only rider without any points this year - which however doesn't mean much for a stagiaire with only 15 race days! It was great for him to get some first impressions of a professional cyclist's life.
And it was great for us to have him as a stagiare, so we'll be the first team who can send him a contract offer for next season. Will we do it? It depends on what our scouts find in terms of other local (or regional) talents, but we think he should have his chances!
And that wraps up the 2020 season! We hope you'll join us in our new headquarters soon, where we'll proudly present our 2021 jersey! See you!
Nemo Sure, it's good, when you have a rider for those
Think I should have sent just Thièry and Lienhard to those - I hope I'll figure out the right planning for 2021
redordead I think I'll be happy if I see a startlist with Moscon but without Beltran Unfortunately, they both have pretty much the same preferences, so Gianni definitely needs to step up his game a bit to beat Beltran
Ollfardh Well, given the monster you have on board, I'll definitely try to avoid the easier hilly races next season Hoping for some tough profiles, that's for sure, and then let's see how well Gianni can do on that level
Nemolito Thanks Don't actually expect anyone to read that wall of text, but glad you made it through
The new HQ is up, so the new jersey should be revealed shortly
Benedikt Mundle had already secured Liechtenstein's double NC title, given he was the tiny country's sole professional rider this year. Congrats to Benedikt - let's see which team he'll be showing his jersey for next year!
Leo Basso tried his luck with an attack with 10km to go! He was caught with 1.5km to go and eventually finished 30th. Our best rider was 
Hermann Pernsteiner, the hilly course obviously was the perfect terrain! And he indeed did a sensational job, fighting for the win until the line - finally taking 2nd place behind Konrad. Great result for Hermann - probably his best race all year, congratulations!
Manuel Stocker. With 
Theo Reinhardt! However, the team support obviously was much less than in Switzerland, and the competition much stronger - although his 4th place is slightly disappointing, there's nothing wrong with this performance. It rounds off a fantastic season, where he was very consistent - well done, Theo!
Tom Scully taking 5th - 3rd from the peloton. Good job!
Thomas Boudat's speciality. Hence, our young sprinter who's on loan with cycleYorkshire only ranked 51st out of 56 professionals - meaning his 43rd place in the time trial actually was his stronger result. We'll wait for a flat parcours to see what he's really able to do!
Pedro Merino Criado finished on s.t. with the winner - but unsurprisingly wasn't able to fight for the top positions. His 19th place is still more than what we expected. The last place in the TT was however no surprise.
Gergely Szarka was our sole participant - and like our Spanish sprinter, he finished inside the front group. The 7th place out of 10 starters definitely wasn't a bad result! In the time trial, he finished one place lower.
Issiaka Cissé, already Ivorian TT champion in the last couple of years, had maybe a once-in-a-lifetime chance of getting double championship. And he did it! He finished way ahead of his only competitor Sanogo in both the road and the time trial race, and therefore 
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
Tour of Vancouver
Circulo de Juarez
Down Under Classic
GP Yekaterinburg
Tour of South Africa
Tour of Britain
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
Tour de Langkawi
Post Danmark Rundt
Tour de San Luis
Tour of Eritrea
Tour of Uppsala
Ras Tailteann
Colombo Classic
Clasico San Cristobal
Course de Solidarnosc
