On paper, last year was supposed to be the difficult renewals year for Carlsberg, as they cut wages considerably in order to move down to CT. It certainly was difficult, but they managed admirably. This year, it's a different problem. After a successful year where they finished 2nd in CT, the riders who got Carlsberg back to PCT have been publicly looking for large raises - raises that will make it difficult to get PCT level leaders while keeping the core together.
But first, the riders who have been released. As opposed to the last few years, there are not any significant retirements or departures in terms of team tenure this year. Cost cutting measures forced most of those to happen last year. But of course, some riders were released for business reasons.
First is Christian Bertilsson, who has apparently left on very bad terms with management. Bertilsson returned to Carlsberg a few years after a mildly successful stint in 2017, and he came into the season as Kragh Andersen's leadout man and secondary sprinter. He had a couple of minor stage results early, but didn't perform a leadout the entire year. He then spit in the team's face by winning the Swedish national championship, and demanding a significant raise. He will not be missed.
One potential retirement is Laurens De Vreese, who has declined over the past year. He was an able domestique in his one season at Carlsberg, though he made some questionable tactical decisions.
A slightly more regrettable release is Sandris Eislers. The team liked his skillset after selecting him in the CT draft, but just couldn't justify offering him a full contract at this time.
In addition, three of the team's four stagiares have been returned to the free agent talent pool. Laurens Huys, Erlend Blikra, and Mads Ostergaard Kristensen have all been let go. Surely they have bright futures ahead, but the team valued financial flexibility more at this time.
All other riders have renewed (or been given full contracts). So, despite the wage demands, no big fish have been let go at this time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That means 17 riders have been renewed for the following season. Despite the rider cuts, payroll has taken a fairly dramatic increase to €1,635,000. Here's the outlook:
Starting off the wage raises is Absjorn Kragh Andersen. Last season, he made €140,000 following a lackluster year. Then he had another lackluster year, but demanded a lot more money, citing his training efforts last offseason. The team countered that training means nothing without results, but they couldn't talk him down. After several rounds of negotiation, management proved unable to part with the last talent from their inaugural season, signing him for €210,000, a 70k increase. Not ideal.
Things don't get better in terms of other leaders. Last year, Christopher Juul-Jensen took a massive paycut, making only €99,000. A top 10 ranked year in CT gave him some confidence, and he came looking for a big payout for his last season at peak form. Carlsberg made what they believed to be several reasonable offers that entitled him to significant raises, but he kept demanding more. Eventually, he signed for €177,500, which is clearly above market, though not much over his PCT wages in the past.
Likewise, Larry Warbasse came looking for a huge raise after his enormous season last year. Since he probably single-handedly brought in a lot more sponsors dollars to the team this year, he deserves it the most. He'll make €170,000 this year, an increase of 50k.
More increases down the line, though a bit more modest. Matteo Fabbro didn't really over-perform, but manages to secure €122,500 from his previous wage of €87,500, citing new scouting reports over his rounds of negotiation. Ramon Sinkeldam also gets more after 3 rounds of negotiation and a lot of threats to leave. €135k for him, 25k more than before. Niklas Eg got in on the fun too, taking home an extra €2,500 to make €87,500.
Still more raises. Predictably, Alex Aranburu feels that he has reached his full potential, and wants the wage of a secondary leader. He'll make €162,500 this season. Likewise, though at a lower tier, Patrick Olesen saw how useful his versatility was this past season, and upon improving, really haggled for every dollar. €65k for him. Jonas Gregaard is not maxed yet, but would not re-sign for less than €55k.
So, did anyone not get a raise? A few guys, yes. Lennard Kamna is still just a talent, and after signing for huge money two years ago, he'll make €100k this season, €65k less than last year, when he was loaned to Adastra.
Everyone else will be making the minimum 50k salary this year, including Joel Suter, who graduates from a stagiare contract, and Gyasi Sulvaran, who rode for free last year as a CT draftee.
Full details on wage changes and departures below:
So, it was about as disastrous as a renewals period can get for Carlsberg without there being a single true disaster, like a star young rider leaving. They managed to cut a bunch of riders and still grow their wage commitments by several hundred euros. Less than ideal is an understatement.
Team manager baseballlover312 spoke on the matter:
"Obviously, we respect all our riders, and most of them did a great job to get us promotion last year. That being said, we really tried to come to reasonable compromises in renewals, and a lot of riders just were not willing to take market rate after several rounds of negotiations. Since we have cap space, we decided not to lose them for nothing. It obviously does handicap our efforts to improve and build a true PCT team a lot more than we'd like though."
Nevertheless, they still have €865,000 in wage cap free, and they have maintained their core - though it seems increasingly likely that a few members of that core will be sold in the coming transfer season. We will have rumors and updates on that availability shortly.
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
Edited by baseballlover312 on 06-09-2021 16:07
100k is definitely a nice clean number to work with!
I'm happy to see you back in PCT, with a deep squad that you will certainly look to complement with another big hitter. Sadly, that depth comes with a cost now after the OVL rebalance.
Good luck with that task!
Edited by cio93 on 06-09-2021 03:31
cio93 wrote:
100k is definitely a nice clean number to work with!
I'm happy to see you back in PCT, with a deep squad that you will certainly look to complement with another big hitter. Sadly, that depth comes with a cost now after the OVL rebalance.
Good luck with that task!
I like to think it would be nice and easy for a PT team looking to loan him in to work with.
Yeah, the OVL rebalance hit us hard, which I guess is flattering since it means our team construction was well optimized. The goal of getting big leaders remains the same, even if we have to subtract from our depth a bit to get there.
SotD wrote:
Despite going up I'd say Warbasse is at a very nice wage!
And I guess Eg and Gregaard would like to join a danish manager right?
If Warbasse remains as consistent as he was in PCM 18, he's probably the guy I'm least worried about giving that raise. At 120k he was an incredible deal, so I knew that was gonna go up, though I did hope for a little less.
Eg and Gregaard for the time being are quite happy to be remain in Carlsberg green and blue, even if it's for an American manager.
That being said, anyone can go for a price, and Gregaard will be needing a PT loan, as you'll see once I post availability in a bit. Plus, climbing is a position of depth now for us, so there may be other who can be moved in that area.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Carlsberg - Danske Bank p/b Schlumberger are in PCT once again, and have a bit of wage cap to spare. So, as they try to prepare to survive at a higher level, they will primarily be buyers this transfer season. That said, it's also highly likely they will part with some other assets in order to rebalance their roster and manage costs.
Thus, as we do every year, we have compiled an availability list based on our sources in the industry. Management and rider agent leaks make it pretty easy to determine who could be on the block.
As always, this list is not a determiner of whether the rider will actually be transferred, but only their level of availability in relation to a market value offer. The actual transfer relies entirely on the situation day to day and the amount of money in play.
First Name
Last Name
Availability
Asbjorn
Kragh Andersen
Unlikely
Christopher
Juul-Jensen
Yes
Alex
Aranburu
Unlikely
Lawrence
Warbasse
Maybe
Matteo
Fabbro
Likely
Ramon
Sinkeldam
Maybe
Lennard
Kämna
No
Niklas
Eg
No
Patrick
Olesen
Unlikely
Jonas
Gregaard
Unlikely
Kasper
Asgreen
Likely
Erik Nordsaeter
Resell
Unlikely
Gyasi
Sulvaran
No
Arturs
Belevics
Unlikely
Rasmus
Quaade
Yes
Mathias
Krigbaum
No
Joel
Suter
Maybe
Some interesting labels on that list. There's nobody that absolutely 100% needs to leave, but some are quite likely to leave if there's significant interest.
It may be surprising to see Asbjorn Kragh Andersen mostly unavailable, considering he's making too much money and has been an eternal disappointment. At this point it's mostly nostalgia and sunk cost. The team needs a sprinter and they've pumped a lot of training dollars into him. Hard to see him being moved unless it's an overpay.
Christopher Juul-Jensen had a tremendous comeback season, but with the team promoting to PCT, it's uncertain what his role would be at this level. His attacking style is not suited for a superdomestique, but he has shown before that he is not at a level to lead in PCT. It seems the ideal situation for him would be a chance to lead in CT again, where he was extremely successful last year.
Carlsberg have amassed quite a bit of climbing depth the last couple of years, despite it being an area they traditionally struggled in. As a lot of young talents have matured, it has grown into an area of strength. Unfortunately, this had led to what might be a bit of redundancy, and it is likely that at least one of those second tier climbers leaves in order to make room for a true GC leader. Based on rumors, the most likely of them to go is Matteo Fabbro, who is young, valuable, and has pro wins in his palmares. Warbasse is possible as well given his older age, though the team may also keep him as a secondary leader and superdomestique. The other young guys should stay, with Aranburu likely to focus his calendar more towards hilly races if JJ is sold.
Two domestiques who could definitely leave are Rasmus Quaade and Kasper Asgreen. Quaade is a great TTist, but more suited to lead in CT or be a TTT guy in upper divisions, which isn't a focus of Carlsberg. Asgreen just maxed and is most useful as a domestique for a pure puncheur, and the team may not have a pure puncheur next year if Juul-Jensen is sold and they don't acquire a replacement.
Additionally, the team has 4 riders who will need a PT loan in order to max:
Kamna Gregaard Belevics Resell
All should be useful PT domestiques already at this point in their careers. Kamna has a 100k salary, Gregaard makes 55k, and the rest make the 50k minimum. All wage arrangements will be considered, though the team definitely intends to use it's full loan cap in one way or another by the end of the transfer season.
Finally, in terms of buying, there aren't any surprises. The team is looking for a big GC leader first and foremost, and some particular names come to mind. Next on the agenda would then be a cobbled classics leader. Moves from there will be about how much money is left and who has been sold.
Team manager baseballlover312 commented:
"The next two weeks will be a time of immense opportunity for us, so obviously we're looking forward to it. While we may have to part with some big names, it will definitely be more manageable than last year. Once we get word from our sponsors on how much money we have to play with, things will really start to take shape. But overall, we're happy with the core we have going into this season.
Transfers are always the most exciting time of year. We'll be with you every step of the way, so stay tuned to our page.
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
We've had some great riders joining our team (and vice versa) on loan from Carlsberg the last seasons, and looking at your list, I certainly hope/think we will continue the good cooperation this year. We'll be in touch!
The transfer season is complete, and there are always lots of shifts. Riders arrive, riders depart. No different for Carlsberg this season, although, due to their promotion, more riders were bought than sold. Still, some significant names were lost.
As always, we also got team manager baseballover312 to speak on each departure:
Christopher Juul-Jensen - Puncheur - 2017-2020
Christopher Juul-Jensen became a staple at Carlsberg after transferring from Grieg going into the 2017 season that coincided with the team's first promotion. And he did more than his fair share of the work to keep that team afloat. He fulfilled the prophecy, quickly earning the nickname "Juul-Maar" for his crazy overperformances in the hills, marked especially but his trademark acceleration and aggression. He finished 21st in PCT that year, and followed it up with another great year in 2018, securing several unlikely victories along the way.
Things unfortunately fell apart a bit in 2019, and it seemed like his career might be on the way down. Indeed, without his contributions, Carlsberg relegated. But Juul-Jensen got his redemption arc. On a wage of just 99,000 euros, Juul-Jensen once again punched above his weight, finishing 10th in the CT after a remarkably consistent season.
However, with the team promoting again, the parties decided it would be best to part ways. Rather than forcing him to lead in PCT again, it was decided that he was best suited to a CT leadership role for his age 32 year. He was sold for 550k to new Danish CT team Pas Normal Studios - Mikkeller, where he will be a true leader this year.
"JJ is exactly the type of rider we want representing our team, during the time he rode with us, and forever forward. His contributions to this team have been beyond anything we expected when we signed him. But his character is what shines through most. After the ultimate disappointment in 2019, he took a huge pay cut to stay with us and prove himself again, and got us back where we wanted.
Ultimately, we mutually decided that it was ideal for him to have another season in CT to lead before his skills start to decline, and when Pas Normal Studios joined, it was the perfect fit. We hope he has a great time leading some more Danish youngsters, just like he led ours. Whenever he retires, he will have a place here."
Rasmus Quaade - Time Trialist - 2018, 2020
Quaade has had two stints in Carlsberg green. First in 2018, before being sold to Podium Ambition, then bought back the next year. Now he leaves for 200k to Duolingo.
He has had a lot of success in his career, although not many of those successes have come with Carlsberg. With the move up to CT, he is more useful on a team with a real TTT focus, so the move makes sense in that regard.
"We liked Quaade a lot, obviously trading for him twice. But we're not a TTT team, so in PCT his role felt a little bit redundant, and we decided to go in a different direction. But who knows. Maybe he'll be back again next year."
Matteo Fabbro - Climber - 2019-2020
Probably the biggest loss long term will be Matteo Fabbro. He transferred in for a high but necessary fee from Festina in 2019. He quickly showed his prowess in attacking that year at only 24. After maxing, he followed it up with a solid 2020 season in CT. He won Sakartvelo Trophy from a great attack, and took a couple of white jerseys along the way too.
At only 26 his career is just getting started, but he was a necessary piece in a much bigger trade to acquire a bigger GC rider. With the plethora of young climbers Carlsberg still has, it was a loss that was more palatable than it would be otherwise.
"When we bought Fabbro, we obviously envisioned him as part of our long term plans. And it feels weird now to give him up for a shorter term solution. Nevertheless, we knew we were trading from an area of depth and youth, and not everyone was going to be able to get the opportunities they deserve, or the salary for that matter, once everyone was fully developed. So we took the plunge. We wish Matteo all the best in the future."
As we said, the losses were notable, but the arrivals were bigger this year. Stay tuned for more coverage on who Carlsberg signed to replace and add to these guys.
Some strong riders leaving (and some strong riders coming in!). I will always have a soft spot for JJ and some years ago he was strong in PCT as well, but I understand the choice to sell him.
tastasol wrote:
Some strong riders leaving (and some strong riders coming in!). I will always have a soft spot for JJ and some years ago he was strong in PCT as well, but I understand the choice to sell him.
JJ is one of my favorite riders from my team's history, so letting go of him was very tough. Unfortunately, I needed to find a terrain to kind of let go of in my restructuring, and hills made sense given wage constraints and roster construction. He was easily a PCT leader in PCM 15, but in PCM 18 he didn't seem up to task, and I just didn't want to bother taking that risk again. Plus, I had to sell someone, and watching him hopefully do well again with a Danish team in CT seemed like a good option.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
With Carlsberg's move to PCT, they were always going to need to add a lot of riders, if only to meet the minimum requirements for PCT. The bigger question was always who those riders would be. Leaders and domestiques were both necessary, and they've made some big splashes.
Rasmus Guldhammer - $425,000 - From: Mapei
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
68
81
77
71
74
75
74
69
70
76
71
65
71
He's here. The white whale has been captured. Rasmus Guldhammer has been the top Danish climber for a decade, and he has been the missing link for Carlsberg for many years. Every year since they first moved to PCT, they have done everything they could to get him. But budgetary restrictions and his former teams' plans have always made that an impossibility.
Finally, after long wait, he's here. For a cost of 1 million and Matteo Fabbro. He'll be the team's unrestricted, all powerful GC leader, as their first 80+ climber ever. He's 32 now, so his tenure won't be as long and mighty as they would have hoped, but it just fit too well to not happen. He's been the face of Danish cycling since he raced the Tour de l'Avenir with B&O (pictured above), and now he's home.
Matteo Trentin - $400,000 - From: Mapei
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
74
60
74
61
76
71
75
81
75
76
67
56
67
Guldhammer wasn't the only leader to transfer from Mapei this past off season. Italian cobbles star Matteo Trentin will also be riding in Carlsberg green this year after a payment of 1 million. Trentin will be fighting it out with the best in the division, and is among the most versatile, packing both a great sprint and adequate puncheur qualities. He's also 32, so not quite a long term solution, though he should still be a good leader for a couple of more years.
Sebastian Lander - $130,000 - From BWT Hundai
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
77
55
69
59
77
72
79
73
79
77
63
59
59
A surprise addition was Sebastian Lander. The team did not have any intention of adding high waged sprinters after their disappointments the last few years. But this was an opportunity they couldn't refuse. With just enough wage cap and almost no budget left, they received word that BWT Hundai were looking to clear cap, and had placed Lander, a long time target, on the block. For the minimum 100k, they were able to bring him in. He will be both a secondary sprinter and play a major role in the classics squad this season. He's only 30, so still some good years ahead.
Rasmus Sterobo - $65,000 - From: Campari (FA)
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
70
71
63
78
74
69
69
52
56
73
57
77
78
After trading fellow Danish time trialist Rasmus Quaade, the team began looking for a replacement that was a bit more versatile and thus made sense even without a TTT squad. Sterobo fits. His above average mountain skill will allow him to compete over bumpier time trials, and it also makes him a more effective stage race domestique. He also loves descending, though we're not sure how relevant that will be.
Georgios Bouglas - $50,000 - From: Festina (FA)
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
72
64
70
58
72
67
76
53
78
78
62
67
58
Further accenting the team's focus on versatility, they signed Bouglas, their first ever Greek rider, from FA for minimum wage. When going after a sprinter, they wanted someone cheap for their value, and who would fit in different races than Kragh Andersen. Bouglas's climbing ability makes him the ideal sprinter for tougher stage races, as he will save energy and not be in danger of abandonment.
Timothy Roe - $50,000 - From: Amaysim
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
66
75
73
75
71
69
72
57
62
74
70
62
75
With their wage cap dwindling, the team began looking for the best wage value riders around, and Timothy Roe topped the list. With very solid stage racing ability and surprisingly good acceleration, Roe is an ideal 50k rider. It was a steep price for a 32 year old at 300k, but he will be a vital part of the stage racing team as they try to maximize Guldhammer's final maxed year. He'll help considerably in both the mountains and in TTT's.
Olli Kulppi - $50,000 - From: Valio (FA)
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
73
59
67
61
73
69
69
77
65
70
63
70
60
In their 8th season, Carlsberg have finally added their first Finnish rider. For a long time, that market was cornered by Valio - Viking Genetics, but with their unfortunate disbandment last year, a lot of great Finns hit the open market. Kulppi is a pure cobbled classics rider who will be a loyal domestique for Trentin this year. He was a fan favorite at Valio, and will also be a key morale leader.
We spoke with team manager baseballlover312 on the additions:
"It was an interesting transfer season for us. We needed to build and build quickly, and I think we managed that. I'm extremely happy to get Guldhammer finally, and Trentin is a perfect fit too. We think the domestiques will have a strong roles for us as well, and we've maintained our Danish identity. I do wish that we could have stayed a bit younger, but we still have a lot of young guys in the wings, and our top priority was fielding a team to survive this season in PCT. So overall, I'm satisfied and excited.
That's not all for Carlsberg, who also added several talents who will be discussed in our next article. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
As is normal, Carlsberg have signed some new young talents this offseason. Unfortunately, none are world beaters or really future leaders at all. The team sought to establish themselves as a stable PCT team before thinking too much about the future, so budget space went mostly to riders who are useful now. However, they still managed to pick up a few riders who will be useful riders for them in the future.
Huge Forsell - $65,000 - Track - Pot. 3
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
64
62
68
71
66
69
65
57
72
72
69
67
71
Forsell is a really interesting rider who could develop in a lot of different ways. As a junior and U23 rider, he has already had a lot of success on the track. Both his sprint and TT skills are well above par for his age, although scouts feel that he has already fulfilled more of his potential than many 22 year olds. If he focuses on one discipline fully, he could make a solid secondary leader on either terrain. However, Carlsberg management has indiciated they are likely to try to develop him in a way that excentuates rather than hides his versatility, making him a great TTT rider, solid leadout sprinter, and a prologue specialist.
Goldwijnn Cannister - $95,000 - Classics - Pot. 6
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
67
61
65
64
68
63
65
66
66
70
70
62
66
When Carlsberg heard that Cannister was looking to sign a professional contract, co-sponsor Schlumberger made it clear that the team would need to sign the only Curacao rider on the market, no matter the cost. That was the only option. That cost was a bit higher than expected, but he eventually did sign with the team that made the most sense. He joins Gyasi Sulvaran, the only other professional Curacao rider in the peloton right now. While the lack of available races in his home country means his skills aren't yet well refined, scouts project he has lots of room for growth. He will end up as either a sprinter who can withstand cobbles, or a cobbles specialist with a turn of speed.
Jens Reynders - $15,000 - Cobbles - Pot. 6
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
67
61
64
60
68
68
67
69
66
69
65
64
62
The team's first stagiare is already 23 and a little bit farther along in his development than most. He projects as a very solid pure cobbles domestique in his prime.
Anti-Jussi Juntunen - $10,000 - Puncheur - Pot. 4
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
67
61
69
61
65
68
63
61
68
69
66
61
60
Juntunen signed as a stagiare and will be the second Finish rider on the team this season. He is a pure puncheur in the most basic sense. He likes classics but struggles in longer races. He doesn't have a poor finishing sprint, but it seems difficult to see how he will get the chance to develop that further.
Tore Andre Vabo - $10,000 - Puncheur - Pot. 4
Flat
Mtn
Hill
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Spr
Acc
Fig
Dwn
Pro
69
64
69
68
65
68
65
62
66
68
71
65
66
The team's last stagiare is a Norwegian puncheur. His profile is similar to Juntunen's, although a bit more stage race oriented in his secondary makeup. He's also 23 and a bit farther along the way towards his peak.
Additionally, Carlsberg still has several talents that were signed in previous years. The team wished to thank all the managers who took on their riders as loanees this year!
Lennard Kämna will ride for Team Puma - SAP.
Jonas Gregaard will ride for Isostar - Specialized.
Erik Nordsaeter Resell will ride for Grieg-Maersk.
Arturs Belevics will also ride for Grieg-Maersk.
Additionally, Carlsberg accepts Matus Stocek from Moser - Sygic as their loanee this season.
All of the loanouts will be finishing their development by year's end, while Stocek is having his neo-pro season with Carlsberg.
With that, we have now covered all the changes that have happened to Carlsberg's lineup since renewals ended. We will soon have one final wrap up article where we give an overview of the team's contruction for this season. Then, it's on to racing!
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
So, without further ado, our scouting department has released their full report on all riders contracted by Carlsberg this season.
The majority of the core from last year's promoting team remains intact, with Guldhammer and Trentin as the big additions. Mountains have gone from a complete non-factor terrain just two years ago to Carlsberg's main focus this season. Guldhammer leads the way and will get huge support for his main goals, though Warbasse is still expected to have leadership for a significant part of his own calendar. Guys like Eg, Olesen, and Roe will be key domestiques. This is definitely the area of depth for Carlsberg.
Newly maxed Alex Aranburu, a climber/puncheur hybrid, seems to be functioning as the team's main puncheur when necessary, as they did not bring in anyone to replace Juul-Jensen. Otherwise, he will focus on hybrid races and hope to avoid TT's. In hybrid races with TT's, he might share leadership with Warbasse. He will also be a part of the climbing squad when available. We should expect to see the full mountain train which includes him at least a few times this season.
Cobbles are another major focus, as has always been the case at Carlsberg. Trentin will head up that team this year, paired with stalwart Sinkeldam and new addition Lander, supported by Kulppi and talents. With their best three, they should be covered for hilly cobbles as well as less selective cobbles sprints. However, the depth is not really there, so those last few roster spots will likely be taken by talents most of the year.
The other terrains definitely don't get as much attention. Kragh Andersen remains the team's best sprinter on paper. They have Lander as a backup and Bouglas for tougher stage races. However, there will be no leadouts by Carlsberg this year after last year's disappointments. They will simply surf wheels and hope for the best. Additionally, the team lacks a top time trialist. Rasmus Sterobo will hope to get some results when possible, but this is clearly not the team's focus. They made attempts to change that during transfers, but nothing materialized.
Clearly, there is still a talent pipeline working for Carlsberg here. They look to graduate 4 talents this season, including one future leader. They also have a few long term additions as neo-pros this year. The new core will be officially built next season, if all goes well.
As always, the goal for Carlsberg is to stay up in PCT. Not just stay up, but to stay up without worrying too much about staying up. The team has never gone a year in PCT without playing a key part in the relegation fight, and they hope to change that. As the team has gotten much older this season, especially at the top, expectations will be a bit higher than usual to get something done now. But with promotion extremely unlikely, it should be a matter of achieving goals, staying afloat in mid table, and getting to next transfer season in the best shape possible.
As always, we will have coverage for you every step of the way this year. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Pickles
Sporting News
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
Down Under Classic
Hong Kong Challenge - Stage 1
- Volta a Portugal - GC
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Macskako Kerekparverseny
Tour de Pologne - Stage 3
Badaling International
Veenendaal - Veenendaal
Tour of Chile - GC
Pro Halstatt Classic
Criterium du Dauphine - Stage 2
Tour of South Africa - Stage 4
Arab Tour - Stage 4
Arturs Belevics
Tour of Britain - Stage 1
GP Kigali
Tour du Maroc - Stage 2
Joel Suter, who graduates from a stagiare contract, and 
Georgios Bouglas - $50,000 - From: Festina (FA)
Olli Kulppi - $50,000 - From: Valio (FA)
Matus Stocek from Moser - Sygic as their loanee this season.
