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[PCT21] Cedevita | Rider Development 3/3
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| redordead |
Posted on 17-09-2021 11:46
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
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PCM$: 200.00
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We have loaned in and developed a total of 7 riders over the course of our two years in PCT. So there is no surprise we are back here again, trying to help 3 new riders take the next step in their careers. Differing from previous years is that all the loanees are already at level 3 in experience. Therefore we hope to see them make a noticeable contribution to any of our successes.
 Jefferson Cepeda Hernandez from ISA - Hexacta
Spoiler | FL | MO | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FT | DH | PR | | 69 | 70 | 72 | 64 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 61 | 66 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 62 |
Cepeda Hernandez: There is a big focus on hilly and mountainous terrain here, so I'm excited to help out and learn from the leaders here.
 Alexander Evans from Amaysim Cervélo
Spoiler | FL | MO | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FT | DH | PR | | 64 | 73 | 69 | 70 | 67 | 69 | 69 | 61 | 57 | 66 | 66 | 62 | 67 |
Evans: I'll try my best in the mountains, but we've also talked with the coaches that I will be a part of the team time-trial setup.
 Juan Pedro Lopez from Zwift Pro Cycling
Spoiler | FL | MO | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FT | DH | PR | | 65 | 73 | 70 | 58 | 69 | 69 | 71 | 55 | 60 | 74 | 69 | 62 | 62 |
Lopez: I'm a pure climber and that's what I enjoy doing the most, but don't be surprised to see me in hillier races and breakaways.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of Cedevita
Edited by redordead on 28-09-2021 10:08
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 19-09-2021 15:22
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 16429
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PCM$: 10438.70
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Interested to see how the new game works with Alarcon after decline. That will obviously be a big factor in your level of success.
On a smaller note, love the Blikra signing for 50k. A little jealous there.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| redordead |
Posted on 20-09-2021 07:58
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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In the end we had space left for two stagiare contracts and were delighted to find out that both Kristjan Hocevar and Veljko Stojnic were still on the market. We had our eye on both riders since the start of transfers and we think both have a good chance at a longer term future here.
 Kristjan Hocevar - 10k Wage
Spoiler | FL | MO | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FT | DH | PR | | 66 | 68 | 68 | 61 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 54 | 66 | 70 | 66 | 69 | 62 |
 Veljko Stojnic - 10k Wage
Spoiler | FL | MO | HI | TT | ST | RS | RC | CB | SP | AC | FT | DH | PR | | 69 | 65 | 65 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 68 | 56 | 67 | 69 | 71 | 65 | 70 |
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of Cedevita
Edited by redordead on 28-09-2021 10:10
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| Fabianski |
Posted on 20-09-2021 08:02
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4670
Joined: 29-09-2018
PCM$: 185.00
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Definitely a nice couple of stagiaires here 
I'd have gone for Stojnic if he had still been available btw, so good for you that you decided to sign stags before me 
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 20-09-2021 08:24
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Team Leader
Posts: 7297
Joined: 11-04-2012
PCM$: 200.00
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Hocevar was on my draft list until I saw you picked him up in the market  Great signings though!
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 17:14
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| redordead |
Posted on 20-09-2021 10:18
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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baseballlover312 wrote:
Interested to see how the new game works with Alarcon after decline. That will obviously be a big factor in your level of success.
On a smaller note, love the Blikra signing for 50k. A little jealous there.
Well Alarcon is just one question mark. How will Beltran do with all the extra competition? Can Saber get back to what he was before? I have so many "ifs" on my team that I expect another long hard season.
Blikra was one of the guys I hoped to snatch early on the minumum and I'm happy I could pull it off
Fabianski wrote:
Definitely a nice couple of stagiaires here
I'd have gone for Stojnic if he had still been available btw, so good for you that you decided to sign stags before me
Given that all my "best" additions are talents it doesn't bode well for me this season, but maybe the future will be brighter
Jakstar22 wrote:
Hocevar was on my draft list until I saw you picked him up in the market Great signings though!
The first time I actually signed my own suggested riders!! 
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| redordead |
Posted on 21-09-2021 10:43
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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Not many departures this year as the market was a lot more geared towards free agency rather than buying and selling. Still we say goodbye to three riders. We wish all departing riders good luck in their future endeavours. They will always be remembered for the role they played here.
 Hugues Mottin
Hugues spent only one year with us after joining from the now defunct Andorra Cycling Project. He was our TT leader and while proving to be frustrating at times, he eventually scored important points to help us survive in the PCT division. He leaves for a fee of 187k to Trans Looney Tunes.
 Kees Duyvesteyn
After riding for us last year as a stagiare, Kees now moves on to a newly formed team Polestar cycling. He'll spend the season there on loan and should get plenty of experience in the pro peloton.
 Ahmet Orken
Unfortunately it had to come to this. But the wage restrictions along with other constraints forced us into this move. We hope Ahmet can find a team soon and his development into the explosive sprinter he is meant to be.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of Cedevita
Edited by redordead on 28-09-2021 10:14
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| Nemolito |
Posted on 21-09-2021 22:29
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3367
Joined: 20-04-2020
PCM$: 425.00
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We should change sponsors, with all your Colombians and me going for the Balkan leader 
The level of the PCT puncheurs has not really gone down this transfer season, so I really hope EAB likes the switch to PCM20. Nice to see Pogi meanwhile really riding in your own team (not counting Avenir) for the first time this season. I hope he can give you some nice extra points in the mountains, with Alarcon the number one provider there.
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| redordead |
Posted on 22-09-2021 08:00
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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Nemolito wrote:
We should change sponsors, with all your Colombians and me going for the Balkan leader
The level of the PCT puncheurs has not really gone down this transfer season, so I really hope EAB likes the switch to PCM20. Nice to see Pogi meanwhile really riding in your own team (not counting Avenir) for the first time this season. I hope he can give you some nice extra points in the mountains, with Alarcon the number one provider there.
The nationality trolling doesn't stop even after the sponsor change
Pogi doesn't have as many RDs as you would think so I hope he doesn't use them like he races Avenir every year
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| redordead |
Posted on 22-09-2021 09:34
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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Press Conference: Team Presentation
Good day to Everyone!
This has been probably the most challenging transfer period since my time here. We went into transfers with what looked more like a CT budget than one of a team heading into it's 3rd season in PCT. Limited mainly to free agent signings we tried to attack the market in search of a big rider that would help us stabilise our team for years to come. Alas we simply could not compete with the high prices on the market and with deals we assumed we had not materialised, we had to change our approach at an awkward time.
We signed some good value riders in the early hours that should add some more depth to our squad. We also added some youth to our team as we took the decision that if we can't make a decisive move for the present, then we are better off making one for the future.
With that said I would now like to formally introduce Cedevita's 2021 rider squad.
Riders loaned in are in green, loaned out in red and stagiares in black
Now I will open the floor for your questions.
Q: Numbers wise there are many changes in the team, but the leader's department has not changed much. With Beltran and Saber both underperforming last year, is it fair to say not enough has been done to ensure survival?
Mervar: I would like to say "yes", but the truth is we will just have to wait and see. Transfers didn't go our way, but we believe that Eddy and Lahcen have more in the tank and Jose Alarcon can help us as well.
Q: Speaking of Alarcon. We haven't seen a climbing leader on the team since Jani Brajkovic in 2018 and they are very different riders. How does Alarcon's addition affect the rest of the team?
Mervar: We had a lot of empty trips from mountain races last year as our breakaway strategy simply did not work. Jose gives us a clear leader for some of those races and we feel we have decent support for him.
Q: Lahcen, you really struggled last year sharing sprint opportunities with Kris Boeckmans. This year you are the sole sprint leader, do you think this will suit you better?
Saber: Of course! I'd like to think we learned from last year. It wasn't Kris's fault, but race selection and planning wasn't ideal. I expect to contribute more results this time.
Q: You've added more depth specifically in the hills department, presumably to help Beltran against the improved opposition?
Mervar: Yes and no. Of course we want Eddy to do better and are committed to that. But we didn't know what would happen with other teams. Also riders like Zordan, Blikra and Le Gac will have their own chances in breakaways and such.
Q: A significant part of the budget went onto signing young riders in Ardila and Buitrago. Why? Surely there were better options available to help this team now?
Mervar: It was a tricky situation at the time with some deals falling through and we had to change gears quickly to secure them. It's not ideal in the present, but I think both will present great value in the future and are worth taking the risk.
That will be all for today's presentation. Thank you all for coming, I hope to see more of you during the year.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of Cedevita
Edited by redordead on 12-09-2022 08:10
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| quadsas |
Posted on 22-09-2021 09:48
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2518
Joined: 18-01-2013
PCM$: 300.00
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Alarcon should be a decent stage hunter and a great Tour d'Andorra rider, lack of TT will obviously be a big downside, but for only 300K that could be one of better FA additions points wise. Saber sucks
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 22-09-2021 11:10
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9099
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
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Nice interview. Hope the team can avoid relegation, but with the couple of questionsmarks (looking at Alarcon and Saber) it could very well be a hit or miss season. All the best!
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 22-09-2021 11:28
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11677
Joined: 27-07-2015
PCM$: 1861.50
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Improvement on last season's squad for sure in terms of a climber and depth behind Beltran. Hope Saber can find his previous form this season again. Look forward to following your season
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| Bikex |
Posted on 22-09-2021 11:44
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Team Leader
Posts: 7257
Joined: 25-08-2012
PCM$: 600.00
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I hope your team will be enough to avoid relegation. It would be a shame to have this team forced into the CT cap with all the developing talents.
It reminds me a little of one of my PCT seasons when I had to rely on some dubious leaders in Denifl, Kiserlovski & Franzoi that could either do well but also have complete off-days. I barely survived and from then on it went upwards.
I'm sure if you avoid relegation you will have a squad to build on from next year that will not come close to it again in the foreseeable future.
Anyways relegation will not be a topic if Beltran performs like two years ago! |
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| hillis91 |
Posted on 22-09-2021 13:48
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Team Leader
Posts: 5897
Joined: 30-11-2006
PCM$: 1500.00
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Katrasnik... I should've just met his demands...
Take good care of him and good luck this season
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| redordead |
Posted on 23-09-2021 07:18
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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quadsas wrote:
Alarcon should be a decent stage hunter and a great Tour d'Andorra rider, lack of TT will obviously be a big downside, but for only 300K that could be one of better FA additions points wise. Saber sucks
We'll see with Alarcon. I think it's going to be a battle of suckiness between Alarcon and Saber
Croatia14 wrote:
Nice interview. Hope the team can avoid relegation, but with the couple of questionsmarks (looking at Alarcon and Saber) it could very well be a hit or miss season. All the best!
Yeah the miss chances definitely feel bigger, but I play the game for hits not misses
AbhishekLFC wrote:
Improvement on last season's squad for sure in terms of a climber and depth behind Beltran. Hope Saber can find his previous form this season again. Look forward to following your season
It feels like you said the same thing last season in regards to climber depth Maybe Saber simply has to return to Philips to recover his lost mojo
Bikex wrote:
I hope your team will be enough to avoid relegation. It would be a shame to have this team forced into the CT cap with all the developing talents.
It reminds me a little of one of my PCT seasons when I had to rely on some dubious leaders in Denifl, Kiserlovski & Franzoi that could either do well but also have complete off-days. I barely survived and from then on it went upwards.
I'm sure if you avoid relegation you will have a squad to build on from next year that will not come close to it again in the foreseeable future.
Anyways relegation will not be a topic if Beltran performs like two years ago!
Relegation is a real possibility, but with only 3 riders declining next year and 5 riders maxing, this is the best shape the team has been in to tackle dropping down to CT I'm afraid the Beltran of two years ago is well gone now 
Thanks for your extensive comment
hillis91 wrote:
Katrasnik... I should've just met his demands...
Take good care of him and good luck this season
I was surprised to see him as a free agent, as I was pretty jealous you had him, especially after his performances last year. 75k is a very good wage for him and I'll try to keep him for as long as possible
Good luck to you also
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| hillis91 |
Posted on 23-09-2021 08:40
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Team Leader
Posts: 5897
Joined: 30-11-2006
PCM$: 1500.00
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I was pissed he wanted more then 50k
If he ever hits the market again, i should pick him up. As i "made" him the rider he is today! haha
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| redordead |
Posted on 24-09-2021 07:29
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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hillis91 wrote:
I was pissed he wanted more then 50k
If he ever hits the market again, i should pick him up. As i "made" him the rider he is today! haha
Hehe. You made him into a great rider indeed, but if you don't think he is worth more than 50k, then he is better off with me anyway
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| redordead |
Posted on 28-09-2021 09:03
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4881
Joined: 18-10-2017
PCM$: 200.00
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Cedevita 2021 Main Jersey
After three years of enjoying all the jerseys made for us by hoyle from Fenix Design it was time for a bit of a change. A new sponsor means a new jersey and with a new designer comes a new style and new ideas. We put our heads together with new designer ivaneurope as it was a long process, but we are absolutely delighted with the end result.
We will also take time to unveil every single NC jersey in the coming days as we are just as proud of those and we want our national champions to feel just as proud when wearing them.
Bostjan Mervar,
team representative and general manager of Cedevita
Edited by redordead on 28-09-2021 10:16
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| Nemolito |
Posted on 28-09-2021 09:55
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3367
Joined: 20-04-2020
PCM$: 425.00
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Lovely jersey, very cool sunglasses 
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