Regarding the number of transfers this was a rather quiet transfer season for King Power. However looking at the quality of the riders being involved we can surely speak of some big changes. If they were for the good of the team remains to be seen.
#1 Departures
Unlike in recent year the management decided to offer all riders that were on the payroll during the last season a new contract for 2021. All riders that left were part of deals with other teams.
The big name leaving is obviously last year's 7th in the PT Rankings Alexey Lutsenko. After a rather disappointing first year on the team in 2019, the Kazakh superstar turned his fortune around with a phenomenal 2020, including victories at the Amstel Gold Race and Japan Cup. For the new season we found a deal that saw Lutsenko join the Galacticos of cycling at Isostar. We wish him all the luck at his new team that will be in pursuit of defending their PT title. It was a pleasure to offer Lutsenko a spot on our team for two seasons after he was a goal for us for many years before already.
Lutsenko winning a close sprint at the top of the Cauberg
The second big departure is the one of Matthias Brändle. The Austrian contributed to the teams result with consistent scoring throughout all of the three years on the squad. Brändle follows the same path as most of our aging leaders by joining Lithuanian powerhouse Red Bull Žalgiris.
Brändle on his way to take the general classification at the 2018 Post Denmark Rundt
Also leaving is another time trial specialist in Elia Viviani who was part of the team only for last season. He did well in his job and was part of the team winning the opening TTT at the Giro, personal highlight was a 11th GC at Praha - Karlovy Vary - Praha. Viviani will ride for cycleYorkshire in 2021.
A sentimental goodbye is the one of Muhamad Zawawi Azman who was signed as a talent in 2018. Azman came close but never could deliver a big result for our team. He took a step down and will lead CT team Strava in uphill races.
Like Brändle also Daniel Teklehaimanot reached his point of decline meaning there is a contract waiting for him in Lithuania. The Eritrean was a valuable member of the team last season, where he was part of many breakaways, peaking in a 2nd place at stage 18 of the Giro and Top 30 GCs at the Giro and the Tour.
Despite being still partly paid by us, it is also time to say goodbye to Dennis Van Winden who is currently on loan at CT team McCormick, supporting their push for promotion. After returning he won't receive another contract. Van Winden was a strong member of our time trial setup for two years. Like Viviani he played a part in our victory of the opening stage at the Giro. Other than that his best results where an 8th and 9th spot in the GC at the PTHC race Deutschland Tour.
Leaving on loan is also Sakchai Phodingam who will be supported in his development by Indosat Ooredoo in PCT.
#2 Arrivals
Matej Mohoric on the attack
As part of the deal that saw Lutsenko leave the team we acquired two Slovenians that were part of Isostar's PT winning team. The first one is Matej Mohoric who will take on Lutsenko's role in the team. Mohoric does not possess the same punch or speed as the Kazakh but fits our longterm plans better, as he is two years younger and has a lower wage.
Matej Mohoric, 27, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 490.000
OVL
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
79,03
72
71
83
64
78
72
72
50
67
77
71
79
64
The other one is Primoz Roglic who will lead us in stage races and GTs. There are enough stage races on the calendar so that he won't interfere too much with Reis' schedule.
Primoz Roglic, 32, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 350.000
OVL
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
77,99
71
80
76
72
75
76
75
66
69
74
72
71
70
It is with great pride that we can finally announce the signing of the biggest Thai talent up to date. Yuttana Mano will, after being already on loan on our team last year, join us for good this year. Mano joins us thanks to our cooperation with Red Bull Žalgiris.
Yuttana Mano, 24, 4.46 XP, Wage: € 85.000
OVL
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
74,56
71
70
74
77
71
72
72
62
60
66
69
72
75
2022
71
72
75
79
72
73
74
62
60
66
69
72
77
The other Thai talent we were able to sign besides Mano is stage racer Thanakhan Chaiyasombat, who will spend his first season on loan at McCormick Pro Cycling. We are pleased to see that our work in the region is starting to pay off.
Another neo-pro that will play a part in our longterm plans is Rune Herregodts. The Belgian timetrialists with also strength on raising roads joins us from the free agency. This promising skill-set made us willing to offer him a wage of 225.000
Rune Herregodts, 23, 1.60 XP, Wage: € 225.000
OVL
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
71,04
72
68
70
70
69
73
64
65
67
69
73
66
73
2024
73
75
75
77
74
78
71
65
67
70
74
66
80
Final free agency signing is Portuguese cobbler Ricardo Ferreira. We remain to have strong links to the country on the Iberic peninsula. Ferreira will be the strongest domestique of in the offseason strengthened Kasperkiewicz.
Ricardo Ferreira, 29, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 135.000
OVL
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
75,39
73
57
68
63
74
70
69
79
71
69
71
71
63
Besides Mano we also acquired the services of climbing talent Jan Drago Petelin in the deal for Brändle. Petelin was already a part of our team for a short moment in the 2020 transfer season before being transferred to Žalgiris.
Jan Drago Petelin, 25, 4.25 XP, Wage: € 50.000
OVL
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
73,44
69
76
72
62
70
70
70
50
54
73
70
61
61
2022
69
78
74
62
70
71
71
50
54
75
72
61
61
This year we provide a spot on our roster for two loanins. Justas Beniusis is a strong Lithuanian timetrialist that will already play a major part in our setup this season. Zeke Mostov is part of our program for underdeveloped cycling nations started in 2019, that, in cooperation with McCormick Pro Cycling, sees a rider from the United States of America being offered a spot on our roster every year. Also he will be part of our timetrialing squad.
#3 Training
Due to him being training eligible at already 25 we planned to invest into Hsu Hsuan Ping's abilities as early as possible. The overall formula calculations for sprinters made us change that plan slightly, but in the end we still decided to improve his sprint stat by one point.
Hsuan Ping Hsu, 25, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 155.000
OVL
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FI
DH
PR
76,41
75
64
67
69
75
70
73
72
79
79
67
71
69
**
**
**
77,02
75
65
67
69
75
70
73
72
80
79
67
71
69
Besides that we reacted to Rafael Reis' poor showings in last years races and gave him a little bit more punch. Hoping it will increase his motivation not to randomly drop back in important stages.
Zeke Mostov is part of our program for underdeveloped cycling nations started in 2019, that, in cooperation with McCormick Pro Cycling, sees a rider from the United States of America being offered a spot on our roster every year. Also he will be part of our timetrialing squad.
You sure you don't mean underdeveloped cycling teams? Not sure a nation that boasts Phinney and Dombrowski and, of course, the incomparable Holloway, can be underdeveloped.
Awesome team for this season! You have a lot of riders I’d love to have ride on my team one day so will follow you very closely. That wage on Mohoric should be investigated though, how is it that low?
Matej Mohoric, 27, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 490.000
Yuttana Mano, 24, 4.46 XP, Wage: € 85.000
Rune Herregodts, 23, 1.60 XP, Wage: € 225.000
Ricardo Ferreira, 29, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 135.000
Jan Drago Petelin, 25, 4.25 XP, Wage: € 50.000
Hsuan Ping Hsu, 25, 4.100 XP, Wage: € 155.000
