Usually at this point in the season we're looking ahead to being in a different division, and so discussing the development of our talents takes a back seat. This season is different though - with a month of racing to go we look safe in the PT, and will spend back-to-back seasons in the same division for the first time since 2013-2014 (and for only the second time in the team's history). And with an exciting group of talents about to complete their development, the timing couldn't be any better!

Cees Bol will hope to emulate the success Kemboi and Kamberaj had this season in our colours, with each winning multiple GT stages. Having already taken a stage win as an unmaxed rider this season, we're excited to see him fully developed.

Simone Velasco has been a revelation this season, showing considerable skill in finding the right breakaway and competing for KoM jerseys in almost every race he's entered. While his future with the team is less certain than our other talents, we're glad to have played a role in his development.

Steff Cras is one of our homegrown talents, joining the team as a first year professional. Having had little chance to contribute so far, we're excited to see him next season as a key stage race domestique before he takes his final step in his development.

Inigo Elosegui is another homegrown stage race talent, like Cras. His abilities to suffer and recover are exceptional, and we think he'll have quite the future - especially given he'll be at his peak by the age of 25. Next season he'll get chances to prove his worth as a GT domestique.

Edoardo Affini joined us at the same time as Cras, and will become a key part of our TTT squad next season - before getting chances to ride for himself when maxed. While not the strongest pure TTer, he's a good all rounder and has a huge engine, which we hope will help him overperform from time to time.

Zisis Soulious has had an unlikely journey to get to this point. Passed over by Greek PT team Festina for some of his countrymen, we picked him up as a stagiaire planning to develop him into a sprinter. Then, our scouts noted his explosion and strength uphill and suggested we go a different route - and now the rest is history, with Soulious set to become a key rider for us on multiple terrains!

Enzo Wouters was another rider our scouts identified who we felt that been undervalued by other teams. What he lacks in top speed he makes up for in other aspects - be that going uphill, being hard to drop, or excelling in the final week of GTs. His development plan reflects that, with us choosing to make him slightly slower but more well rounded by training him as more of a fighter than a sprinter.

Georgios Boutopoulos is a late bloomer and a rider who can do a bit of everything. We've decided to develop him as a cobbler, but not in the traditional way. Recognising that he lacks top end cobbles ability, we've decided to equip him with the tools to do well from breaks and on harder terrain - as well as to be a threat from the break in other types of races.

redordead wrote:
Looks like your talent factory is still working at close to full capacity

I'm interested to see how Soulious does as I think you outbid me for him iirc