AbhishekLFC wrote:
What's with all (returning manager notwithstanding) of the conglomerate having a TTT team now?
Ferreyra is cheap compared to last year!
Classic groupthink from us really For me maybe like knockout a couple of years ago perhaps 10 years is as long as the bit could stretch before you want to end it
Aside from Bennett and the time triallists, three other signings were made in transfers: two young riders from either side of the Tasman, and a northern classics rider to replace the outgoing (on loan) Florian Vermeersch, who was exchanged with Carlsberg late in transfers for the outgoing (permanently) Daan Olivier.
Lukas Meiler 31 | Maxed | 119,000
FL
MO
MM
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
74
65
70
74
64
72
70
71
77
63
71
75
66
64
Lukas Meiler is a great classics rider and a second German signing for us after Heidemann earlier in transfers. He'll be our leader for the cobbled races on the calendar while Vermeersch is out on loan and hopefully he can score solidly and maybe spring some surprise results. His strength also lies in the hills which will see him also feature in the punchy races as a support for our leaders there. He comes from the unit that supported David Per for Carlsberg and that's great experience to have in the group, and when afforded opportunities to ride for himself a bit more in previous years as the former #2 option there scored over 300 points in 2024.
Dylan Hopkins 25 | 3.38XP | 65,000
FL
MO
MM
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
73
65
68
71
65
69
65
64
63
68
69
75
66
68
...
78
67
70
73
67
72
68
67
65
70
73
80
68
70
It's been a while since we had a full-time Aussie on the team, but much like Kelland O'Brien, Dylan Hopkins makes a great argument for why we added two this year. A versatile rouleur, he is a developing rider who could go in many directions, the one above being as a "fighter" route which we would consider as a kind of long-term Tesfaye Heyi replacement, with power on the flats, skills across terrains and a real punch. Much deliberation to be done!
Lewis Bower 22 | 1.00XP | 260,000
FL
MO
MM
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
70
62
66
70
64
67
73
64
66
72
74
73
68
67
...
73
65
71
78
64
74
77
72
66
77
79
78
69
67
77
62
67
71
64
72
77
76
70
79
81
73
69
67
The real prize for us this transfers if it couldn't be Kanter, would obviously be the headlining new Kiwi talent in Lewis Bower. After not being able to chase Pithie to our fullest extent, we weren't missing out on this guy. Another versatile youngster who can go down many roads (while specifically not being suited to fighter training - I'm sure somehow that's deliberate!), we've presented the most basic puncheur and sprinter options here but obviously will likely end up mixing it up somehow - but we'll let you all wait and see where that goes! The Kiwi Demare? Or an extremely well-rounded sprinter ripe for training into one of the world's best? The future is bright for young Lewis.
We nearly signed him for an absurdly cheap 100k, though we still believe his final wage represents a bargain. He'll ride in the PCT on loan with our friends at SparkNZ - Liquigas, surprisingly the first Xero rider to do so (though four have gone the other way - about time Spark pulled their weight to be honest!). There he will begin his pro career and development in the peloton before hopefully returning to Xero already quite a useful rider at 23 in the 2027 season.
Wasn't going to let you have Bower that cheap Really a big fan of the more hill dominated route as he still has great SPR and ACC. Indeed a Demare type rider and I still think a very fair wage. You can certainly expect your Aussie team across the ditch to come after him in a few years!
No hard feelings 
.jpg)
Lukas Meiler.jpg)
Dylan Hopkins.jpg)
Lewis Bower
Really a big fan of the more hill dominated route as he still has great SPR and ACC. Indeed a Demare type rider and I still think a very fair wage. You can certainly expect your Aussie team across the ditch to come after him in a few years!
