The June PCT standing are out and AMEXpc is holding on to 10th place, but their lead is slowly being eroded. Any hopes of promotion to the Pro Tour based on their 2014 results are now lost. There is no possible scenario that they could earn enough points to move into 5th place.
The good news is that relagation, long a worry last season, also seems highly unlikely and only a complete collapse would see that kind of catastrophic standing drop. AMEXpc seems solidly settled into the middle third of the PCT standings.
What are the team's prospects for the remainder of the season. With just 1 more PCT and 1 CT level cobble race, the team needs to rely on their punchuers. Deiter Mehr-Wengie still has a good number of race days and he needs to show he is ready to emerge as PCT level leader. Fabio Taborre a solid hilly domestique will be counted on to earn points in the remainder of his races.
The real unknown is the young Marko Kump. Is he ready to demonstrate some of his potential? Kump is a very unique rider with sprinters speed and solid on the hills. He needs to have a couple big performances for AMEX to hold their top 10 position.
AMEX also has a couple of wild card - unknowns. Punchuer Jan Dieteren has already won once this season out of a breakaway. A repeat would make his season memorable. American cobble Robert Bush will get a really good opportunity to show his potential in the CT's Cigar City cobble race. His home country advantage just might help him to his 1st podium.
The AMEX sprinters are still too young to be a threat. Leader Paride Grillo is always without support in the final stages of his races. Forced to find a lead out with other trains. That is not a recipe for podium success.
Can AMEXpc finish in the top 10? I would have to rate their chances at about 40%. Too many positives have to align for them to secure that goal. They do appear to have enough firepower and momentum to hold on to a top 12 or 13 season placement.
Another old rumor has resurfaced. About a year ago rumors were flying that American Express was going to stop supporting cycling leaving the Utah based team to find a new sponsor. Many thought South American coffee producer was going to take over the team, but in an 11th hour decision American Express signed on for the 2014 season.
What is happening now appears to be American Expresses unwillingness to commit more funding required to build a promotable team or support a PT squad. The influx of German riders seems to perk one's suspicions towards that country when discussing a co-sponsor. German candidates abound but any with financial roots would be in conflict with American Expresses world-wide marketing plans.
One recent newcomer to the table is Garmin's German subsidiary Navion. Navion wants to expand to markets outside of Germany and the USA. A union of AMEX and Navion sounds like a real possibility. AMEX's director of marketing has scheduled a trip to Germany after the first of the year. Could it be to hammer out guidelines for a sponsorship merger?
========================================= Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
Dieter Mehr-Wenige did in fact train up his Hills by 1 point from 76 to 77. It has helped some but not as much as Breschel increase.
Last off season we were let of easy on salary demands, I suspect overall demands will be up. I would like to continue to allocate money to train each year, but we also need to secure another leader. Last year we lost out on three bidding wars, so monies were available for both Breschel and Mehr-Wengie to train.
What the 2014-2015 offseason will bring is still to come. Last year we failed all fiv of our goals, so our available money was limited. So far we have failed 1 goal and met 2 goals, so already we are ahead of 2013. Of the 2 goals remaining we have about 1 in 4 chance of reaching 1 and a 50:50 chance on the other.
========================================= Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
AMEXpc wants to thank the organizers of the Pro Tour for allowing us four Wildcard invitations in 2014. All four of them were for cobble races.
PT Points Scores: 502
to 10 Finishes: 7th Matti Breschel at Stradia Antica Appia
9th Matti Breschel at Rhonde Van Vlandaren
Points: Matti Breschel (248)
Bernhard Eisel ( 76)
Michael Kurth ( 57)
Marko Kump ( 41)
Stinjin Devolder, Robert Bush, Sven Krauss and Arnaud Godet
all with (20 each)
We are very pleased with our PT cobble results. We know that we will not have preference in 2015 but we will be applying with hopes a revisiting a couple of the PT cobble races.
========================================= Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
The 2014 Cycling season is in the books. AMEXpc's season is sort of Manic/Depressive. With 3 wins during the Spring cobbles races Bernhard Eisel (2 wins) and Matti Breschel (1 win) dominated the PCT cobble races.
AMEXpc also entered 4 Pro Tour cobble races and delivered solid Wild Card performances. With a 23rd place finish in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, then a 9th at Rhonde van Vlandaren, followed by a 16th in the Hell of the North (Paris-Roubaix) and capped by a 7th at Stradia Appia Antica.
After the great cobble season things slowly slide downhill from there. The only win on a hilly race was young Jan Dieteren who parleyed a split field (two Hilly classics on the same day) and a breakaway for his 1st professional win. Newly acquired Dieter Mehr-Wenige was consistent with several top 10 finishes but AMEX had expected more from him. Fabio Taborre was a solid point producer but not leader.
AMEXpc lost out on no less than 5 bidding wars for Punchuers last transfer season and you can bet they will be in the hunt again for a team leader for the hills.
In the Sprints AMEX made steady improvement. The development of youngsters Rudiger Selig and Theo Reinhardt did not show points success but they were key support for Sprint leader Paride Grillo. Grillo stepped up and had a big year for AMEX.
The downside of the season was that Time Trialer Patrick Gretsch after a good 2013, was a dud in 2014 scoring just a single point. Was that a terrible season for Gretsch or miserable race planning? Most say it was abysmal planning.
Speaking of planning AMEXpc took a media hit for not scheduling all 175 race days. That may have been a mistake but not as big as some think. The Block scheduling dictated the available races and AMEX's lack of stage races (well known around the PCT) left a poor mix of low level riders left to schedule in races they were not fit for. As the schedule played out even if we used every raced day possible we may have scored 10 more points.
Team MVP: Paride Grillo
He single-handly carried the Sprint squad all season
Rookie of the year: Arnaud Godet
Worked several breakaways ans scored 13 points
Most Improved: Matti Breschel
Two wins & many top 10's - showed well in PT races
Most disappointing: Patrick Gretsch
He just did not have a good outing all season
Several of AMEXpc's young developing riders had strong seasons:
Jan Dieteren - Won his 1st race and finished 14th in L'Avenir
Marko Kump - One of our steadiest riders all season on 3 different terrains - Sprints-Hills-Cobbles
Robert Bush - Young cobbler finished 5th out of breakaway at the Avila Classic.
AMEXpc completed 8 of out 19 Goal Points. They narrowly missed their Win Goal at the Avila classic when a breakaway took the win but AMEX had 3 riders in the top 10. They also missed a Top 5 goal at the tour of Beijing where the best we could do was 12th. The team standings goal was 10th in the PCT standings where we finished the season in 15th place with 2456 points.
AMEXpc management has to be pleased with the team's steady progress but a significant blame of their lack of goal success was due to managements failures.
* The failure to secure a team leader for the Hills
* In general the race planning was below par with Gretsch, Kump and Mehr-Wengie suffering for race placements
* For not using all 175 race days.
Looking forward AMEX has three riders who are starting to decline. Carols Barredo's abilities declined severely and it would be a major surprise if he is resigned. Stinjin Devolder was signed knowling he was probably a 1 year filler. He can still ride at the CT level and may be sign and then moved. Finally Team leader Bernhard Eisel is slowing. Is it enough to see him moved? That will depend on his salary demands.
AMEXpc will also have several level 4 riders who will need to be loaned out to the PT. Jan Dieteren, Robert Bush for sure need PT experience. AMEX has 2 young German Sprinters Theo Reinhardt and Rudiger Selig one will likely be loaned and the other will may have to stay if a Free Agent replacement cannot be found. Finally Marko Kump will be right on the cusp of needing a PT placement or being able to stay with AMEX and that will be determined by the PT race days we can get him in Wild Cards.
There also on-going rumors that the team will be adding a secondary sponsor in 2015. Over the last 2 seasons AMEXpc has signed 6 German's and it would seem that may be the direction the team plans to take.
========================================= Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
AMEXpc has meetings scheduled in Colorado next week to discuss re-signing riders and reviewing potential Free Agents. Inside sources say that Carlos Barredo is looking to step down to the CT and hoping to get closer to home to end his career. Barredo was a consistent performer in 2014 but he is no longer a strong PCT level performer. He feels his skills on Mountains, Hills, Time trails and Cobbles would make him a great fit for a Central European CT team.
Another rider likely to be on the move is Stijn Devolder. Signed just last off season Devolder was brought in to allow American cobbler Robert Bush to develop. Bush is likely to be loaned out to a PT squad this season, so many thought Devolder might stay for a 2nd year, but when he left after the season he was saying his goodbyes as if he did not expect to be back. A little for on this later.
Nuroblat Kulimbetov was given a Stagarie contract in 2014, but it does not appear he impressed the director or trainers. Not because of his potential growth, but he just did not appear happy so far from his home. You never know with young riders the first season is always the most difficult. After some time off he may want to return.
Two former team leaders have often been mentioned as potentially leaving. One had a strong season, but his age is catching up with him. Bernhard Eisel has been AMEXpc's best rider the last two seasons and management and sponsors want him back, but I expect a wait and see position will be taken to see what kind of shape he is in and what his contract demands are. Getting back to Devolder if Eisel is not resigned or slated to be moved and Robert Bush is getting loaned out, then Matti Breschel would be left alone and that would be a mistake. Look for Eisel to return.
The other former leader is Time Trialer Patrick Gretsch who had a miserable season in 2014 scoring just a single point. He will be 28 to start next season, so his skills are solid. AMEXpc has already acknowledged that they butchered his racing schedule. Gretsch and his agent met with DS Martyn Haly at season's end. What they discussed was the need for AMEX to enter more stage races where his prolog skills can be turned into points.
Next update will look at soon to be 3rd year pros, German Jan Dieteren and American Robert Bush.
========================================= Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
