Thanks to everyone who came to rescue after my distress call!
@viking90: It's always preferred to sell to lower divisions indeed. If you really want Weber, I feel like SotD isn't averse to resell his new additions, just try next season.
Yeah, Hadi is three domestiques in one for 50k. Definitely full RD for him.
I'm not a fan of one-dimensional TTers just signed for three days per season, so I'm glad I could fill my squad with those guys, they all fit our philosphy and dual focus perfectly.
@Yellow Jersey: Thank you very much! There's one more final detail to be announced after transfers of course.
@roturn: I very much appreciate that we didn't clash this transfer season. I predict that to not be the case next time around...
I guess that Cavagna + Ganna for just 40k more than vdP alone is a good trade for having to loan out one of them.
Rest assured that if either had gone to extreme levels, I'd have challenged you for van Hooydonck. But in the end, the Nick Nuyens trauma from our early days kept me from being able to look past that 59 sprint.
@Croatia14: Thank you! Good to know it's not just all in my head. I certainly let go more than I gained this season, but I'm not aiming to win the title this time, or in any future season for that matter.
Ganna will be developed slowly to ensure his wage won't skyrocket, he's gonna be a great rider but with an OVL that comes very close to Fiedler's. Therefore, I prefer spending another year to max him out over carrying over this initial wage into the big OVL gains. Maybe I can even get him down to 50k in two years.
(oh, and I didn't have the cash for the clause...)
@jandal7: I certainly didn't expect to get em all, or at least had planned to spend another 100k total on them if necessary. Obviously, Puma can't go without a red stat talent per transfer season!
I know Hadi is least suited to PT of all divisions, but I hope some unique stages will allow him to shine. At least we'll all be able to spot him!
@fintas: Well thank you for that! I know it's tough to decide on a vision for the future once you manage to promote and actually get that cap space increase, the first time around I went down again on purpose and I'll never regret that, but it's definitely a huge risk.
It was rather surprising indeed to see only LLS in the fight for Ganna, there were some horrible nights of little sleep because I was certain any page refresh would ruin my plan...I figured there must've been lots of managers making a narrow decision against Ganna for various reasons.
Ganna is an absolutely amazing talent although i would surely train him differently. I loved the idea of making him an Ignatiev type of rider much more than making him a Rohan Dennis kind of rider but obviously my ideas for squad building dont match well with the ideas of most others. Could not go for him because that Eislers lad was just too damn tempting
You're talking about switching the level 2->3 and 4->max increases to time trial instead of stage race, I assume? Resulting in +4fl, -4mo, +2res, -2rec.
I see your point, it's far from unreasonable. We gotta see what kind of direction the team will be heading below our two everlasting leaders.
We can't forget though that it's very likely that we'll eventually switch to a PCM version where extra MO helps throughout all kinds of stages. And we're a couple of years from having to make a decision on this anyway, I don't see an alternative to stage race being the first gain.
Also, maybe we'll get a hilly stage racer stat gain category one day, which will obviously be even more intriguing. And who knows, maybe I get Kämna next season as well, and can do one of each routes?
Track-TT instead of TT/Stage Race and possibly all way long. I didnt play with his possibilities enough to be certain in a choice but id think that stage racer would make him into a racer standard TTer with a cool higher prologue stat without any training. e.g. Track-TT all day long would make him into a rider that i find the most interesting. Maybe not the best but the most interesting and unique one. Maybe even Track-Sprint to get his wages down in the future, to get more Acc and that high TT stat is just annoying either way for a cool rider like him
Probably also explains why he didnt top my shortlist
Great presentation. Happy to be mentioned aswell. We definately appreciate our relations aswell!
Weber will be our lieutenaint in cobbled and part of the leadout train. He is s perfect match imo.
I would consider Ganna differently too, while Cavagna will be a better rider if ignoring the TT stat and just be harpy about it already decent... I struggle to finde the value in going from 73 to 75 TT, as it will be useless (and within seconds) in ITTs, while he wont be much better in TTTs (shouldn't be a part if you want to win, and if you want to limit losses, He's already good enough). He could become better at HI, SPR and ACC doing another route, which to me makes more sense, both in terms of his own scoring potential, but also his leadout/domestique role.
Woah, getting ripped to shreds here by someone that called this option "a very good option" in a PM just yesterday...
Well you all know, the good thing about this is that I own them while you can only daydream about their future skills.
@knockout: Track-TT would make a glorified Lasse Norman Hansen out of him and Track-Sprint a better Chavanne, not sure if that's inherently unique.
I get your stance, but I believe he has a lot more potential to unlock than "Sütterlin but also a leadout and if that one break per season sticks".
@SotD: That will certainly be considered for Cavagna, especially in support of Demare, that would give him an edge.
As I said in private before, he'd have an extra 0.7 OVL though, not quite helpful if he's supposed to stay a domestique. But rest assured there's a huge excel file in progress for him.
I assume you do mean the Ignatiev route for Ganna at least. Who knows. Glad that you like the post and the team though!
Transfer season is not over until it's over, which was again proven this year.
Despite publicly stating that Team Puma - SAP was done with our transfers, there has been continuous activity on the market, resulting in the loss of another rider as well as reaching contract agreements with three new riders.
In a late move to unlock our full cap space, we have reached a mutual agreement with Johannes Heider to end his time at Team Puma - SAP.
Heider has been an integral part of our GT and stage racing squads since 2013, the second year of our existence.
We have never had any complaints with his work, which mainly consisted of supporting whoever leader we were fielding, from Jurgen van den Broeck over Dominik Nerz to Silvio Herklotz, as well as mainly Wilco Kelderman in hilly races.
However, Heider has turned 31, and we expected to part ways with him relatively soon anyway. When new German Continental team Oberfranken approached us, we saw the perfect opportunity for Johannes to spend his last few seasons of his prime in an environment that should provide opportunities to pursue his own results in CT, rather than being reduced to carrying bottles and chasing breakaways.
We thank Johannes Heider for his services and wish him all the best!
As mentioned above, three new riders will be riding in the Puma jersey next season besides the ones already presented.
One signing was loosely tied to the Ganna loan deal with Euskaltel - Elior, while the two Free Agents were high on our list for a while, and we were lucky to have had them fall under the radar enough to still be available by the time we had the money to bid on them.
Anton Martin right where he needs to be: next to a leader's jersey
Francisco Anton Martin joins us for a fee of €50.000 from Euskaltel - Elior in a deal that was facilitated by our earlier talks about loaning out Filippo Ganna to the PCT outfit.
As a pure sprinter, the Spaniard's appearance in races will heavily depend on the route as well as Arnaud Demare being there. He is slightly faster than our other leadout options, but less likely to feature in hillier stages.
On the other hand, in races without Demare, you might see Anton Martin get a shot himself, to represent our jersey in the mix in sprint finishes.
Francisco Anton Martin
4.100
30yo
Sprinter
€50.000
Fl
Mo
Hi
TT
St
Rs
Rc
Co
Sp
Ac
Fi
DH
Pr
70
66
68
60
73
69
73
58
76
76
66
64
60
Guy Sagiv is an interesting young Israeli that we would love to develop into a versatile powerhouse in the future.
Primarily proficient in engine output on flat and hilly terrain, he also has a nice little kick at the end of races.
With Jetse Bol slowly getting older, we believe we found the perfect eventual replacement in Sagiv.
Guy is a guy able to chase all the guys in any breakaway on his own for hours,
but Guy also possesses all necessary abilities to help a breakaway succeed and be the winning guy in case he finds himself on the other side of the gap.
Arnaud Demare will certainly grow very fond of this guy soon.
Guy Sagiv
3.00
24yo
Baroudeur/Puncheur
€50.000
Fl
Mo
Hi
TT
St
Rs
Rc
Co
Sp
Ac
Fi
DH
Pr
73
63
72
60
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69
76
65
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63
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75
65
75
60
73
71
78
66
71
72
66
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70
Luca Wackermann should not have remained available throughout most of transfer season in our opinion, but we gladly took the opportunity to change that and approached the Italian allrounder.
Luca's skills are very reminiscent of an old legend of ours, Mickaël Delage. A perfect domestique on everything but mountains, with a great sprint to utilise for himself, or preferably for the sprinter on his wheel, both being far fresher than similarly fast riders who suffered througout the day.
With Felline, Hadi and Cavagna, we already have great versatile leadout riders, but with a monster like Demare in need of their services, we believe it's impossible to have too many of such riders. This acquisition should also reduce the pressure on their shoulders, as we will be able to specifically select the perfect rider combination for each race depending on its exact characteristics.
Luca Wackermann
4.100
26yo
Sprinter/Puncheur
€50.000
Fl
Mo
Hi
TT
St
Rs
Rc
Co
Sp
Ac
Fi
DH
Pr
74
68
74
53
74
74
73
56
74
72
70
64
51
Stay tuned for more exciting news tomorrow! And no, we're not sorry.
After six years of sporting our classic aidanvn13 design in Pro Tour, Pro Continental Tour and Continental Tour, the management of Team Puma - SAP has decided to modernize the team outfit ahead of the imminent 2018 season.
Now, as everyone involved with the team is very proud of its history and in particular the incredibly steadfast commitment of its two main sponsors (and practically all minor sponsors) throughout its entire existence thanks to incredible success on the road and a continuously positive public image, we contacted renowned jersey creator hillis91 with the clear intention to keep the jersey recognizable, while still offering a fresh, neat design.
We believe that this goal has been achieved, so we are proud to present the new jersey for Team Puma - SAP!
Team Puma - SAP
*additional credit still goes to aidanvn13 for the original design idea*
In further, in our opinion not any less important, but even prettier news:
With Wilco Kelderman's dominating win in the Dutch National Championships, as well as the acquisition of Janvier Hadi, who similarly stunned the opposition in Rwanda, we have two distinctive jerseys among our riders in the upcoming season.
After a constructive collaboration with hillis91, we have found the perfect way to indicate to the peloton and the cycling world what special achievements have been accomplished by these two riders.
These will be the beautiful jerseys worn by Kelderman and Hadi in all mass start stages in 2018.
Wilco Kelderman - Dutch National Road Race Champion
Janvier Hadi - Rwandan National Road Race Champion
We are immensely grateful for the efforts made by hillis91, and very happy with the results. Thank you!
It is time to aim high in the Grand Tours.
Silvio Herklotz has maxed out his abilities (for now), and after taking a year off the GTs, he has set his eyes on the interesting route of the Vuelta.
It is entirely unknown what effect the flat first half of the race will have on the startlist quality this season and how he will handle the TTs, but we are confident that regardless of the opposition, Herklotz will have the strength to compete for this podium spot.
Milan San Remo - Top 3
We yet again hope to make it on the podium in the first monument of the season.
As a recurring goal from the two years prior, we haven't been able to come closer than 6th so far (disregarding Bennati's third place in 2013), but with the improved sprint ability of Demare, we hope to leave some more rivals behind and finally achieve this.
Ronde van Nederland - Win
With a profile that suits Demare like no other stage race this season, it was an easy call to put a special focus on this new race in our neighbor country.
More or less undulating profiles on all three stages and the F1 system should reward consistency and energy management over top speed on a flat finish, so we believe that the punchy sprinters will prevail here. That still means tough fights with riders like van Stayen and Kump, but Demare has come out on top on more than one occasion before.
Tour of California - Win
Being in a race clash with the Giro and downgraded to the PT HC calendar since 2017, we hope to benefit from a weaker startlist on the US West Coast and allow Herklotz to fight for his second stage race win in that category. The prologue and hilly stages appear to be to his advantage.
ProTour - Top 5
We admit that this team goal appears quite optimistic in the wake of Blythe and Ciolek leaving the team, but we chose to aim high this year.
Last season, we missed the Top 5 due to some disappointing races that mainly originated in crashes. With the increased focus on bike handling imposed on the general team training by the MGUCI this season, we hope to become more consistent.
Ideally, adding some high-profile wins to our palmares with the improved Herklotz and Demare will help us fight until October for this goal. We accept coming close as a success.
Rider Training
Arnaud Demare
27yo
Sprinter/ Puncheur
Fl
Mo
Hi
TT
St
Rs
Rc
Co
Sp
Ac
Fi
DH
Pr
73
66
79
61
75
72
80
63
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81
70
63
61
↓↓↓
73
66
79
61
75
72
80
63
82
81
70
63
61
Yet again, Arnaud Demare has put in the extra effort in the off-season to polish his skills and increase his abilities.
After the departure of Gerald Ciolek and his sprint train was communicated within the team, the management approached Demare and expressed its intention to rely on him as the team's main sprinter for the future.
Therefore, a particular focus this year was set on his maximum power output at the end of races.
We expect this improvement to be of huge value in the years coming.
I do not like this top 3 goal in Vuelta because it is exactly like one of mine, not good news for Cattaneo since Herklotz is without doubt a rival to the height
All goals seems very much doable, although the Win in Nederland will depend on both quality and some luck as riders such as van Stayen, Kump, Grosu, Bewley, van der Lijke, Houle or a breakaway puncheur might be an equally good bet.
Herklotz at the Vuelta brings some joy to me, though!
SotD wrote:
All goals seems very much doable, although the Win in Nederland will depend on both quality and some luck as riders such as van Stayen, Kump, Grosu, Bewley, van der Lijke, Houle or a breakaway puncheur might be an equally good bet.
Herklotz at the Vuelta brings some joy to me, though!
@tastasol: Dan Martin surely is quite an opponent for Herklotz with very similar stats, on a good day I do think he can overcome the -1 mo and end up ahead.
Maybe we can team up for some strategic advantage though?
@fintas: I'm sorry about that, but on the other hand thanks for not sending Gesink there.
Cattaneo will like the amount of TT kilometres and the lack of hilly stages, so it could be a tight fight. Good luck until then!
@SotD: It's definitely a gamble, but we needed a PT stage race goal (so it was between this and Suisse at most) and I wanted some leeway regarding transfer income from Blythe et al, so I went for the extra budget point with the win goal.
That decision might bite me in the ass in the end, but for now it did its job to get Demare to where he is.
I'm extremely happy that we're heading for at least one jersey win in the Vuelta then, although it'll take nearly two weeks to get into white anyway. Thanks for your priority setting, I guess! Go get the other two.
Team Puma - SAP 
Wilco Kelderman - Dutch National Road Race Champion
Janvier Hadi - Rwandan National Road Race Champion
