Having already scored themselves a marquee signing for the season in the form of Alexandr Ovsyannikov, Tryg - ENI's options for further movement were quite seriously curtailed. It was necessary to mobilise a not insignificant number of resources in order to secure the Kazakh star. Despite a number of interesting propositions and some light sprinklings of speculation, absent the departure of one of the squad's key components all that remained was to smooth out the sharp edges.

The first potential pitfall to be filled in was the lack of a leadout train. The arrival of Casper Pedersen had provided one building block and the development of Rasmus Iversen into a capable rouleur had conjured up another, but it was only once the team had secured the signature of Fabio Silvestre that Démare's supporters could become confident that he'd have the support he needed for the coming campaign. At 34, Silvestre is entering the twilight of his career; having spent nearly a decade as one of the top sprinters in the peloton, he has a wealth of experience to draw upon when shepherding Démare into the closing kilometres.

Nor is the Portuguese limited to just one note. In addition to his duties as a leadout man, we wouldn't be too surprised to find him spending a raceday or two in the saddle of a TT-bike. Considering this selection in conjunction with the arrival of Scott Davies, who has joined on a temporary loan from Lidl Cycling, it is evident that Maes has managed to put together a rather well rounded TTT squad. It is a discipline which is relatively unfamiliar to the former flandrien but after the disaster at the Tour of South Africa - where Démare, who had been on track for an easy overall victory, lost more than five minutes in a single stage - it was readily apparent that it was not sustainable to simply ignore the issue. Although they might not be staffed with the biggest names and, thus, might not be capable of topping the charts, this new crew ought to be better at maintaining the cohesion necessary to keep the leadership on the straight and narrow.

Whereas Davies and Silvestre can slot into the timetrials with immediate effect, the team's final signings was one for the future. A promising young rouleur, Adam Holm Jørgensen is the latest Dane to enter Tryg's development programme. Already he and the earlier-arrived Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen are already drawing comparisons to another Danish duo: Tryg - ENI's very own Rasmus Iversen and Mathias Norsgaard. Denmark were just one step away from victory in the TTT at the 2023 World Championship; is it that much of a reach to imagine they will make it to the top once Holm Jørgensen and Søjberg Pedersen have matured? With potentially half the team riding for Tryg - ENI as well, exciting stuff!

Even if the fanfare hasn't been quite as significant for this trio as for the earlier signings, that shouldn't diminish their impact. Maes has done very well to round off the team with some quality domestiques, adding much-needed depth and character to the squad. In Silvestre there is a chance to wipe away the memory of Kump; of slightly lesser renown, but perhaps slightly better performance. In Holm Jørgensen there is one for the future. In Davies there is the added layer of protection needed to ensure Tobias Halland Johannessen's return is a successful one. Not long now before we get to see the lads in action.

⮩ TMM, LLS, quadsas, Nemolito, Abhi, redordead: Ovsyannikov!

Nice to see the number of fans Ovsyannikov has already. I think that the (not at all veiled) allusion is as far as I can go on confirming what kind of personal development Ovsyannikov might be undergoing over the off-season, at least until the finalised training lists are released. I'm hoping that the slight decline in quality on the pavés will be enough to secure the immediate impact some of you have predicted. If it was last season and we had to compete against Stallaert and Theuns at the height of their powers I don't think much would come of it. As it stands, though? There is some slight hope.

⮩ TMM: Pedersen!

We would've loved to have had Pedersen last season as well, but given we didn't acquire him yesteryear the next best moment has to be this year. It really is perfect: we have the history, we have the nationality, and we have the need.

⮩ jandal7, kandesbunzler26, Nemolito: Søjberg Pedersen!

Given the success we have had with Norsgaard (thinking particularly of his efforts to secure us promotion back to the ProContinental Tour) it was really a no brainer to go after Søjberg. I'm surprised he didn't end up more expensive, although the decision to let go of Blume Levy (and the resultant bidding war) might have played a part in that. With this one I'll be sure to hold on tight.

⮩ redordead: Wright!

I think Wright is the class of our loan-ins this year. Can only say that I have been very grateful to have his name on the teamsheet whilst I've been planning the squads for the coming season. Apologies for not having as complete coverage of the guys on loan; they'll be sure to receive some highlights once the season-proper begins.

The departure of Similo Nyoni means that the world will have to miss out on the beautiful Swazi jersey that the team at Gobik had been cooking up. Fortunately, Costa Seibeb did stick with the team following his double in the Namibian National Championships; this means he will ride in the national colours in both road and timetrial stages. We also secured another national champion from the transfer market: Fabio Silvestre being the Portuguese representative in this year's peloton.