We understand all of the interest in Maes' future and we appreciate all of the interest in him. He will definitely be leaving us in the transfer season and as with all of our leaving riders he will be going to the best bidder. We will, however, give priority to interesting trade offers for riders from the Benelux or France. We are particularly looking for a top time trialist.
And with the ban on wage discussions lifted here are the wages of our team for next year. Many of our riders took a pay cut and only Vansummeren had a greatly increased wage demand on last season, which we have grudgingly agreed to.
Nikolas Maes €310,000 Pieter Vanspeybrouck €290,000 Cyril Gautier €190,000 Jelle Vanendert €180,000 Niels Albert €175,000 Michiel Elijzen €150,000 Johan Vansummeren €120,000 Joeri Stallaert €85,000 Remco Broers €65,000 Ben Curfs €50,000 Francis De Greef €50,000 Frederik Frison €50,000 Welle Jallays €50,000 Mathieu La Lavandier €50,000 Maxime La Lavandier €50,000 William Maesen €50,000 Kevin Peeters €50,000 Jan Polanc €50,000 Tom Stubbe €50,000 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck €50,000 Sven Vandousselaere €50,000
Heine wrote:
Maes went up in wage Still (to use your words) affordable ;-)
Yeah, unfortunately. His first demand was over €400,000, which he is certainly not worth but I got him down to this. Still for someone who has got a top 10 at Roubaix to his name and was 2nd at E3 last year, it is a pretty decent sort of wage.
Earlier today there were reports that the manager at Team BPost is unsatisfied with Vansummeren's wage and may be seeking to transfer him out. We decided to contact him to see if there was any truth to the rumours. The manager had this to say:
"We stated before the contract negotiations that we were not going to let Vansummeren leave and ideally we would love to see him stay on the team, but that comment apparently made him rather confident and he demanded a wage that we believe is worth more than he brings to the team. As such I would like to state that we will listen to offers for him, though we will require a good offer as he is still one of the most versatile domestiques in the peleton."
We're yet to decide whether we'll have a secondary focus on cobbles this season, but if so, especially Remco Broers and, to a lesser extent, Francis De Greef very much attracted our attention.
cio93 wrote:
We're yet to decide whether we'll have a secondary focus on cobbles this season, but if so, especially Remco Broers and, to a lesser extent, Francis De Greef very much attracted our attention.
De Greef is available for transfer at this point in the seaosn though he is quite a good buy at minimum wage, so we will have to think about any offers. Broers could be available for the right price as well, depending on how the transfer season shapes up.
With the transfer season in full swing, the first wave of free agency signings have come through and we are proud to report that the first rider to join our team for next season will be Romain Zingle!
Zingle spent last year riding for Webeffect but when they became defunct he was left without a squad. Of course, we always have room for talented young Belgians on our team and so it is with pleasure that we can report that he will be riding in our colours next season. He will form valuable support for our lead puncheur and we expect him to continue to develop in our squad this season.
In related news, we expect to have an interesting report concerning our current lead puncheur, Jelle Vanendert, once a major transfer has been finalised. This is some of the most exciting news imaginable for our squad.
Team BPost Signs Superstar - And There Was Much Rejoicing
Today we are delighted to announce that just minutes ago a transfer was made official which brought in none other than the Belgian time trial champion Dominque Cornu! The deal cost us a fair amount of money and, we are sad to say, our lead puncheur Jelle Vanendert.
Cornu brings to the team the qualities of one of the best time trialists in the world, including a win in the final stage of the Giro d'Italia last year. He will assume control of the team whenever there is a time trial involved and thankfully he can climb the hills incredibly well to hold on to whatever lead he gains in the TT.
With Cornu on our team we are growing more and more confident that we can fight for promotion this season. On that note, with Vanendert leaving, Cyril Gautier will take over as our lead puncheur. We expect to see him attacking for victory come the hilly classics.
Cornu is one hell of a time triallist at this level. However it appears as if there are other really strong time trialling men in the PCT next year.
Two years ago no-one could touch Ignatiev, Wiggle only had to put out half a team and he still would win easily. (Literally 3 support riders for one small stage tour). Only Ian Stannard could beat him and the Brit is allergic to hills.
Excellent signing I think though Count for Bpost, the guy in man game terms is a bit of Belgian icon (okay not Boonan) definately one of the main reasons for their medal at last years worlds.
Smowz wrote:
Cornu is one hell of a time triallist at this level. However it appears as if there are other really strong time trialling men in the PCT next year.
Yeah I figured there might be but on the other hand Cornu is only €200,000 for me meaning that I can still have a great team around him and in other areas.
Smowz wrote:
Excellent signing I think though Count for Bpost, the guy in man game terms is a bit of Belgian icon (okay not Boonan) definately one of the main reasons for their medal at last years worlds.
Yeah I am so surprised to have him. I never thought that he would be affordable but once I learned that there was an interest in Vanendert on the other side, it took me all of 10 seconds to re-think my transfer season and I am really happy with the results.
As is well known, Cornu is the Belgian ITT champion and as such he is entitled to wear the national jersey in all time trials throughout the season. Our shirt designer ANFreeman has been hard at work and has produced the following masterpiece. We wish to thank him for his hard work:
A full summary of our 2013 team will be forthcoming soon.
Cornu was our biggest signing over the transfer season. He is the sort of rider who doesn’t need an introduction – Belgian TT champion, winner of the last stage of the 2012 Giro and 11th in the TT World Championship, amongst other great results. He joins us from the Jack Wolfskin squad. A brilliant TT rider and strong in the hills, he will hopefully bring in a great number of results for us and help spur us on towards our promotion goal this season.
Pieter Vanspeybrouck
Age: 26 Specialisation: Cobbles Wage: 290,000
After a great season last year Pieter returns in our colours, ready to once again show his mettle in the cobbled classics. This year he hopes to win one race on Belgian soil, as well as defending his crown at the 5 Jours de Dunkerque. Our team is built around him again, with plenty of cobbled domestiques to guide him to victory. We also hope to get a chance to send him to the Ronde van Vlaanderen this year, where he can show the rest of the world why he is one of the best at what he does.
Cyril Gautier
Age: 26 Specialisation: Hills Wage: 190,000
Gautier spent last year as a domestique for Jelle Vanendert and with the Belgian puncheur leaving, Guatier takes over the reins. This year, however, he has been busy in training camps throughout the off season and we hope that he can take his first win in a classic this year, which would be a huge boost to the young man’s morale. Not only can he climb hills really well, but he also possesses a strong kick which can be used to finish a race off, as shown in the MTN Classic last year.
Sprinters
Romain Feillu
Age: 28 Specialisation: Sprints Wage: 200,000
Our main sprinter this season, Romain Feillu joins us from the free agency. He can climb better than most sprinters and indeed we have sent him to a short training camp with Gautier to try to help him get over other hills. This will hopefully lead to him delivering several victories this season, something which our team lacked last year.
Mathieu Drujon
Age: 30 Specialisation: Sprints Wage: 200,000
Drujon is slightly faster than Feillu in a straight-up sprint, but can’t climb quite as well. This season will see him mostly in flat sprint classics, where we hope for some strong results as the season progresses. He won’t have a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but we hope for at least one victory this season.
Super Domestiques
Niels Albert
Age: 27 Specialisation: Cobbles Wage: 175,000
Albert took more wins than any other rider on the team last year, with 4 great victories including our home Tour of Belgium and the queen stage of the 5 Jours de Dunkerque. He is teaming up with his best friend Pieter for the third year running and once again we expect that they will form the best pair of cobbled riders in the world.
Johan Vansummeren
Age: 32 Specialisation: Classics Wage: 120,000
A crucial part of both our cobbled and hilly line-ups, Vansummeren is also one of only 2 riders over the age of 30 in our team. He took a great victory with a late attack on the flat stage of the HC Criterium International last year, showing that he is a man capable of taking victories in any situation. This year we expect him to work for both Vanspeybrouck and Gautier, while also hoping that he will take any opportunity that presents itself.
Remco Broers
Age: 25 Specialisation: Cobbles Wage: 65,000
One of the main helpers in the early stages of any cobbled race will be Broers. Expect to see him pushing the pace as the race hits the early cobbled sections. He showed his worth after helping Boom to his World Championship win at the end of last season and he hopes to bring that high morale to the team this year.
Jerome Cousin
Age: 24 Specialisation: Hills Wage: 65,000
Wherever Gautier is this season, his faithful compatriot Jerome Cousin will be following him, helping him with water bottles or pulling back breaks or just generally keeping him out of trouble. Cousin is another rider capable of taking his own chances if they come up. We also hope that in future seasons we can turn him into an even strong puncheur who will be able to win races in his own right.
Domestiques
Francis De Greef
Age: 28 Specialisation: Stage Racer Wage: 50,000
There was a bit of a question mark hanging over De Greef continuing in our team at the end of last season but he has stayed on with us. He will not be leading our team in any races, unlike last year, but instead he will be helping Gautier and Cornu in various stage races and classics. He showed his ability when he helped Vanendert to his sole victory last season.
Sven Vandousselaere
Age: 25 Specialisation: Time Trial Wage: 50,000
Sven is very close to completing his cycling apprenticeship and we expect that next year he will take on a vital role in our team. This year, however, he will mostly be helping our two sprinters by chasing breakaways and helping to set up the early parts of a sprint train.
Joeri Stallaert
Age: 22 Specialisation: Sprints Wage: 85,000
One of our biggest signings last year was the neo-pro Joeri Stallaert. He learned a lot last year and comes to the team this year as one of our key leadout men and also as one of our cobbled domestiques. After this season we would like to see him taking on even more of a role in both of those facets and hope to see him leading in a few sprints next year.
Ben Curfs
Age: 23 Specialisation: Stage Races Wage: 50,000
Another rider who we expect will finish his apprenticeship this season is the 23 year old Ben Curfs. He was 15th at Avenir last year and spent the entire season racing in the ProTour, where he was constantly in breaks. He is not going to have a particularly busy schedule this season as most of our races won’t suit him, but he will be a key domestique for any stage racers we have in future seasons.
Romain Zingle
Age: 26 Specialisation: Hills Wage: 80,000
We attempted to sign Zingle last season but were unsuccessful. This time, however, we were able to pick him up from the free agency. He still has some development to go but for the moment he makes a great hilly domestique. In the future he will be a strong puncheur, either leading a smaller team on his own or helping whoever our leader happens to be.
Jonathon Dufrasnes
Age: 26 Specialisation: Classics Wage: 50,000
Equally capable of riding on both hills and cobbles, Dufrasnes will be lending support wherever we need him. We will be seeing how he does this year before evaluating a more permanent position next year, but for now we hope that he will do us proud.
Kris Boeckmans
Age: 26 Specialisation: Sprints Wage: 90,000
Though he is rather behind in his development for his age, Boeckmans is an incredibly gifted sprinter for the future. This season he will be acting as a lead-out in many races, as well as hopefully sprinting to a few decent results as the season wears on.
William Maesen
Age: 22 Specialisation: Stage Races Wage: 50,000
Another one of our future climbing domestiques, Maesen is already showing his remarkable ability to recover after each day of riding. He will mostly be helping out in the hills this year, given that we are avoiding mountains like the plague, but we are sure that he can learn valuable lessons there.
Tim Declerq
Age: 24 Specialisation: Classics Wage: 60,000
The best comparison for Declerq’s future would be as someone who can do the same things as Vansummeren – that is to say, whatever is required of him. Whether it is climbing hills or riding over cobbles, Declerq will be able to do it all day without complaint. We are glad to have him on the team and we are sure that we can further he development.
Mathieu La Lavandier
Age: 22 Specialisation: Climbing Wage: 50,000
The first of the two La Lavandier twins, Mathieu is a bit further along in his development. He will be helping in classics this year, particularly looking to help his countryman Gautier.
Maxime La Lavandier
Age: 22 Specialisation: Climbing Wage: 50,000
Maxime is not as far into his development as his twin brother, but we are hoping that he can make some advances this year which will convince us that he is worth keeping in the team.
Guillaume Van Keirsbulck
Age: 22 Specialisation: Cobbles Wage: 50,000
Van Keirsbulck is just like Albert – brilliant on the cobbles and perfect as a helper for a great leader and we are sure that with our help Van Keirsbulck can develop to his full potential with us in this field. Certainly this year he will mostly be riding cobbled races to learn as much as he can.
Eliot Lietaer
Age: 23 Specialisation: Hills Wage: 50,000
A young puncheur who was a rather late addition to our team, Lietaer will be acting as a domestique this year, possibly entering into some breaks throughout the season to try his luck. Mostly, however, he will be performing some underappreciated work on the front early in races.
Out On Loan
Welle Jallays
Age: 24 Specialisation: Time Trials Wage: 50,000 Riding At: Pokerstars.com
Jallays will finish off his training this season and will finally be able to come back to us as an accomplished time trialist who can also climb hills fairly well. He will work with Vandousselaere and Beukeboom in future seasons to form a solid basis for a TTT train.
If Stallaert was our biggest young rider signing from last year, then Wellens is our biggest this year. This man is the next Merckx – he will one day be capable of winning a GT and he will be doing it while riding in our colours. For the moment, however, he will be riding in the Continental Tour.
Frederik Frison
Age: 21 Specialisation: Time Trials Wage: 50,000 Riding At: Die Berg Komt Er
Frison rode with us last season but we feel that he would benefit from a season racing in the CT to gain more experience. We one day plan on using him the same was as Vandousselaere – a time trialist who can also serve as a solid lead-out man.
Dion Beukeboom
Age: 24 Specialisation: Time Trials Wage: 50,000 Riding At: Wikipedia
While he won't be riding for us this season, Beukeboom is a promising Dutch TT rider who will form a crucial part of any TTT train which we form in future seasons.
Edited by CountArach on 19-12-2012 05:58
This is a seriously nice team! The wages are all good, there is a good amount of versatility, althought GC riders aren't that fantastic, and then the amount of talent is spot on. You have really hit the nail here mate. If you don't promote this season, you will the next, and you will have a lot of PT potential riders with you, which will make survival fairly "easy". Very well played!
I really like your focus on Belgium/France. Only Beukeboom is not from there.
Would really like to have such a regional focused team and I already do some plannings for 1-3 seasons from now to have only 3 and maximum 4 countries then.
Nikolas Maes €310,000
Cyril Gautier €190,000
Michiel Elijzen €150,000
Jan Polanc €50,000
Still (to use your words) affordable ;-)
