Jaguar-Eritel will enter renewals with 24 African riders on the roster, many of whom will be riding stronger than ever next year thanks to development riding for us this season, or from a loan out to another team.
To allow flexibility for the team, a number of them may be released into the free agency to allow opportunity for the African talent to spread to other teams. And should space remain at the end of transfers, they can hope yo be re-signed with our squad.
But for now, let's have a look at how the team is shaping up.
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Berhane
Natnael
68
78
75
65
77
74
73
52
62
68
67
71
65
4
100
Teklehaimanot
Daniel
68
77
74
74
72
72
76
55
64
67
73
67
74
4
100
Afewerki
Elias
70
63
59
63
75
61
80
68
75
78
68
70
66
4
43
Teklit
Tesfar
70
70
77
64
75
72
70
59
64
70
60
67
64
4
100
Amanuel
Meron
69
67
75
58
73
70
67
51
67
71
71
68
64
4
100
Tewelde
Jani
70
57
63
53
71
70
67
56
73
73
60
51
67
3
3
Eyob
Mektel
67
69
69
65
71
65
67
55
62
60
65
70
65
2
0
Berhane has impressed during his first season as team leader, and now Teklehaimanot, a more complete stage racer, will return to provide ample support. Two more returning from PT loans are puncheurs Tesfar Teklit and Meron Amanuel, the latter having supported Alarcon to a GT victory. Sprinters Afewerki and Tewelde continue to develop, and may seak PT loans this year.
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Lagab
Azzeddine
73
64
71
73
72
67
60
76
72
74
75
67
75
4
100
Reguigui
Youcef
71
74
70
71
70
68
69
50
63
69
68
62
73
4
78
Hannachi
Abdelbasset
71
53
65
62
71
67
72
54
75
76
63
59
62
4
100
Hamza
Faycal
71
52
62
72
71
69
67
50
56
68
67
63
75
3
8
Algeria has come into focus as a key area for the team following the hugely succesful season of Azzeddine Lagab, which included a ProTour podium and a stage race victory. Not bad for a rider we initially expected to sign for one of the other African squads! Stage race talent Reguigui returns from an invaluable year at Rothaus, while Hamza is an upcoming time triallist.
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Ayoune
Ismail
71
57
66
65
72
66
74
64
77
75
62
75
67
4
100
Lahsaini
Mouhssine
69
73
72
68
66
73
71
50
59
64
74
61
68
4
100
Abelouache
Essaid
70
60
73
62
70
68
68
71
62
63
67
60
63
4
100
Khederi
Souheil
67
72
74
61
67
66
69
59
58
71
65
71
59
4
12
Ayoune excelled as a leadout option for Sam Bennett this year, while Lahsaini and Abelouache have been vital support riders over the past two seasons. Their versatility has been important, but as other riders have developed, their places are less secure. Tunisian Khederi has eyes on a year at ProTour level.
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Cisse
Issiaka
72
53
63
67
72
67
77
62
76
75
73
59
65
4
40
Anguilet
Charles
65
74
72
63
68
70
71
50
57
62
69
60
63
4
32
Konte
Bassirou
70
64
74
65
67
70
70
64
62
71
76
66
65
4
100
Bakari
Amadou
58
53
54
54
58
56
59
81
61
60
58
59
54
4
51
Cisse is another of our developing sprinters and along with Anguilet, who spent last year at Kenya Airways, will have an eye out for interested PT teams. Konte has been such an important rider on the hills in past seasons, but the return of Teklit and Amanuel may lead him to seek opportunities at a CT team in a permanent move. The legend Bakari will be released into the free agency in the search of a CT team willing to take a chance on him as leader for C2 races.
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Biziyaremye
Joseph
66
74
71
69
70
68
72
50
52
61
57
75
62
4
100
Bintunimana
Emile
67
50
64
66
68
69
65
63
73
72
58
67
71
3
1
Hadi
Janvier
66
69
66
70
69
67
67
61
62
63
67
68
70
3
2
Manfred
Hussein
69
69
68
54
69
63
65
50
62
63
77
64
54
2
5
Drobisch
Till
67
60
63
70
67
68
65
52
60
67
70
60
70
2
5
Biziyaremye is a key rider for the team's Rwandean interests currently, alongside the inexperienced Bintunimana and Hadi. Manfred chose us over his home nation team last year, while Drobish is our sole southern African rider.
---
It is not yet time to go fully African, so our British Isles team leaders of Bibby, Dowsett and Bennett will continue to be a crucial part of the team.
Edited by SportingNonsense on 24-02-2015 23:13
That is a lot of african talents, i love the work you are doing with development of african cycling, as manager that also like to develop the certain region.
Some of the african guys seem good enough to score points in PCT, but it makes sense that Jaguar still need to rely also on british leaders.
Yep, it's nice to be able to strengthen an entire region of cyclists. Berhane and Lagab did well last year, and it will be interesting to see if more can follow them into points scoring positions.
Jaguar withdraw sponsorship, Tennant to leave
Today the Jaguar car company has decided to end their sponsorship deal with the team. When they took over at the end of the 2012 season there were 17 British riders on the squad, but now that figure has fallen to 5 and is expected to reduce further as Andy Tennant will be looking for a new team having failed to ever establish himself as a regular points scorer, despite some shining moments over the years.
This ends a long line of British sponsorship for the team, from BBC and the Procycling magazine, to 100% Me to Rapha Condor and then Jaguar.
Eritel entered sponsorship at the same time as Jaguar, but are expected to continue. More African sponsors are being lined up to fill the financial gap currently open.
Interesting news from african camp, i wonder what company will cooperate with soon to be former Jaguar team. (actually i know like 0 african companies).
It looks like the aformentioned process of removing the british influence begins, also with possible Tennant move.
He would be perfect rider for Metinvest, but i suppose his wish is either PT money, or having a kind of CT leadership in TT heavy races?
The Wikipedia pages "List of companies in <insert African company here" may well have been used
To be fair the British influence has been declining for a couple of years. Tennant could go anywhere really, he has his uses in all divisions, and I'm not going to make any restrictions like I did with Stannard.
SportingNonsense wrote:
The Wikipedia pages "List of companies in <insert African company here" may well have been used
To be fair the British influence has been declining for a couple of years. Tennant could go anywhere really, he has his uses in all divisions, and I'm not going to make any restrictions like I did with Stannard.
I've used that wikipedia page a lot when looking for a new co-sponsor myself :-p
I wonder if that is how real life cycling teams find sponsors... How else could "Phonak Hearing Systems" have ended up as main sponsor? (I always found that really strange). I actually found a company that produced machinery for blood-storage, really hard to not use them as co-sponsor :-p
SportingNonsense wrote:
The Wikipedia pages "List of companies in <insert African company here" may well have been used
To be fair the British influence has been declining for a couple of years. Tennant could go anywhere really, he has his uses in all divisions, and I'm not going to make any restrictions like I did with Stannard.
I've used that wikipedia page a lot when looking for a new co-sponsor myself :-p
I wonder if that is how real life cycling teams find sponsors... How else could "Phonak Hearing Systems" have ended up as main sponsor? (I always found that really strange). I actually found a company that produced machinery for blood-storage, really hard to not use them as co-sponsor :-p
Actually there's a simple explanation
Andy Rihs founded Phonak Hearing Systems and well he loved cycling so he wanted a team ( to add to that he now is the manager of BMC making them richest team by owner (if by corporation that Sky would win obviously).
Many teams in past and now are involved because the manager of that company is cycling mad. Lampre for example is a good example as well.
...
I am glad you sold me Froome and not Dowsett this year Edited by Alakagom on 26-02-2015 15:50
Pretty amazing development roster considering Jauguar still managing to compete well in the PCT standings. I wonder if this will help encourage a new entrant to join the ranks of the Afican squads? More intrigue for the off-season!
Whatever the case, whoever replaces Jaguar as sponsor looks like being in a good posiition to start relying on some of these developed riders to start leading the team and making good points contributions.
Following the departure of Jaguar, it can be revealed that our team name in 2015 will be: Eritel - Sonatrach
The telecommunications corporation Eritel () are stepping up to provide the majority of the team's sponsorship, with Eritrea remaining the largest focus of our African contingent.
Joining them in named form are the large state-owned Algerian company Sonatrach (), who deal with hydrocarbon resources. With the breakout season of Azzeddine Lagab, securing major results at the top level of the sport, and the exciting development of riders such as Youcef Reguigui, the time was right for an Algerian sponsor to begin investment into the sport.
The departure of Jaguar did leave a hole in the sports car department, an aspect which no self-respecting team can do without. So in come Laraki () who not only will provide are team cars and buses, but will also be venturing into the field of bike design too.
Finally we have also brought in some Rwandan investment, who could not be more pleased with today's result of a clean sweep of the national championship time trial podium. Flying us to our races in style will be Rwandair ().
New sponsors of course means a new jersey, and that is currently in the finalisation stage of the design. The green will be gone, but the replacement should still be something that catches the eye in the peloton!
