Lipton as decided to remain as the team's main sponsor for 2011. To the press, the CEO explained why.
"It was a great year with them. They didn't reach their goals as they would like, but we showed our company and that is important for business. 2011 promises to be a great season, i'm confindent about the goals set to this year.".
As for Luis Antunes, DD of Lipton Ice Tea, he stays in charge of the team, and, like Lipton's CEO, he fill's good about 2011.
"We have reviewed our team goals, and, after a really hard work, we we're completely satisfied on what the team can achive during 2011. Sella is still our number one star and the Giro is, of course, a main goal, but i believe, that, this season, someone else will jump to star land."
Giro d'Italia - Top3 Vuelta as Asturas - Win Tour de France - Top5 Deutschland Tour - Top10 Pro-Tour Team Standings - Top 5
In: David Arroyo - 604,750€ (700,000€, Domina Vacanze) Kris Boeckmans - 150,000€ (Free Agent) Davide Appollonio - 60,000€ (Free Agent) Romain Zingle - 50,000€ (Free Agent) Matthias Brandle - 200,000€ (Free Agent) Elia Viviani - 200,000€ (Free Agent) Emanuele Rizza - 50,000€ (Free Agent) Jure Zrimsek - 50,000€ (Free Agent) Ricki Nelson - 65,000€ (Free Agent) Drasutis Stundzia - 56,000€ (50,000€, Loaned from Vesuvio-Acumulax, Lipton pays full wage) Tom Danielson - 200,000€ (500,000€, Team Starbucks-Radioshack) Francisco Matamoros - 50,000€ (Free Agent) Sergio Ghisalberti - 230,000€ (600,000€, Sony Ericsson) Matt Rowe - 60,000€ (Loaned from Wiggle San Pelegrino, Lipton pays no wage)
Out: Thomas Frei - 50,000€ (Swap with Arroyo) Hector Dueñas Nevado - 50,000€ (Swap with Arroyo) Aleksandr Khatuntsev - 50,000€ (112,500€) Alberto Loddo - 102,250€ (100,000€) Iker Camaño - 170,000€ (Loan to Bimbo Nutella) Vitor Rodrigues - 70,000€ (Loan to Bimbo Nutella) Francisco Perez Sanchez - 200,000€ (1,600,000€) Ricki Nelson - 65,000€ (Loan to Bimbo Nutella, pays 30,000€ wage) Kris Boeckmans - 150,000€ (Loan to Team Highroad-Tom-Tom, pays 100,000€ wage) Romain Zingle - 50,000€ (Loan to Team Highroad-Tom-Tom) Elia Viviani - 200,000€ (800,000€) Matthias Brandle - 200,000€ (Loan to UniCredit Pro Cycling Team, pays 100,000€ wage) Arnaud Coyot - 84,000€ (Swap with Tom Danielson) Davide Appollonio - 60,000€ (Loan to Wiggle San Pelegrino, Lipton pays full wage)
Green - Into the safe Red - Out of the safeEdited by jolly_antunes on 27-03-2010 22:41
Lipton Ice Tea has the pleasure of announcing a gazilion of new riders. Ok, not a gazilion, but they are 9.
David Arroyo - 604,750€ (700,000€, Domina Vacanze)
Starting by crazy man and new team second co-leader David Arroyo. The spaniard will give us plenty to cheer up (and if he doesn't, a kick ass is in the contract).
Kris Boeckmans - 150,000€ (Free Agent)
Future sprinting sensation, Kris Boeckmans was quite a catch. Yes, he'll take time to develop, but we have for the first time, a (to be) great sprinter. Happy candies all over!!
Davide Appollonio - 60,000€ (Free Agent)
We gotta have more than to be awesome sprinters, but Appollonio was so lovely (and quite good), that we had to hug him really hard. He's just 22, he's badongz good (i just made up a new word).
Romain Zingle - 50,000€ (Free Agent)
Over with the sprinters, let's go puncheurs! Guess what, another big ass lack in our team. But hey, we don't like to disrupt the system, and so, he's you and wainting to develop big, so he's going to CT this season.
Matthias Brandle - 200,000€ (Free Agent)
This was the big deal. You can turn this G' into anything, even a quite little puppy dog!! Madness!! Now seriously, this dude has impressive TT skills for a guy with 22 years of age and first season pro.
Elia Viviani - 200,000€ (Free Agent)
Another 22 year older (you filling a pattern right?) that can turn out to be as good as Brandle in TT skils. But, instead of climbing to the skies habilities, Viviani has a flatter hability: sprinting like a mad man. Let's see what's his option.
Emanuele Rizza - 50,000€ (Free Agent)
Enough with the young guns, let's go to good solid helpers. We do have a surprise sprinter in Avelino (who the hell makes the stats, he's portuguese, it's impossible!!) and we need a lead-out man. Loddo is gone to wonderland visiting Alice, so we snatched another italian, a cheaper italian.
Jure Zrimsek - 50,000€ (Free Agent)
Team time trials can become important in GC battles, so Zrimsek comes to save the day. He's a nice all rounder, not mad like, but he can be quite helpfull in other thurfs. Yes, he reasonably sprints too.
Ricki Nelson - 65,000€ (Free Agent)
Ok, i bluffed, sorry. We do have another sprint, and he's a young hottie. Well, he looks Mr. Bean along side with Brandle or Boeckmans, but he does his thing and we know he'll become better, that's why he's getting loaned.
Tom Danielson - 200,000€ (500,000€, Team Starbucks-Radioshack)
One of the best american climbers in the peloton as just arrived. Tom Danielson comes from Team Starbucks-Radioshack, in a deal that involved our beloved cobble helper, frenchmen Arnaud Coyot. Danielson should be quite a good help to our leaders, after the departure of Vitor Rodrigues and Iker Camaño.
Francisco Matamoros - 50,000€ (Free Agent)
Not much to say about this fellow. Spanish helper in the mountains, wich we need as you know.
Drasutis Stundzia - 56,000€ (50,000€, Loaned from Vesuvio-Acumulax, Lipton pays full wage)
The lituanian as proved himself good in beating the ticking clock and that's why Lipton decided to go for him. He's only loaned for this season, but we know every help is essencial.
This ain't over
A possible big acquisiton for Lipton Ice Tea is probably already moving, as reports suggests that italian puncheur Sergio Ghisalberti may be in the move to the portuguese Pro Tour squad. The 32 year old still represents Sony Ericsson, as he represented last 2 seasons.
Sergio Ghisalberti - 230,000€ (600,000€, Sony Ericsson)
Oh yes, you're not drunk. Ghisalbert just arrived!! The italian puncheur comes to fulfill a gap that has never been filled in Lipton's history (just the sponsors before). Ghisalberti will, of course, be the leader when the hills call.
The real deal. The man that has been leading this team for the past two years (third this season). With him, is almost a certain fact a Giro d'Italia top5, and some more results during the season. Yes, he does lack the Time Trial abilities, but that's why we have more leaders.
It's clear as water, that Kashechkin always suited the Tour de France. After two years ago top5, last year he tumbled during a flat stage and knocked his chances of repeating it. This year, he's going to make it the best of his career, and what manager can say no to one of the best stage racers out there?
Just arrived, David Arroyo should be our Vuelta a España choice. Some say that the amout of Time Trials in this years edition will kill the Spaniardh, but we wanna believe that Time Trial is overrated and Arroyo will be there to, at least a top10.
Now the surprise. Ratiy is still young, and even last year was doing water boy job in some races. This year, should be diferent, but it's still quite a question mark, but, of course, we will have to risk in some random race to test his abilities against the big boys.
Remember last year, we struggled pretty damn hard whenever there was a mass sprint? Well, look closely, we won a motherf*** mass sprint and packed with great sprinters!! ZOMG!!
Now tell me the portuguese suck ass when it comes to cycling
Disragarding that, it's our first win of the season in the season opener, so we're all glad that we can start on the right track, to, who knows, clinch ProTour title.
