Hi, I'm playing 2015 and I hope some goodmen can give me some advice on how the cyclists market works. I'm in the second season of a career with Nippo Fantini, the idea is to try to enter the first league ... for now it still does not seem the case. Anyway, I'm now in the middle of the transfer window and I have some doubts. Is there any goodwill that can help me?
As I understand there is no" bond "of loyalty from the cyclists you already have in the team when you go for a renewal contract. When the contracts you have with them expire, they go to the general market and everything works like any other cyclist. Ah, and it can not be renewed unless the contract comes to an end. But if it so, what is the benefit to buy young riders with the idea of ​​making them better year by year? Being then hard for you to keep them in the team, actually they get better and so more tempted by other teams! So you have to offer more when you propose them a renewal. It would be better to go directly to the general market and look for some already skilled cyclists, isn't it?
- When a contract proposal is made, the rider tells you what he would like, in terms of salary and duration of the contract. I have seen that even when I put his exact request, it is difficult anyway to get that cyclist: the next day he tells me that other teams are offering more... So what I am expected to do? I propose a higher salary ... but how much big is "higher"? Is there some way to get an idea of ​​how much more I have to offer?
- Same thing for the duration of the contract. Do you have any tips on what to do when I contact a cyclist? Is it better to put more or less years than he asks for it?
- Do you have any advice on what is the best strategy for choosing cyclists in the market? (One of) the problem here is that the money I put in the several proposals are already included in the budget for salary until the runner responds definitively. So I can not make infinite proposals because I'm blocked from the salary ceiling for the next season. How do I move then? If you make proposals for both the strong rider (or riders) I'm interested in and at the same time on the less powerful ones until the salary budget is out, then I can not make a raise when I'm asked by the riders. If I quickly put money on the most demanding cyclist and see if I can get him, and only after put my attention to less skilled runners with remaining balance? Or otherwise, I take care firstly at the less powerful cyclists to be able to relaunch on them when asked by them, and only after I go to the strong cyclist with the remained budget? In short, how do you behave in transfer?
- Scout: But do they really are necessary? Or are they an avoidable expense? Now I have one scout, but he gives me not credible evaluation ​​even on my cyclists I already have in the team! When on the market, I actually look by myself for cyclists filtering the list of free ones: is not the scout in this case useless?
Thank you for your help!
PS: Just for chatting... in current market session I have lost Cunego (who was already in my team) because in the renewal proposal I put exactly what he was asking... finally he went to another team that obviously offered more. Not bad, in fact, since he was already falling in skills cause age. But I am sorry anyway, being a old cyclist in the team and I learned how to use him to win some races.
I'm waiting for a response from my young sprinter Grosu who I like so much, but I'm afraid of losing him because in this case too I offered exactly what he was asking me (1,000 more actually, just to feel a bit more relaxed...).
I took 4 new helpers (with High Plain and Resistance, and nothing else) to support the sprinters in the trains for sprints. A fifth went to another team because they offered more, the bastard!
I took Yates (the weaker brother) who will be the new captain. But seeing the mistake made with the best Yates (lost because I offered "just" little more than what he had asked...), so I offered a lot more and I managed to get it. Well, now I have to give him a very high salary ... how do I know how too much "high"?
I am worried about the good young riders I have in the team, their contract will expire next season, and then I have grown them for two years and most luckily I could lose them...
You really have to plan well because of the rule that limits you to only making offers you have money for.
Have a good idea what you need going into next season.
Figure out how much you are willing to spend on your top rider (captain) and his associated helpers. Budget for each section of the team, so you know who is in and out of your price range.
Assess your current team to see who you will offer contract renewal and who you will let go.
Shortlist the team you want and see if you have the budget to pay for it. Adjust until you and the beancounters are happy. Leave some room in the budget for negotiating with riders.
Send offers and pray. Have backup riders shortlisted in case your target goes to another team.
Realize you won't get everyone you want, and have a few cheap riders in there to make up the bodies.
Tips: Go for riders who aren't famous, but who can do well. They will not command high salaries.
Sometimes when a rider comes back and asks for more money...it's just a negotiating ploy. Just keep renegotiating the same wage and he may still pick you. It ain't over until he has signed a deal.
I'm almost finished with season 2 of my Lotto Jumbo save, where I'm limiting myself to Dutch, Belgian, and German riders. Goal is to be a well balanced world tour team, so I want four riders of each specialization...haven't achieved it yet.
I limit my rider contracts so that the max salary offered is 10% of the total salary available. This means my two stars (Vanmarke and Kelderman) are leaving for Lotto Soudal and Movistar respectively. Vanmarke I didn't even offer a new contract he was asking for so much. Kelderman I tried to keep but couldn't.
I've got a few good, but not famous riders to replace them...Vanmarke to be replaced by Keukelaire and Limpaert. I can replace Kelderman, but will try to make do with Mollema and Kruisjuik. I have Emmanuel Buchmann as my hope for the future.
Signed Bakelants and De Gendt and riders like that. I also keep track of the good young riders in my region and was able to snag Gunnar Winter, who won Amstil Gold at 19.
Thank you for your advise Supernutz!
So you are Lotto Jumbo, damn'it! The team I am fighting to be promoted in the first class!!
Just one question. Why are you looking also for young rider? He will probably fly away when his contract will expire, so why to focus on a not yet ready rider? This is one of the aspect of transfers that I have not understand yet...
Just one question. Why are you looking also for young rider? He will probably fly away when his contract will expire, so why to focus on a not yet ready rider? This is one of the aspect of transfers that I have not understand yet...
Young riders with high potentials are cheaper than already established riders in most of the cases, and some of them have really crazy ceilings, meaning that you'll have talents that you can develop and whose growth you can follow and enjoy
As a world tour team, I need a bit of depth to be able to score points throughout the season. Filler riders (avg skill <72) are cheap and give me the bodies I need to provide helpers for my strong men.
If I'm going to offer contracts to these riders, I'd prefer to offer to a rider with upside potential...rather than an old rider. Particularly if it's a 2 or 3 year contract. A lot can happen, and young riders can grow to become low level race poachers or breakaway winners...like my young Belgian time trialist Seye, who won a hilly stage of the Giro by being in the right break on a top form day.
It's probably not the most efficient play, but it jives with my style, doesn't hurt much, and feels right from a role play perspectivw
