Cycling transfers: The transfer carousel is still turning. But it's getting slower and slower. The Israel Start-Up Nation team has already completed the team planning. So now we know which helpers Chris Froome can build on in the coming season.
How strong is Chris Froome's team?
It was a bang when it was announced a few months ago that Chris Froome was leaving Team Ineos to join Israel Start-Up Nation. Since then, every transfer has been closely monitored. Among other things, Chris Froome can build on his new teammates Michael Woods (EF), Alessandro De Marchi (CCC), Carl Fredrik Hagen (Lotto - Soudal), Sep Vanmarcke (EF) and Daryl Impey (Mitchelton - Scott) in 2021 - definitely strong newcomers . But is that enough?
Will Chris Froome return to the top of the world?
Because many were just as surprised by how the Brit presented himself this year as by the transfer itself. In almost every race, he was distanced early on with absolutely no chance. There was nothing left of the fact that he once won the Tour de France four times. It's quite possible that the team is strong enough in the end, but the captain simply can't match his old level of performance. It certainly wouldn't be a shame. After all, Chris Froome will be 36 next year and his comeback after his serious fall is almost a sensation anyway. Nevertheless, in a few months, the Israel Start-Up Nation will perhaps ask themselves whether they backed the right horse...
All cycling transfers at a glance
Even after this season we have to say goodbye to some professionals. Among others, Oscar Gatto (Bora - hansgrohe), Stijn Vandenberg (AG2R La Mondiale), Yoann Offredo (Circus - Wanty Gobert), Adam Hansen (Lotto - Soudal), Michael Albasini (Mitchelton - Scott), Jürgen Roelandts (Movistar), Enrico Gasparotto (NTT) and Pieter Weening (Trek – Segafredo) their careers.
AG2R – Citroën
Additions: Greg van Avermaet (CCC), Bob Jungels (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), Lilian Calmejane (Total Direct Energie), Michael Schär (CCC), Marc Sarreau (Groupama - FDJ), Damien Touze (Cofidis), Gijs van Hoecke (CCC ), Ben O'Connor (NTT), Stan Dewulf (Lotto – Soudal), Anthony Jullien (AG2R La Mondiale), Nicolas Prodhomme (Cofidis)
Departures: Romain Bardet (Sunweb), Alexis Vuillermoz (Total Direct Energie), Alexandre Geniez (Total Direct Energie), Pierre Latour (Total Direct Energie), Silvan Dillier (Alpecin – Fenix), Quentin Jauregui (B&B Hotels – Vital Concept), Harry Tanfield (Ribble Weldtite), Axel Domont (Retired), Clement Chevrier (Retired), Stijn Vandenbergh (Retired)
Astana-Premier Tech
Additions: Yevgeniy Fedorov (Vino - Astana Motors), Gleb Brussenskiy (Vino - Astana Motors), Matteo Sobrero (NTT), Javier Romo (?), Ben Perry (Israel Cycling Academy), Andrea Piccolo (Colpack - Ballan), Stefan de Bod ( NTT), Samuele Battistella (NTT)
Departures: Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar), Daniil Fominykh (Retired), Zhandos Bizhigitov (Retired)
Bahrain-McLaren
Additions: Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott)
Departures: Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani – CSF – Faizanè), Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar)
Bora-hansgrohe
Additions: Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb), Nils Politt (Israel Start-Up Nation), Frederik Wandahl (ColoQuick), Jordi Meeus (SEG), Giovanni Aleotti (Friuli ASD), Matthew Walls (?), Ben Zwiehoff (?)
Departures: Rafal Majka (UAE), Jempy Drucker (Cofidis), Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar), Oscar Gatto (end of career)
Circus—Wanty Gobert
Additions: Rein Taaramäe (Total Direct Energie), Baptiste Planckaert (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles), Louis Meintjes (NTT), Jan Hirt (CCC), Lorenzo Rota (Vini Zabù – KTM), Jonas Koch (CCC), Georg Zimmermann (CCC)
Departures: Timothy Dupont (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles), Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin – Fenix), Yoann Offredo (end of career), Fabien Doubey (Total Direct Energie)
Cofidis
Additions: Jempy Drucker (Bora - hansgrohe), Simon Geschke (CCC), Jelle Wallays (Lotto - Soudal), Ruben Fernandez (Euskaltel - Euskadi), Tom Bohli (UAE), Szymon Sajnok (CCC), Remy Rochas (Nippo Delko One Provence) , Andre Carvalho (Hagen Berman Axeon), Thomas Champion (?)
Departures: Cyril Lemoine (B&B Hotels - Vital Concept), Luis Angel Mate (Euskaltel - Euskadi), Damien Touze (AG2R - Citroën), Dimitri Claeys (Qhubeka - Assos), Marco Mathis (?)
Deceuninck—Quick Step
Additions: Josef Cerny (CCC)
Departures: Bob Jungels (AG2R – Citroën)
EF
Additions: Michael Valgren (NTT), Hideto Nakane (Nippo Delko One Provence), Will Barta (CCC), Daniel Arroyave (?)
Departures: Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Start-Up Nation), Tanel Kangert (Mitchelton - Scott), Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation), Daniel Martinez (Ineos), Kristoffer Halvorsen (Uno-X), Luis Villalobos (?), Simon Clarke (Qhubeka - Assos), Sean Bennett (Qhubeka - Assos)
Groupama - FDJ
Additions: Attila Valter (CCC), Matteo Badilatti (Israel Start-Up Nation), Clement Davy (Equipe continentale Groupama – FDJ), Lars van den Berg (Equipe continentale Groupama – FDJ)
Departures: Marc Sarreau (AG2R - Citroën), Kilian Frankiny (Qhubeka - Assos), Leo Vincent (?)
Israel Start Up Nation
Additions: Chris Froome (Ineos), Sep Vanmarcke (EF), Daryl Impey (Mitchelton - Scott), Michael Woods (EF), Alessandro De Marchi (CCC), Patrick Bevin (CCC), Carl Fredrik Hagen (Lotto - Soudal), Sebastian Berwick (St George), Taj Jones (Israel Cycling Academy)
Departures: Nils Politt (Bora – hansgrohe), Matteo Badilatti (Groupama – FDJ), Rory Sutherland (end of career), Travis McCabe (end of career)
Lotto – Soudal
Additions: Andreas Kron (Riwal Securitas), Xandres Vervloesem (Lotto - Soudal U23), Kamil Malecki (CCC), Sebastien Grignard (Lotto - Soudal U23), Harry Sweeny (Lotto - Soudal U23), Maxim van Gils (Lotto - Soudal U23), Viktor Verschaeve (Lotto - Soudal U23), Sylvain Moniquet (Equipe continentale Groupama - FDJ), Filippo Conca (Biesse Aredi)
Departures: Nikolas Maes (end of career), Jelle Wallays (Cofidis), Adam Hansen (end of career), Carl Fredrik Hagen (Israel Start-Up Nation), Stan Dewulf (AG2R Citroën), Remy Mertz (Bingoal – Wallonie Bruxelles)
Mitchelton-Scott
Additions: Michael Matthews (Sunweb), Tanel Kangert (EF), Amund Grondahl Jansen (Jumbo – Visma), Kevin Colleoni (Biesse Aredi)
Departures: Michael Albasini (Retired), Adam Yates (Ineos), Daryl Impey (Israel Start-Up Nation), Jack Haig (Bahrain - McLaren), Edoardo Affini (Jumbo - Visma)
Movistar
Additions: Gregor Mühlberger (Bora - hansgrohe), Ivan Garcia Cortina (Bahrain - McLaren), Gonzalo Serrano (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Abner Gonzalez (?), Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana)
Departures: Jürgen Roelandts (end of career), Carlos Betancur (?), Eduardo Sepulveda (Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec), Eduard Prades (Delko One Provence)
Ineos
Additions: Richie Porte (Trek - Segafredo), Adam Yates (Mitchelton - Scott), Daniel Martinez (EF), Laurens De Plus (Jumbo - Visma), Thomas Pidcock (?)
Departures: Chris Froome (Israel Start-Up Nation), Vasil Kiryienka (Retired), Ian Stannard (Retired), Chris Lawless (Total Direct Energie)
Jumbo–Visma
Additions: Sam Oomen (Sunweb), Nathan van Hooydonck (CCC), Edoardo Affini (Mitchelton - Scott), Olav Kooij (Jumbi - Visma Development Team), David Dekker (SEG), Gijs Leemreize (Jumbo - Visma Development Team)
Departures: Tom Leezer (End of Career), Amund Grondahl Jansen (Mitchelton – Scott), Laurens De Plus (Ineos), Taco van der Hoorn (Beat)
Qhubeka-Assos
Additions: Simon Clarke (EF), Kilian Frankiny (Groupama - FDJ), Dimitri Claeys (Cofidis), Łukasz Wiśniowski (CCC), Karel Vacek (Colpack - Ballan), Emil Vinjebo (Riwal Securitas), Harry Tanfield (AG2R La Mondiale), Sean Bennett (EF), Connor Brown (NTT)
Departures: Edvald Boasson Hagen (Total Direct Energie), Roman Kreuziger (Gazprom - RusVelo), Michael Valgren (EF), Louis Meintjes (Circus - Wanty Gobert), Ryan Gibbons (UAE), Ben King (Rally), Ben O'Connor (AG2R – Citroën), Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Trek – Segafredo), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X), Matteo Sobrero (Astana), Stefan de Bod (Astana), Samuele Battistella (Astana), Enrico Gasparotto (end of career), Michael Carbel (NTT)
Sunweb
Additions: Romain Bardet (AG2R), Marco Brenner (?), Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X), Niklas Märkl (Sunweb Development Team), Romain Combaud (Nippo Delko One Provence), Kevin Vermaerke (Hagen Berman Axeon)
Departures: Michael Matthews (Mitchelton - Scott), Wilco Kelderman (Bora - hansgrohe), Sam Oomen (Jumbo - Visma)
Trek-Segafredo
Additions: Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (NTT), Antonio Tiberi (Colpack Ballan), Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Leopard), Jakob Egholm (Hagen Berman Axeon)
Departures: Richie Porte (Ineos), Pieter Weening (end of career)
UAE Team Emirates
Additions: Rafal Majka (Bora – hansgrohe), Matteo Trentin (CCC), Ryan Gibbons (NTT), Juan Ayuso (Colpack Ballan)
Departures: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin - Fenix), Tom Bohli (Cofidis), Edward Ravasi (Eolo - Kometa)