Tons of Transfers!

Rather than clog up the blog and bug out your eyes with a different article for every transfer/signing that happened today, I will just organize them all into this one article.

-Haussler to Garmin-Cervelo
Haussler headed a 6 man pack (other five in seperate heading) from the former Cervelo Test Team that transferred over to Garmin-Cervelo (as it will be called in 2011). Haussler's deal appears to be only for one year, but extensions can be made. What it Means:

For Haussler: I'm not sure I like this move. Haussler has the potential to be a top young sprinter if he finds a team in need of one and Garmin certainly does not fall into that category. Don't get me wrong, he will get his starts in some races and he will certainly have a better leadout and protection than he had at CTT, but I think he could have done better.

For Cervelo: nothing. They have shut down.

For Garmin-Transitions: They are playing with fire bringing in all these sprinters. They now have Tyler, Hushovd, Haussler, and also guys like Julien Dean and Robbie Hunter. It seemed ok with Thor and Tyler sharing races but now that Heinrich is in the mix there may be just too many sprinters and not enough events to satisfy everyone. They may end up having to pull off what HTC tried with Cav/Greipel/Goss and play several of them against each other at one time.

-5 other CTT Riders to Garmin:
Garmin-Cervelo also announced they will be adding Brett Lancaster, Daniel Lloyd, Andreas Klier, Roger Hammond, and Gabriel Rasch to their 2011 lineup. What it Means:

For the Riders: I have a hard time finding a rider on this list who would be unhappy with his role on Garmin. Jumped from a sinking ship to a strong team.

For Garmin: Now these are the type of signings that Garmin needs to make. They need guys to set up all of their new sprinters and these riders provide for some solid depth on the roster. Lancaster has been in his share of TdF's and can be not only a grand tour stage hunter but a potential team leader on some smaller tours. Hammond and Klier are great classics riders, and should make Garmin's roster incredibly strong in the spring. Lloyd and Rasch are also hard workers who can keep the pace high in the peloton during chases and are also solid depth guys.

-Liquigas Adds 4 More
Liquigas announced today they would be signing Eros Capecchi, Damiano Caruso, Paolo Borghini, and Cristiano Salerno. This may be an attempted recovery move from losing a few key riders this year. What it Means:

For the Riders: This is a great move for Capecchi, who returns to the place where his pro career got started. Capecchi has a great chance of making Liquigas's Tour squad and could even be one of the leaders with Basso showing signs of age and Kreuzinger leaving for Astana. The other three should also fall into about the same roles as they did with their former teams.

For Former Teams: Footon-Servetto will be becoming Geox next year, and they have Menchov, Sastre, and potential others coming in so Capecchi shouldn't be too bad of a loss. ISD on the other hand will miss Borghini quite a bit, as he fit his role very well. De Rosa Stac will probably miss Caruso and Salerno, though teams like that have an easy time reloading.

For Liquigas: Capecchi could be the potential team leader if something happens to Basso. (at least until Sagan is ready) He will certainly lead the team into some smaller events and can enjoy some success. Liquigas also picked up a solid, but safe bet in Borghini. You get what you pay for in Paolo and he could be a solid domestique for the team. The other 2 youngsters each have potential, though I wouldn't expect to see them in the national spotlight yet.

-BMC lands 4 climbers, 1 classic spec, 1 sprinter
BMC announced their major signings today, with the 6 riders being climbers Johann Tschopp, Amael Moinard, Ivan Santaromita, and youngster climber Yannick Eijssen. Fast man Greg Van Avermaet and classics specialist Manuel Quinziato also joined the team to round out the 6. What it Means:

For the Riders: I like this move for everyone joining. They are filling positions that BMC needs them to fill.

For BMC: They are obviously looking to bolster their mountains support for Cadel. Tschopp, Moinard, and Santaromita are good present options and they should be ready to provide support. Eijssen is a work in progress, but has potential to become a team leader himself. Quinziato is a classics man, and should be used as such by BMC. Greg Van Avermaet technically is not a sprinter, but he is quite fast and can hold his own in almost any sprint. He may have been the most underrated signing by BMC this year.