Since the end of the 2008 season there have been a number of high profile riders switching teams. Suite 101 provides a guide to the headline moves so far.
Gerald Ciolek from Columbia to Milram
Ciolek was probably one of the reasons that British sensation Mark Cavendish enjoyed such a bountiful season in 2008, recording some 17 victories. Ciolek was Cavendish's lead-out man in the Columbia sprint train and whilst of course the majority of the credit for his outstanding season must lie with Cavendish, Cavendish himself has always been quick to rightly praise his team-mates for delivering him 200 metres from the line in the right place at the right time.
Ciolek was a crucial part of the team that got Cavendish to that point 200 metres out. He was the last man to peel away to leave the road clear and was crucial in guiding Cavendish through the maelstrom that is a professional sprint for the line.
Ciolek will now have the honour of filling Eric Zabel's shoes at Milram and will be their main guy during the sprints. 2009 will see the best lead out man of 2008 go against his former sprint leader Cavendish – widely regarded as the fastest man in the peloton. It should be a fascinating battle.
Carlos Sastre from CSC Saxobank to Cervelo Test Team
The winner of the 2008 Tour de France has transferred from the team that guided him into the Yellow Jersey into a new enterprise – the Cervelo Test Team.
Sastre has cited the lure of a new challenge with a brand new team as the reason for the move. Cervelo Test will serve as a proving ground for new cycling technology and bike development is a key ingredient of the team's raison d'etre.
However, with the Schleck brothers, particularly Andy, continuing to grow into riders that many regard as future grand tour winners, it was debatable how much longer the Spaniard would have been able to hold on to top billing in the Saxo Bank team. After achieving his life-time goal of winning the Tour de France, the time was right for a change for all concerned.
Yaroslav Popovych from Silence-Lotto to Astana
Former Discovery rider Popovych is to be reunited with his former Director Sportif Johann Bruyneel for the 2009 season at Team Astana.
Popovych suffered a somewhat disappointing 2008 season at Silence-Lotto where he had been recruited to assist Cadel Evans in the high mountains of the 2008 Tour.
After the 2007 Tour it was widely felt that if Evans was to win the 2008 Tour he needed more of a team presence during the Tour's key mountain stages. Popovych was supposed to be answer and be Evans's number one man when the roads went skyward in the Alps and Pyrenees. In the end though it never quite happened. Too often Evans found himself isolated at key stages of the race and Popovych was largely held culpable as he disappeared when the going got tough.
The move to Silence-Lotto never really worked out for Popovych and after this briefest of interruptions, he must surely be looking forward to reacquainting himself with familiar faces at Astana.
Ivan Basso from suspension to Liquigas
Italian rider Ivan Basso returns to the racing scene in 2009 with Team Liquigas following a two year suspension for his involvement in Operacion Puerto.
In 2006 the Spanish authorities raided the offices of Spanish Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and discovered a huge number of packets of blood they believed were being stored for blood doping.
Basso later admitted that one of the packets of blood belonged to him, although he denied ever using the blood to dope, admitting only to an intention to to potentially use blood doping practices and insisting he always has ridden clean.
Basso's admission earned the former CSC and Discovery rider a two year suspension which ended in late 2008.
At the time of his suspension Basso was regarded as one of the best riders in world and had been a hot favourite for the 2006 Tour. It remains to be seen whether he can reclaim those previous heights.
References:
Cycle Sport Magazine - Jan 09 edition
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