Yes. THERE will be five send offs from this team. Disappointed they did not bring Walscheid for the sprints as he could have won a stage.
The ladies team did not ride Chongming becuase Manly and Baker are at the world track championship. EVEN though the team rode exceptionally well at the Simac Tour for little reward, in my opinion they should have gone to Chongming Island.
The Asian conti sprinter Quick finished a close 6th in stage one of Guangxi. Walscheid would have won a sprint in this field.
Scotson failed to finish the first stage in his final race for Jayco.
Bates is a good appointment. They do have to get the race programming to work better. The team needs to target lower level races to get more wins. They also need their riders to ride more often. For example, paternoster rode 28 days. Yes, she did have track commitments but otherwise was fit and healthy. You can’t have not ride for three months.
Plapp crashed out of his return race, stage 3 Tour of Guangxi.
He gets caught up in a lot of crashes.
It was a 20 rider crash, so he was not the only one. The concern is that the doctor pulled him out with concussion like symptoms which is not the first time. Jayco stuffed their selection for this race. They needed to bring a sprinter. Could have brought Walscheid or even Groenewegen. Don’t expect, Ewan to be at Jayco next year, even if he has no team.
Well if Ineos wanted a replacement for Pidcock it was never going to happen, because they have struggled to attract quality riders for three years. Surely, if you want Pidcock out then you let him leave.
Jayco finish this season today. Japan Cup was disastrous with no-one featuring, while in the Guangxi Tour they got Berhe 12th on GC. They rode well in the veneto Classic with top 10’s from Zana and DePretto.
Lucas Hamilton signs with Ineos.
I don’t get it.
Jason Bakker must be an excellent manager ( he’s based in Melbourne ) to get Hamilton a gig at WT level, however, he’s got his hands full with Ewan. He’s not wanted by Jayco but can’t find another team. As it stands he will have a limited calendar in 2025 and he probably will not be at the TDU. The Jayco team for the TDU will be interesting. There is only seven Aussie riders on the team and when you consider Ewan is currently Non-Gratis, Bling rarely rides the Aussie summer and Mckenzie is a first year pro and O’connor will stay in Europe, then you have gaps to fill. Plapp will be the GC leader, but the sprints are an issue. Stewart wa sordinary after the OLympics, Groenewegen will be needed for the Alula Tour. They may sprint with Walscheid. The Nationals course is really a sprinters race and Jayco does not have a fast sprinter, and they don’t have the team to make it hard with probably only five riders on the start line. Plapp has already stated his target is the ITT.
No surprise to see O’Connor to target the TDF. It seems like he will be supported by Dunbar and Schmid. I guess the sprint side will be Groenwegen, Mezgec, Reinders, one of Durbridge/hepburn and probably Bling. Plapp states he is rding the Giro and the Vuelta.
In a twist, Jayco sign Alan Hatherly world mountain bike champion to ride on the road. He will be mixing road and MTB. He can TT, so it will be fascinating to see how he transitions to road cycling. The twist is that Jayco now have 31 riders!
Hopefully it turns out like Cadel.
McKenzie back to the development team.
Congratulations to Alistair McKellar for gaining a WT contract with EF. He’s worked with 3 years in the under 23’s and a stagiare role with Jayco. Jayco still trying to get Ewan off the team. He could end up with a Conti team.
What’s the story with McKellar, Jayco didn’t think he’d make the grade?
Jayco actually gave Mckellar some extra races as a stagiare because they were happy with his performance. Problem is that Jayco’s roster was full. I liken Mckellar to Schultz who worked hard to get into the WT team. I suspect Schultz had more upside. If Ewan remains with the team he is no certainty to be at the TDU.
Steve Cummings joins Jayco as a DS.
“It’s an opportunity to be part of a culture that celebrates growth, resilience, and meaningful results”: Steve Cummings joins Jayco AlUla as sports director after fractious Ineos departure
Less than a month after officially leaving the Ineos Grenadiers under a cloud, following a fractious, turbulent season, Steve Cummings is back in the WorldTour, after being confirmed as Jayco AlUla’s newest sports director.
In a statement issued by the Australian team, the double Tour de France stage winner and former British champion said the move offered him the “opportunity to be part of a culture that celebrates growth, resilience, and meaningful results” – a culture, one could infer from that statement, perhaps hasn’t existed at controversy-marred Ineos for a while.
“I’m really excited to be joining Team Jayco AlUla. This team has a strong reputation for its professionalism, and commitment to success, which aligns with my own values and experiences in sport,” the 43-year-old said.
“I’m looking forward to contributing to its ongoing success, helping all my teammates reach their full potential.
“For me, this is more than just joining a team – it’s an opportunity to be part of a culture that celebrates growth, resilience, and meaningful results.
“Naturally through having a long career within cycling, on and off the bike, I already know a lot of team members and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get started with them.”
“We are delighted to be welcoming Steve onto the team in 2025. His personality and professionalism is something that we believe will fit very well within our culture,” Jayco’s general manager Brent Copeland added.
“Steve has such a wide skill set and is a very experienced sport director having of course experienced first-hand what it means to be a rider himself, having won at the highest level during his time as a pro rider.
“I was truly impressed by Steve’s attention to detail and visionary approach during our first conversation about the team. I immediately felt that he would bring a dynamic energy that we would all benefit from.”