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OPINION

SAVE TOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With Vacansoleil/DCM continuing in a much smaller vein in 2014, how has one of the sports most attacking riders been left potentially out of work?

With the demise of Vacansoleil/DCM, pro cycling looks set to lose one of its most intrepid escapers, a rider with proper history on our shores to.

Thomas De Gendt burst on the scene in the UK when winning both the king of the mountains and king of the sprints in the 2009 Tour. It prompted me to write about him on road.cc at the time

“Picture the crowd gathering in Geraadsbergen on a cool April Sunday afternoon. The road is already closed and the they line up behind the barriers to trudge up the cobbled climb of the Muur.
The spots at the top by the church will have long since been taken by the eager Belgian fans topped up with coach loads of British and American fans who want a slice of the spring classics atmosphere.
After patiently waiting the sound of an appraoching TVE helicopter indicates that the the Tour of Flanders will soon be racing up the high street before hitting the cobbles and heading over the berg.
Children are hoisted on their parents shoulders. The Quick Step casquette on a little boys head reminds the fans around him that this is reformed veteran Tom Boonen's probable last chance of winning this 'monument' of the sport.
There is a breakway according to a radio blaring from a nearby bar. One Team Skyrider is in it.
And it is then that they arrive in a blur of colour and speed.
Edvald Boasson-Hagen of Sky and home rider Thomas De Gendt. Two giants of the sport and the best classic riders of their generation.
But wait... Haven't we seen these two riders somewhere before?
2009 was the year. The Tour of Britain was the race. Two truly world class riders came to the fore, cutting their teeth in the windy cold roads of the United Kingdom.

Pipe dream? or possibility?”

/content/blog/8689-tour-flanders-2012

Now it looks as though he will be quitting the sport at the end of this season with no offers of a contract.

This is a man who finished on the podium of last years Giro winning on the Stelvio, a serial attacked who along with Jonny Hoogerland (also without a deal) lit up racing by being off the front and racing with the hearts as opposed to their heads

Heads filled with power meter data and race radio instructions.

A minor glimmer of hope came earlier in the week when the embers of Vacansoleil merged with Accent Jobs/Wanty to become “Team Wanty” for 2014.

Sadly the Manager of that team has gone public with his budget limitations. De Gendt (and for that matter Hoogerland) interest him, but are likely to be “too expensive”.

I hope this isn’t the way modern cycling is going. Teams like Sky with £10m budgets per season but loads of decent honest pros out of work.
As a TDG fan, I want him to get sorted and I want him to stay in the peloton. But I couldn’t blame him for thinking of jacking it in and doing something else.

 

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8 comments

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James Warrener | 11 years ago
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Good news as it looks like Cannondale might save Jonny Hoogerland.

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Metjas | 11 years ago
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confirmed for OPQS for one year - ready to redeem himself. I think this may just be the ticket for De Gendt to get re-energized and focussed - certainly more of a GC rider than climbing support imo.

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James Warrener | 11 years ago
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Let's hope so  1

He would be a useful ally to them in their classics squad as a replacement for Sylvain Chavanel.

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drheaton replied to James Warrener | 11 years ago
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I see him being used more as a either support or backup to OPQSs slew of climbers they've signed this year. He'd make a good support for Uran/Poels/Kwiatowski and could work as a potential backup GC contender. That's if he can find any of his Giro 2012 form again...

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farrell | 11 years ago
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Reports are saying that The Gent has signed to OPQS on a one season contract.

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drheaton | 11 years ago
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Sky's budget is way more than £10m, check out this article on their 2012 accounts,

http://inrng.com/2013/10/finances-team-sky/

2012 expenses are upwards of £20m and the amount of money they accidentally earned through currency exchange could fund a women's team...

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James Warrener | 11 years ago
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I think there is a slightly different aspect to Horner regarding his age but I take your point.

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Metjas | 11 years ago
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TDG - a story of highs and lows I think. When he's on form he can light up a race or a TT, but there's equally many other occasions where for no good reason he massively under performs. Very frustrating as I believe he has great potential to be a consistent top GC rider. I have read that he is not what you call a very 'coachable' athlete.

It's a competitive and increasingly small WorldTour place out there, even the Vuelta winner doesn't yet have a contract for 2014.

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