Cycling: Cannondale-Garmin has had a premiere 2015 season to forget. For the coming season, however, the US team is facing a radical change in personnel with eleven (!) new drivers - including promising professionals such as Rigoberto Uran and Simon Clarke. The team name will also change: from this season it will be Cannondale Pro Cycling Team again.
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team Overview
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team has had a tough and overall disappointing season. Penultimate place in the WorldTour team ranking, many second and third places without really great successes and the inglorious conclusion with Tom Danielson's positive testosterone test at the end of the season. All in all, 2015 was truly a year to forget for Cannondale-Garmin - although there were certainly a few bright spots.
The Giro was certainly one of the bright spots of the season: Ryder Hesjedal finished fifth overall and the team also managed one Stage win for youngster Davide Formolo to cheer The other two grand tours – the Tour and the Vuelta – went like the rest of the season, namely disappointing for the most part. Andrew Talansky had to give up on the 17th stage of the tour give Simon Geschke defeat and Dan Martin were also denied further successes of the season. On the other hand, the pros showed a good performance at the World Championships in Richmond. Ramunas Navardauskas drove here surprising to bronze and local hero Ben King's attacks kept providing a welcome breath of fresh air throughout the race.
However, the team faces a major upheaval in 2016: With Ted King, Dan Martin and Ryder Hesjedal, the team lost three of their most influential figures. In total, a whopping eight riders are leaving Cannondale Pro Cycling Team, while eleven new faces will join the team. Among the newcomers, Rigoberto Uran, Pierre Rolland and Simon Clarke certainly stand out – there is a heavy load on the shoulders of the quiet Colombian Rigoberto Uran. The expectations are high, even if Uran itself cannot necessarily look back on a dream season in 2015.
With so many new faces, Cannondale Pro Cycling Team is undoubtedly one of the most exciting teams for the coming season and we are very excited to see how the US team will deal with this new upheaval.
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team Transfers
Departures: Ted King (End of Career), Daniel Martin (Etixx-Quick Step), Ryder Hesjedal (Trek Segafredo), Matej Mohoric (Lampre-Merida), Nathan Haas (Dimension Data), Norman Lasse Hansen (Stölting Service Group), Janier Acevedo (Jamis ), Tom Danielson (unknown)
Additions: Patrick Bevin (Avanti), Ryan Mullen (Chainreaction), Michael Woods (Optum), Pierre Rolland (Europcar), Rigoberto Urán (Etixx-Quick Step), Lawson Craddock (Team Giant-Alpecin), Matti Breschel (Tinkoff-Saxo), Simon Clarke (Orica GreenEdge), Phil Gaimon (Optum), Toms Skujins (Hincapie), Wouter Wippert (Drapac)
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team - team bikes and gear
team bike: This summer, US manufacturer and team outfitter Cannondale presented the next evolution of its top street model, the SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod. The new model is said to be stiffer, lighter and more comfortable – the bare frame weighs just 777g. The rough roads of the classics will probably also be mastered by one or the other rider on the Cannondale Synapse endurance bike. Like last year, the team's time trial bike is the Cannondale Slice.
components: Even with the components, everything remains the same. While the drive and brakes still come from Japan - i.e. from Shimano - Cannondale-Garmin are still relying on French workmanship from Mavic for the wheels in 2016.
disc brakes: Things aren't looking too rosy for the 2016 Cannondale pros when it comes to disc brakes. While Shimano could supply the appropriate components, a suitable road bike is unfortunately lacking. The endurance bike Synapse is available as a disc version, but it is probably only really suitable for a few races. So although Cannondale has given the SuperSix Evo a major update for 2016, it still lacks a frame for disc brakes. One possibility would also be new Cannondale CAAD12 disc – but an aluminum bike in the peloton 2016? That would be no less than a sensation and is therefore also highly unlikely - even if the light frame of the CAAD12 could make a weight of 6,8kg possible.