Currrent rumour --> Fassa Bortolo is becoming Sony Ericsson... possibly with Ikea...

[Powerful Pete]

It is out on Italian websites that ex-Fassa will probably be Sony Ericsson. Also rumours about Ikea as a sponsor, but what is not clear (at least to me) is whether they would co-sponsor...


Apparently current signed riders are:

Gilberto Simoni
Vincenzo Nibali
Paolo Valoti
Totò Commesso
Andrea Tonti
Cristian Moreni (current Italian champion who left Quick Step early) and, Baden Cooke (not confirmed).

Please take this with a grain of salt, but it was on www.ciclismoonline.it, a normally reputable website.

If you can read Italian...
http://www.ciclismoonline.it/edisport/ciclismo/Notizie.nsf/AllDocID/I7E3ED7E97D3C199DC125708300356C67?OpenDocument

hhhm.

 

[cosmo_the_third]

Baden Cooke (not confirmed).

Please take this with a grain of salt, but it was on www.ciclismoonline.it, a normally reputable website.

If you can read Italian...
http://www.ciclismoonline.it/edisport/ciclismo/Notizie.nsf/AllDocID/I7E3ED7E97D3C199DC125708300356C67?OpenDocument

hhhm.

Baden Cooke is racing for unibet.com, formerly MrBookmaker, next season.

Ferretti will instead be getting the far more reliable Stuart O'Grady, and his sidekick, Matt White. VeloNews is so certain the Sony deal is going through that in their list of rider transfers here (you gotta scroll way down) they just call the squad Sony-Ericsson. (Of course, they also list Lampre as "Lampre Caffita" when it's almost certain to be Lampre-Valsir next season, and it is VeloNews, so you never really know if they're right or not anyway...

 

[The Mule]

This rumour is now dead and buried - appears someone was doing deals with Ferretti when they weren't authorised to do so. The riders involved (including Stuey O'Grady) are now all busy trying to find a pro-tour contract for 06. Very messy and disappointing business.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Yes, very unfortunate. And while the big boys like Simoni are already having to swat away the offers (including Saunier Duval), I feel for the mechanics, masseurs, and lower echelon riders who thought they had a contract.

Apparently Sony Ericsson Italy is looking to find the people who duped Ferretti and wants to sue their pants off for impersonating corporate staff.

They should crucify the buggers.

 

[Virenque]

I don`t like Ferretti. He is very proud of himself, he behave like he`s above all others. He was good only to Petacchi and co., other riders weren`t worthy, for example Danielson, Valjavec, Gonzales. I think he thought that sponsors will fight for him and his team and that Fassa`s leaving surprised him.

Sad for O`Grady, Simoni, White and others..

 

[Powerful Pete]

Lots of people don't like Ferretti, but he has traditionally been able to bring results. He is also disliked because he is very much of a disciplinarian - you can do it his way, or his way.

True, he babies Petacchi, but who wouldn't? He also has little patience for guys who he has set certain objectives for and do not perform, à la Gonzalez...

 

[fatboy61]

Lots of people don't like Ferretti, but he has traditionally been able to bring results. He is also disliked because he is very much of a disciplinarian - you can do it his way, or his way.

True, he babies Petacchi, but who wouldn't? He also has little patience for guys who he has set certain objectives for and do not perform, à la Gonzalez...

For the record, O'Grady trained under Charlie Walsh as a track rider. Ferretti, by comparison would be Mother Teresa.

 

[Virenque]

Eh..Ferretti is not a coach, he`s just sitting in a team car and expressing his feelings into microphone..

 

[fatboy61]

Eh..Ferretti is not a coach, he`s just sitting in a team car and expressing his feelings into microphone..

Eh.. funny, but I was paraphrasing what O'Grady said in the local press here.

 

[Virenque]

Really? 2 days ago he said that he doesn`t blame Ferretti, but that now was a bit offensive..

 

[fatboy61]

Really? 2 days ago he said that he doesn`t blame Ferretti, but that now was a bit offensive..

Where did I say that he was blaming anyone????


"Ferretti is renowned for being a hard taskmaster, but O'Grady isn't fazed, even when considering the experiences of other Anglo riders such as American Tom Danielson, who found his time in Ferretti's squad detrimental to his career in Europe. "When you've been through a Charlie Walsh programme as a teenager, I reckon most things are a walk in the park," said O'Grady."


Ok so I took a bit of license, but you get the point. But please, don't let me stop you from picking that to shreds. Knock yourself out, go nuts.

 

[Virenque]

What about Mother Teresa?

 

[fatboy61]

What about Mother Teresa?

That's the idea... keep 'em coming.(yawn)

 

[Powerful Pete]

Eh..Ferretti is not a coach, he`s just sitting in a team car and expressing his feelings into microphone..

And your record ' sitting in the team car of a pro team ' is...

 

[Virenque]

Yeah I know, but..I don`t like him