Team Sky have bolstered their climbing ranks by announcing Leopold König, Wout Poels and Irishman Nicolas Roche as three of five new signings.

The British squad have also recruited Lars Petter Nordhaug and Scottish sprinter Andy Fenn in a significant recruitment drive for the 2015 season.

SKY Sports

Good stuff, looks like a bit of depth for the Grand Tour squads.

So who, other than Boasson Hagen is leaving…

Roche should be a great addition to the squad!

Good solid additions that.

Haven’t heard of Poels, but what’s not to like about König and Roche?

Not really sure what the strengths of Roche are.

He is a great rider but falls a fraction short of the best climbers.
Not sure if he has the strength to be a classics specialist.

Equally I can’t imagine he’d want to be another Sky domestique like the similarly talented Kiriyenka.

but what’s not to like about König and Roche?

not sure Richie Porte will be too enthusiastic 🙂

Not really sure what the strengths of Roche are.

He is a great rider but falls a fraction short of the best climbers.
Not sure if he has the strength to be a classics specialist.

Equally I can’t imagine he’d want to be another Sky domestique like the similarly talented Kiriyenka.

Just what I was thinking, he was leading a team this year in the grand tours aiming for GC, but clearly isn’t quite up to that, but will he really be content with just being another super domestique?

Cracking additions indeed !!! Roche will never win a grand tour but will be a super domestique and sky will pay him very handsomely to do just that 🙂

Roche will never win a grand tour but will be a super domestique

Maybe, though not sure what he’ll get at Sky that he wouldn’t get at Saxo Tinkoff. Not money I guess given Oleg’s backing.

will he really be content with just being another super domestique?

What are his realistic options? It doesn’t look like he’s quite got what it takes to be a GT winner, so surely his best bet is to ride in support of somebody who is and get a chance to fly in some lesser races – which is presumably just what he’ll get at Sky.

Not money I guess

Who knows? I suspect that in cycling it works the same as in many other things that you have to move to get the best wages.

What are his realistic options? It doesn’t look like he’s quite got what it takes to be a GT winner, so surely his best bet is to ride in support of somebody who is and get a chance to fly in some lesser races – which is presumably just what he’ll get at Sky.

Yep, fair comment, may be a bitter pill to swallow after having a bit more ‘freedom’ this year though.

Pouls and Roche, along with Konig, would have a great affect on the Classics squad.

Whats not to like about a hard riding Dutch Guy?

Roche has the ability to win all the one week races from the Tour Down Under all the way through to Paris-Nice. However will SKY decide to do that?

Does this make Froome the TdF favourite already?

Clearly Konig will be a big help in the hills, but it also gives them something for the lumpy classics as well. Which is good as this year’s performance was bordering on disrespectful.

http://www.cyclingfever.com/transfers.html

Sky just don’t seem to have had many people leave. Given the size constraints and that they’ve supposedly signed Viviani as a second sprinter, they need to be dumping 6 or 7 people

Roche is probably on similar money, but probably feels like sky are a more secure outfit than Tinkoff, and an english speaking team helps (yeah I know he’s half french and has good language skills but english is his main language)

Konig is the key signing tho, definite talent 🙂 he’ll be doing a porte style job in his first season but he’ll get a crack at stuff as will Roche

I seem to recall that Porte will be going to Orica at the end of his contract.. ? also Brad won’t be doing much (anything?) after Roubaix so one of these may be on the bench until May and take up his worldtour Squad place

atlaz – Member
Sky just don’t seem to have had many people leave. Given the size constraints and that they’ve supposedly signed Viviani as a second sprinter, they need to be dumping 6 or 7 people

I guess it is upto the individual riders and their teams to announce who is leaving, rather than Sky doing it.

We know Swift and Thomas are staying as they’ve signed new contracts. Porte is gone this time next year. Teirnan-Locke is gone. Was Rowe’s extended at the end of last year?

Porte is gone this time next year. Teirnan-Locke is gone

Tiernan-Locke wasn’t on the world tour team for 2014 as he was suspended and they didn’t keep a spot for him. Porte is still on it for 2015 so they can’t hire early.

not sure what he’ll get at Sky that he wouldn’t get at Saxo Tinkoff.

Enough ‘Marginal Gains’ to raise his game up to compete with the big dogs?

Now Roche is at a UK team will commentators find the s they seem to have dropped off his name recently?

Cataldo to Astana, so that’s one less on the team roster.

Now Roche is at a UK team will commentators find the s they seem to have dropped off his name recently?

Well given he’s half French there’s an equal possibility that the S is not needed