New Irish pro Conti team (aka The Aquablue thread)

dastardly00

The f**king sh*t show continues...

Aqua Blue start legal action against unnamed rider for speaking out

Aqua Blue Sport have informed Cyclingnews that they have started legal proceedings against a member of the team due to what they see as "slander and breach of confidentiality". The members of the now-defunct team were informed of the news by CEO Tom Timmerman, who, in an email titled 'Overview of the Facts', also announced he would be stepping down with immediate effect.

RobFowl

If you look at the rules for the bank guarantee you will see that Aqua Blue are talking complete BS
It is their responsibility not the UCI's to pay the riders.
They have behaved disgracefully and I for one hope Rick f*cks off and never darkens the door of out sport again.

CramCycle

RobFowl wrote: »

If you look at the rules for the bank guarantee you will see that Aqua Blue are talking complete BS
It is their responsibility not the UCI's to pay the riders.
They have behaved disgracefully and I for one hope Rick f*cks off and never darkens the door of out sport again.

Did I read right and they did not apply to UCi by the deadline for the riders so they may have lost October anyway, or at least it will have to be backdated?

RobFowl

CramCycle wrote: »

Did I read right and they did not apply to UCi by the deadline for the riders so they may have lost October anyway, or at least it will have to be backdated?

The Bank guarantee is in case the team defaults. effectively the team has to default and then the riders can claim off the UCI.

The team saying they have passed it on is simply b*llocks, they have defaulted and refused to pay the riders what they owe them and the bailiffs have effectively been called in....

brocbrocach

RobFowl wrote: »

The Bank guarantee is in case the team defaults. effectively the team has to default and then the riders can claim off the UCI.

The team saying they have passed it on is simply b*llocks, they have defaulted and refused to pay the riders what they owe them and the bailiffs have effectively been called in....

And the brass neck of Delaney (again) to threaten a rider with the law for exposing this...

1bryan

anyone else mentally prefix his name with a 'P' when they read anything about Rick Delaney? Or is it just me?

death1234567

1bryan wrote: »

anyone else mentally prefix his name with a 'P' when they read anything about Rick Delaney? Or is it just me?

His "innovative" cycling reselling website, that he laughably thought would fund his team, has been taken down. I wonder just how little money it made.

RobFowl

death1234567 wrote: »

His "innovative" cycling reselling website, that he laughably thought would fund his team, has been taken down. I wonder just how little money it made.

I wonder was it ever designed to make money.....


It never washed as a business model

CrowdedHouse

Big Conor got a job anyway

https://www.rte.ie/sport/cycling/2018/1114/1010938-irish-champion-signs/

ILIKEFOOD

jaysus

cunavalos

Can we match the AquaBlue riders to their salaries (Figures Courtesy of Cyclingnews.com)



I will start, Brammeier is possibly Rider B.

With the obvious exception of the two at €12,500, the other salaries are not off the wall and going to set riders up for life but i also imagine they are a good deal higher than some of the other PCT teams.

TychoCaine

cunavalos wrote: »

Can we match the AquaBlue riders to their salaries (Figures Courtesy of Cyclingnews.com)



I will start, Brammeier is possibly Rider B.

With the obvious exception of the two at €12,500, the other salaries are not off the wall and going to set riders up for life but i also imagine they are a good deal higher than some of the other PCT teams.

Rider N would want to get himself a better agent! €20k/year!!!!

cunavalos

TychoCaine wrote: »

Rider N would want to get himself a better agent! €20k/year!!!!

Speculation is that may be the shortfall to make up Dunbars salary following transfer to Sky because the full salary would be below UCI minimum wage for PCT level or the remainder of Brammeiers salary as the full roster was only 16 riders

neris

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Big Conor got a job anyway

https://www.rte.ie/sport/cycling/2018/1114/1010938-irish-champion-signs/

Not the move I'd say alot wanted to see but at least he's got a spot for next year

TychoCaine

TychoCaine wrote: »

Rider N would want to get himself a better agent! €20k/year!!!!

Minimum wage at that level for a neo pro is 25,806 , and 30,855 all other pro conti riders. It's about 38k at world tour level. That to me looks like that rider was not being paid the minimum wage.

1bryan

cunavalos wrote: »

Can we match the AquaBlue riders to their salaries (Figures Courtesy of Cyclingnews.com)



I will start, Brammeier is possibly Rider B.

With the obvious exception of the two at €12,500, the other salaries are not off the wall and going to set riders up for life but i also imagine they are a good deal higher than some of the other PCT teams.

would imagine the highest salaries are Warbasse and Denifl.

Thud

1bryan wrote: »

would imagine the highest salaries are Warbasse and Denifl.

Blythe next in line 7.5k

Macy0161

neris wrote: »

Not the move I'd say alot wanted to see but at least he's got a spot for next year

Delighted to see him sorted, but FFS, if I was conflicted about Dunbar becoming a skybot...

TGD

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/aqua-blue-sport-boss-pay-conor-dunnes-israel-cycling-academy-salary-2019-season-401038

“All everybody has written about is how much of a p***k and a bastard that I am. But no-one over the last six months, not one staff member, rider, fan or supporter has said anything positive about the €7 million we contributed to the sport of cycling. Absolutely nothing, no-one said jack s**t, all its been is just mud, after mud, after mud. But it’s exactly what I thought it was and I’m not going to change anything, but all I can say is gladly I’m nearly out.”

Well, I’m one fan that said to give him a break but there has been some mud tossed around here all right

No that piece doesn't make him out to be any more or less deluded that we thought he was. You'll likely find he was legally obliged to pay Dunne and a solicitor told him how to make it sound good. End of the day he is a prick.

neris

how much cash did tinkov **** into cycling over the years? he was a dick head but at least he paid his riders and gave them notice. putting money into any professional sports team dosnt make you a saint that people need to be thankful to. Ricks ego has been his problem the same as alot of what were supposed wealthy irish businessmen who thought they had a midas touch based on bank borrowings rather then millions in the bank

CramCycle

TGD wrote: »

Well, I’m one fan that said to give him a break but there has been some mud tossed around here all right

No one tossed mud until he took a dive off the good ship lollipop. After that many still put it down to over enthusiasm, immaturity, whatever. I can say s1t about 3T if I want because they are not stakeholders in my business. To Delaney they were and what he said was a signal that he was not fully there.

This said, people still talked well about him, me being one of them, I just said it was stupid, that was it.

Then the stuff with not paying staff, after saying he would, f*ck it. He hasn't had that much bad said against him. I have had worse said about me, to my face, in work for minor slip ups. Its time he put on his grown up pants.

The thing that gets me, is my minor things, are just that, minor things, but he makes out like he got some tirade that was in some way a tidal wave of abuse. Grow up.

slow

"As a result, according to L'Equipe, AG2R have taken on the now defunct Aqua Blue Sport team's head of performance, Stephen Barrett, as well as former WB-Aqua Protect-Veranclassic coach Alexandre Abel, while coach Mickaël Bouget has also left AG2R having become the national track coach at Swiss Cycling in June." - cyclingnews.com

TheBlaaMan

Also confirmed over the w/e that Rick Delaney is paying Conor Dunnes 2019 salary while he is wit ICA
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/aqua-blue-sport-boss-pay-conor-dunnes-israel-cycling-academy-salary-2019-season-401038

(the suggestion that this might happen has been discussed in the thread....but not confirmed as far as I know)

1bryan

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Also confirmed over the w/e that Rick Delaney is paying Conor Dunnes 2019 salary while he is wit ICA
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/aqua-blue-sport-boss-pay-conor-dunnes-israel-cycling-academy-salary-2019-season-401038

(the suggestion that this might happen has been discussed in the thread....but not confirmed as far as I know)

Delaney's daughter has been on twitter defending her daddy's 'honour' and she mentioned this a few days ago.

Delaney's 'honour' is irredeemable at this point. He could do it a lot of good if he didn't threaten to sue a rider who complained because he didn't receive his salary.

RobFowl

1bryan wrote: »

Delaney's daughter has been on twitter defending her daddy's 'honour'

Don't I know it !

cunavalos

Its been a busy few weeks for ex Aqua Blue riders and a few more have found new homes for 2019

The two kiwi's Archbold and Gate have signed for Morgan Fox's and Cigala's new EvoPro Racing team(along with Wouter Wippert)
Peter Konig signed with BikeAid and Daniel Pearson for Canyon dhb

Mark Christian, Michel Kreder and Andy Fenn seem to be the only riders still looking for a new team

Good interview with Larry Warbasse on cyclingnews website http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/transfer-mechanics-larry-warbasse-to-ag2r-la-mondiale/
He mentions a fair bit of the demise of AquaBlue and the stress of searching for a new team when he had already spurned serious offers to stay with AquaBlue. Apparently it was via his relationship with Bardet that the spot on AG2R opened up and they were looking for some "anglo-saxon" riders to boost the team's profile. He comes across as a nice bloke and it will be interesting to see how he gets on this year as he only has a one year contract

ILIKEFOOD

Stefan Denifil who got ABS Vuelta stage win won’t be joining CCC as planned due to personal reasons they announced today

At 31 I would have thought that move was as good as he'd have got?

Quigs Snr

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

Stefan Denifil who got ABS Vuelta stage win won’t be joining CCC as planned due to personal reasons they announced today

Usually in cycling that is an ominous sign.