Tour of America is always a bit of a gamble and you needed to get the best out of Novaks season to stay up. If that one big race goes wrong for a team thats very depending on their top leader, that's very tough to cancel out. Not having the necessary luck of big surprise results elsewhere, obviously isnt helping.
I like that your spirit seems a lot better than in past relegations and you are already looking at your options. Whether you keep Novak or plan to rebuild without him, he should be the best trade material you ever had to swap for another leader (on a cheaper wage) or a strong cornerstone of both your 2026 and 2027 teams to build around - depending on which option you end up picking.
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [PT] Xero Racing
CT is more fun anyway!
But seriously, another rebuild incoming could be a good opportunity for a fresh start, but it also could be the source of another very frustrating transfer period. At least Novak should be either a great cornerstone for a bounce back or a nice trade asset for transfers. I'd probably go with him as a really strong climber / stage racer has proven to be a great strategy for CT success, but you obviously can still test the market.
Novak in CT would probably be like Jorgenson last year, but anytime there is a need/opportunity for major change is the most fun in the MG. You seem to have found the way, along with TMM, of ensuring there’s always a need for roster renewals!
But seriously, it’s been a gruelling season and unfortunately luck hasn’t been on your side this time around, but no doubt you can take some learnings from the experience and look to bounce back straightaway, as I believe you’ve done before at least once? All this said, it’s not over until the fat lady sings, so let’s see how the rest of the season pans out…
Commiserations for the tough year so far. I think your team was put in kind of an unfortunate place this season with the AI shift. Seems if you don't have a favorite the rest of your team can be way too passive, which doesn't really help teams with good depth and attacking philosophies. Though I'm particularly disappointed in Cataford as I've always liked this makeup and expected a much better year from him.
Novak in CT would be a very fun year if you can swing it, though you'd be relying on him completely. Would be interesting to see!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
September races are underway, but right now the team's fortunes took a turn for the worst. The recent Olympia TTT ended up as one of the worst TTT performances the team had ever endured and had put a stain on a reputation in this field which seemed almost spotless. After being just 4 seconds shy of the top time, the crew, led by Alexandor Cataford and Michal Kukrle lost over 2 minutes and ended up 12th out of 13 teams! What's worse - only four riders (Cataford, Kukrle, Oleksandr Golovash and Carlos Verona) had finished with the same time. Lukas Postlberger finished 5 seconds after the quartet, while the remaining trio of Willhelm Wallinder, Jakub Otruba and Alec Segaert was nearly 20 minutes behind!
This was a disaster on multiple levels which basically confirmed what has been known for a while. With the projected score by the end of the season, the team is going to end up 23rd - second to last in the PCT standings and guaranteed relagation. Olympia's result only reinforced this. What hurts the most was that this race was one of the five goal races the team has set given IESE's reputation in TTT events with 3 wins in the lower level Monterrey TTT - a race the team could've entered if they wanted to, but chose not to. And it was for the best to be honest - a humuliation there would've been worse.
The devastation will also have a huge rammifications on the contract situations. Cataford and Kukrle are two of the biggest earners this season and this performance basically puts their renewal prospects at great danger as IESE cannot justify giving each 150k+ - money which for a CT team don't grow on trees. A potential extensions for both + Novak's large for CT payday would strain the finances even bigger. There's a chance the two to be signed back once they hit the free market, but that hides additional risks such as bidding wars which may compel the team to retain at least one - either the versatile Cataford (who will enter his first year of decline which is its own set of issues) or Kukrle to satisfy the quota for Czech riders (he'll enter the final year maxxed out in 2026). This could force the team to either part ways with Novak completely or renew him and flip him for money, riders or both (easy said than done). Speaking of Novak...
The team's final goal set for the season is Tour du Maroc. Given the profile and the lack of a TT stage, this presents a perfect chance for Novak to end the season on a high note, which will be really helpful for raising the morale after the Olympia embarrasment.
