jcrr wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 9:47 pm
Me thinks that is myopic. Merlier is extremely good in the mud as well, and would make a worthy team addition now that Tom Meeusen is gone.
For me, it highlights the likely very complex world these women and men live in... contractual conditions, money, availability of opportunities, personal choices, etc...
Its exactly the opposite to myopic.
Cyclocross is very different in terms of team set up and contracts. Both Corendon and Creafin along some other teams are owned by the same guys, the Roodhooft brothers.
Their strategy is to host different teams, basically to offer more advertising space and offer a better show. Instead of having one team with one big title sponsor (who is not easy to find), they run several teams with different, smaller sponsors. To make this work, they need good riders in every team who are able to ride in the front and showcase their sponsors colors.
MvdP is the poster child for Alpecin-Fenix and Merlier for Creafin, but in the end their both part of the same Roodhooft team.