# Tinkoff Not Riding Colnagos??



## MERAKMAN (Mar 6, 2008)

Dear all

I've come over from the other side (De Rosa) to ask you good people if the Pro Cycling team Tinkoff are no longer riding Colnagos but De Rosa Team 8 bikes?? I'm sure I saw them on De Rosa's in the Paris-Brussels race at the weekend 13th September, with one Tinkoff rider in the lead break. I just can't seem to get any information from anywhere on the web searches?? Many thanks..

Ps: I like Colnagos too..:thumbsup:


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## takmanjapan (Mar 24, 2004)

*Ridleys for 2009*

Tinkoff (soon to be Katusha) will be riding Ridley's in 2009. This was announced on cyclingnews.com Milram and Rabobank are also going with other cycles for their year. Should be surprising to find out who will be riding 'Nags in the peolton next year.


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## MERAKMAN (Mar 6, 2008)

takmanjapan said:


> Tinkoff (soon to be Katusha) will be riding Ridley's in 2009. This was announced on cyclingnews.com Milram and Rabobank are also going with other cycles for their year. Should be surprising to find out who will be riding 'Nags in the peolton next year.



Thanks for your reply, but I'm sure I saw a Tinkoff rider on a De Rosa Team in the Paris-Brussels race on the 13th September. Why would they be riding De Rosa??


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## Ciaran (Nov 11, 2001)

MERAKMAN said:


> Thanks for your reply, but I'm sure I saw a Tinkoff rider on a De Rosa Team in the Paris-Brussels race on the 13th September. Why would they be riding De Rosa??


The guy in the break riding the blue De Rosa from TINKOFF could have been a staigire.i.e a guy who get's a trial with the team for the last couple of months of the season and then if it works out and he fits in he'll get a full contract.I recently saw another rider in the Tour of Ireland riding for TINKOFF on a Willier frame.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ciaran.fallon/TourOfIreland08#5241846331082788450


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## corky (Feb 5, 2005)

At the moment it looks like there will be no representation of Colnago in the pro peleton for 2009...... which is quite unbelievable(to me). I wonder how this will affect sales?

Damn those Yankee companies, Trek & Specialized.... who wants to see them?

Disclaimer - There are rumours of a couple of new teams so there is a possibility that Ernesto's finest will make it for 09.


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## MERAKMAN (Mar 6, 2008)

Thanks guys, that must explain it then. I never realised pro teams 'tried out' riders in races. 

I agree its shocking to think Colnago wouldn't be such a predominant force in the peleton. I much rather see the Italian bikes than the others, as they have such beautiful styling. Fingers crossed Colnago will be present next year.


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## David W Colnago Lover (Aug 26, 2005)

Yeah, the Tinkoff rider was deffo a stagiere from memory of what Eurosport said. Riding only a mid range De Rosa alu frame (that's right isn't it, the Team is alu?). Just shows, you don't need a £3k frame to compete with the best.


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## MERAKMAN (Mar 6, 2008)

David W said:


> Yeah, the Tinkoff rider was deffo a stagiere from memory of what Eurosport said. Riding only a mid range De Rosa alu frame (that's right isn't it, the Team is alu?). Just shows, you don't need a £3k frame to compete with the best.



Yes, thats the one, he was riding a bottom of the range De Rosa Team (all alloy frame with integrated seat post; costs £900 for the frame only) and was keeping pace with the De Rosa King (£2600 frame only). Only thing that stopped him finishing higher up the positions list, was that he got a puncture in the last few miles. For all we know, he might have won the race if that hadn't have happened. 

I agree, it does show you don't need the top of the ranger to compete...that really interested me..


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## QQUIKM3 (Apr 20, 2008)

*Hey that's mine!*



Ciaran said:


> I recently saw another rider in the Tour of Ireland riding for TINKOFF on a Willier frame.
> 
> http://picasaweb.google.com/ciaran.fallon/TourOfIreland08#5241846331082788450


That's a Wilier Le Roi. I have one in the small flavor, and I love it. Sold my 2005 Colnago C50 for it.


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## MERAKMAN (Mar 6, 2008)

QQUIKM3 said:


> That's a Wilier Le Roi. I have one in the small flavor, and I love it. Sold my 2005 Colnago C50 for it.



Hi

So how does it compare to the C50 ride wise and quality of build?


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## QQUIKM3 (Apr 20, 2008)

*To be honest. .*



MERAKMAN said:


> Hi
> So how does it compare to the C50 ride wise and quality of build?


. .The Wilier is a little stiffer with slightly more "point and go" steering. The Nag was more like a car with under-steer. The quality of the Wilier is impeccable, and came with a flawless clear-coat unlike the Nago. I'd probably never by (you never know though) another Colnago, as my Le Roi cost a bit less and delivers a bit more.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

corky said:


> At the moment it looks like there will be no representation of Colnago in the pro peleton for 2009...... which is quite unbelievable(to me). I wonder how this will affect sales?
> 
> Damn those Yankee companies, Trek & Specialized.... who wants to see them?
> 
> Disclaimer - There are rumours of a couple of new teams so there is a possibility that Ernesto's finest will make it for 09.


In actual fact it is Colnago that has pulled the plug on Pro Tour sponsorship - rumour has it that neither his brother nor his nephew who are involved with the business want to run it and since the guys is hitting the wrong side of 70 he is downsizing the business to make it more manageable. So no pro team will be on Colnago's next year.

As already mentioned Katusha (ex-tinkoff) will be on Ridleys, Lotto will move to Canyon after Ridley migrated to Katusha. Rabobank will be moving to Giant from Colnago, Columbia will be riding Scott, CSC will be on Specialized and I think either Quick step or Milram will be on Focus ... should be interesting!


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## MERAKMAN (Mar 6, 2008)

QQUIKM3 said:


> . .The Wilier is a little stiffer with slightly more "point and go" steering. The Nag was more like a car with under-steer. The quality of the Wilier is impeccable, and came with a flawless clear-coat unlike the Nago. I'd probably never by (you never know though) another Colnago, as my Le Roi cost a bit less and delivers a bit more.


Yes I've heard the Le Roi is definately a race orinated steed, that likes to be pushed all the time. You don't see too many about either, infact thinking about it I've never seen a Le Roi on the road! What about the comfort level, compared to the C50?


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## QQUIKM3 (Apr 20, 2008)

*Don't confuse. .*



MERAKMAN said:


> What about the comfort level, compared to the C50?


The '08-'09 Le Roi with the older '06 model (one was copper color all over). Wilier got enough negative feedback to relax the geometry a bit on the new one. If you look at the geometry chart of a 52cm Colnago C50 (non-sloping) and a small Wilier Le Roi, you'll see the geometry is very close. This frame does everything right; it's stiff and had incredible damping characteristics.


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## MERAKMAN (Mar 6, 2008)

*Oh I see..*



QQUIKM3 said:


> The '08-'09 Le Roi with the older '06 model (one was copper color all over). Wilier got enough negative feedback to relax the geometry a bit on the new one. If you look at the geometry chart of a 52cm Colnago C50 (non-sloping) and a small Wilier Le Roi, you'll see the geometry is very close. This frame does everything right; it's stiff and had incredible damping characteristics.


So in which year did Le Roi won the Flanders race? Have you tried a Cento?


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## QQUIKM3 (Apr 20, 2008)

*Two reasons why. .*



MERAKMAN said:


> So in which year did Le Roi won the Flanders race? Have you tried a Cento?


I didn't buy the Cento, one was the geometry in a small was off for me, and the second is I don't like compact frames which is what a Cento is. The odd thing is Wilier asks for more money on the Cento (this was NOT an issue for me), but the carbon types used are identical to the Le Roi. Perhaps the mold was more expensive to manufacture for the Cento? But they are VERY similar construction, most notably, is the "twin tube" construction where the seat tube and the top tube join.


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