Written by Lance Armstrong of USA Postal Services
  
  Ho, ho, ho, Merry… oops, I think I’ve messed up the vacations. Anyways, welkomme to another edition of Die Show (The Podcast or something like that), Transfer Market Analysis. After our freaky previous edition now we are ready to study the OCM Financial World (which?) with some hot moves that stunned the market recently. I will not include my traditional Mutant Rider section and my Artificial System T.Y.R.O.N (Trust Your Radiant Operating Network) helped me this time with a nice (and long) resume of the newest announce from The Hollow Man (aka Nick Lissner, Founder of our beloved game). Maybe some of you haven’t noticed but T.Y.R.O.N will replace me here in the community for a while (forum, transfers, etc.), so don’t push him please. I will do some research here in Maui so I hope my former translating program does it well (any issue, report it to my mailbox). As usual, before I start our journey I will share another wise reflection from our master Jintseng, ‘’If you edit your bid, you can leave the auction without feeling guilty,’’ definitely we all have done this, so let’s kick off the analysis…
  
  *Down the hill, or above the inflation?
  
  With the current rules, interruptions can be done by offering a… (Better read the manual, this is a podcast). Anyways, sometimes we can set a high price to avoid another manager interrupting, but in these days of confusion and looseness of real value of riders, it can be risky (lethal). Stil Ostil prefers to ignore this and made a private deal to buy Antonín Michala from pollyjean for just 700k. Nice price (no) for a domestique or a rider who can be good at mid division, because he is a climber/downhiller but not a top one to lead a team. Missing a TT center session, which means if buyer wants to fulfill his power output, it would take this transfer up to 760k… definitely no one will interrupt with such (overpriced) cost, even he is just 24 years old. But some say, top and domestiques have a price.
  
  *Mafia + Quetzals = Private Transfer
  
  When you see the name Schiavi di Don participating in an auction, better runaway. This time he is performing as seller (twin brother of fortune teller, aka bank teller) guarded by his bodyguards, TeamQuetzal paid some favors to the Don, whom agreed to sell him Oeral Faeber for 250k. This doesn’t mean the negotiation was easy, but The Don had more important business to take care of. A fair price for a rider of his level and JH has a new climber to start the adventure in the low mid divisions, but the aim for the Mexican squad is to find a better captain to build up the team.
  
  PD: This will be the last time Don is included/mentioned in this podcast, or not?
  
  *Team Sale: Part I
  
  Sometimes teams due to real life factors are forced to sell their best riders so they can continue their careers. Sadly, Welsh squad Team AUC has to do this (from TMA we wish him the best). Now it’s time to detail the best riders offered by AUC. The first time trialist has a silver medal in the World Championship ITT, yes; it’s the Spaniard Feliciano Valverde, offered for his RV. Almost 32 years old, MOVISTAR KELME TEAM won the auction with a final offer of 205k. After the last failed deal, Rogero has luck to get a strong TTer with couple seasons left. ‘’Finally, no one interrupted…’’ Rogero thought when the auction came to an end, Valverde is a good addition to his TT team.
  
  Second time trialist on sale has a large number of results in the middle divisions, Dawid Turski, same age as Valverde but way less experienced than the Spaniard. But that didn’t stop our good Dutch manager Rogero from MOVISTAR KELME TEAM who offered 205k for the polish clock machine.
  
  *Team Sale: Part II
  
  From another section of italian team sale, mapei bianchi, I’m bringing you two great sprinters with different profiles and, of course; something else I forgot while singing a song and writing.
  
  From the land of the Caesar, a master in technique. That’s what means the name of Amo Jucca, a 227 sprinter of just 25 years old. By the time the transfer takes place (end of season), he will be 26 years.

Maxed, he still having room (under 30 years) to gain certain race points in SP, to at least reach 80, that would push him further (like the big jump China did with Mao, different results at the end of course). If so, he would be huge support for great sprinters or having his own opportunities from time to time. ACAB got this sprinter for 790k, just slightly higher from his value window, but maybe a necessary investment… TQ is highly appreciated in the Top Divisions. Of course, this team is on a mission to climb back…
  
  Second sprinter is from Cocolombia (yeah, I love coconuts; so it’s a good mix), Nicolas Txurruka (weird surname, eh?). Team Unibet hired this 231 hill sprinter for 440k, not bad… not bad. Of course, his lack of TQ influences the final price, but surely this guy can have his chances if terrain lacks technical corners and no hot dog trucks in those corners. If rider is hungry, it could be a major issue his new team should solve…
  
  *Vlad Family: Part I
  
  As this team is regularly appearing in this podcast, I have decided to create a special section called Vlad Family. Earl David ‘’Vlad’’ Popescu, leader of the familytour, hunted down a Dutch flying man; Lowie Harmannus. This is a 270+CB pacer with a possible future as cobble star. The starting skills are perfect, meaning that the cobble is high, and the side stats are balanced. The auction took place for several days reaching a record amount of 180k for a cobble talent, and Pelles Gazelles is the happy winner of this local talent, that will spend a creepy month at Vlad Family Manor for Talented Guys before returning to the Highlands (Netherlands).
  
  With not so strong cobble captains, Gazelles is expecting Lowie to be the new leader of the team on the paved roads. With the Good in SP, he might become a great cobbler captain with top speed.
  
  Stats:
  CL: None (33)
  DH: None (28)
  HL: None (30)
  SP: None (31)
  FR: None (28)
  CB: None (42)
  TT: None (27)
  TQ: None (33)
  
  Potential:
  CL: None
  DH: Small
  HL: Average
  SP: Good
  FR: Small
  CB: Incredible
  TT: None
  TQ: Average
  
  Stats and potentials.
  
  *Vlad Family: Part II
  
  The second rider of the section of Vlad Family is from France. Alexy Joyeux is a powerful 210+ TTer talent of 24 years old, his only small handicap is the lack of TQ, and it’s quite a similar case we’ve studied in a previous podcast. Rogero got recently two veteran time trialist and now wants this piece of meat that will join his squad for 215k after a hard fight with other teams. MOVISTAR KELME TEAM is very active lately in the market, trying to get younger people to the team, as most of the Top Division teams, Rogero has to deal with an old team and replace his stars very well.
  
  A bit sad this great TT talent has None in TQ, but he can be a top LO if he trains 100 points at least.
  
  Stats:
  CL: None (27)
  DH: None (29)
  HL: None (28)
  SP: None (30)
  FR: None (30)
  CB: None (25)
  TT: None (43)
  TQ: None (25)
  
  Potential:
  CL: None
  DH: Small
  HL: None
  SP: Small
  FR: Very good
  CB: None
  TT: Incredible
  TQ: None
  
  Stats and potential
  
  *Man, he is a Man
  
  Temora Tornadoes is back in the market again, offering a climbing talent to whoever that can afford him. Crispin Prochnow is the newest talent from the Tornado-that-seeks-and-destroys. With a relative low starting bid, compare to some other offers of talents of his same level, Olagnoz got him for 85k.
  
  Another talented climber for a cheap price. Born as natural man of the mountains, he shouldn’t have problems to reach a good level… unless the gods of OCM are mad due to lack of gifts.
  
  Potential:
  CL: Very good
  DH: Small
  HL: Good
  SP: None
  FR: Small
  CB: Small
  TT:

Average
  TQ: None
  
  Potential.
  
  
  With Prochnow, we have ended the first part of the podcast. Now you will discuss with me and T.Y.R.O.N about the new changes of the Sponsorship deals.
  
  Game Administrator Don Hamstre from Schiavi di Don published a while ago a survey to know managers opinion about the new feature introduced by Nick Lissner from Team Zyte, Sponsors. 100% of the managers agreed that the introduction of this major feature on the game, especially in the economical side, has produced a new hyperinflation on the market with new broken barriers on prices. This also influenced the number of new talents found in the Hire List, due to big sponsors (100k-150k instantly, 25k per week, 1 free scout per day).
  
  The new spiral in prices was reported by several managers who kindly exposed their suggestions when the feature was introduced, and now with the recent survey made by Don, a readjust on Sponsors will be implemented (it can be found in detail in the newest announcement, http://www.cyclingsimulator.com/forum/announcements/397721). Of course, the effects on the prices won’t be noticed immediately, but the next season. This means the managers will have to ponder the best choices when it comes to sign Sponsors, and the strategy of waiting on a big sponsor until you can have room to accept it, is now over.
  
  So with slightly less money, we can expect a significant reduction of the prices and in the future, a balance on prices. But this is not completely true, because as sellers/buyers we can set our own values and it’s up to any manager the amount of money to bid on any rider (talent/trained). However, the new set up will bring different alternatives on sponsor, detailed on the original post. Another point to add, is that if you are waiting on a good sponsor and you can’t accept it before July 28, better decline, because the sponsor will disappear when the readjust happens.
  
  Despite the recent doubts about how Sponsors will work until the readjust (if they are changing the amount paid now or not) Nick has clarified that text (and income) might be bugged now but this should be fixed and every Sponsor signed now and before the deadline will work in the same way (or it should be working). Only when the changes take place, you will see the change in text and payout, but if you still owning a deal accepted before July 28, don’t worry, it will pay the same money until the contract expires; the only change will the text in the background. Far from reality, many managers have experienced this problem, and well, it seems the changes are taking place before the real date.
  
  On the bright side, Mr. Lissner assured July 1st the bug was fixed (due to a mess up with the numbers) so the upcoming payouts will be according to the sponsors’ description. Sadly, the managers who received the future payout will not receive the missing money (the loss is ‘’bigger’’ if the contract was a daily payout of 2,5-2k per day).
  
  The reduction will be to 100k instantly in the case of the current 150k sponsor, and 20k every second week for the 25k per week, these are the most significant examples of current payouts. Instead of 12 payouts of 25k, it will be lowered to 6 payouts of 20k every second week for 90 days. This means a total deal of 120k for the new sponsor, and here comes the smart management in place for every team, because with the new engine of deleting non signed (on waiting list) sponsors after 14 days, it could stuck a team income for a while. So the manager in this new era has to think in instant money, middle term or long term sponsors. Depending in the needs or a miscalculation, it’s the thin line between a good economy and a team blocked due to lack of funds, especially for new/small teams in search of building a good line up.
  
  I think it’s not necessary to mention that readjust will allow each manager to still having a good amount of money, of course; not the same number we have seen, but still helpful. The intention is to make Sponsors real strategy for managers and not just accepting/declining deals based on the number of zeroes the sponsor has. For example, the USA Postal Services will finish Season 53 with more than 400k in concept of Sponsors, numbers that will be diminished significantly.
  
  To conclude this review, only big sponsors will be affected, so the small sponsors will keep giving the same amount of money (or almost).
  
  Quick check of the changes due to Sponsor Readjustment.
  
  a)Big Sponsors will be reduced.
  b)Transfer prices might stabilize after two-three seasons (depending on some factors).
  c)Strategy will be crucial when it comes to signing Sponsor deals.
  
  And we have finished the special edition of Transfer Market Analysis. Clean your blades, buy more bullets and shoot the last guns before the readjust happens. And never ever forget it; the auction is not over until the fat lady sings ;)
  
  *Lowie is the most expensive cobble talent post-sponsor era. And second overall.