Suprised BMC are mentioned as possibly pulling out, they are well funded and seem happy to pay decent money for the riders they want – rumours are Porte is getting a few million/year.

Seems Team Sky are just too professional for professional cycling?!

As above, the only one that could “kill the sport” by moving to Sky as I see it is Quintana. Which is unlikely, surely?

nickc – the problem with the suggestion is it gives the world tour team owners more stability and money but there’s less riders at world tour level, less races and you start to have to end certain races. Vaughters and Oleg want it more like F1 with a VERY limited number of racing days per year to keep their coverage high and their costs low. It’s ironic that a former doper that employs a lot of former dopers and a former Eastern Bloc cyclist turned businessman who employs former dopers haven’t spotted that the main barrier for cycling is the chequered past that people from a certain era have.

On the subject of the common man, it takes about 5 seconds to explain the difference between stage races and one day races and about 30 seconds to explain why not every rider does every race.

Can you imagine, though, how slow and boring the Vuelta would be with riders who’d already done two grand tours. It’d be like a 3-week autobus except the cutoff would be when the TV stations switched off for I’m a celebrity or X-Factor as the racing was so uninspiring.

I have no issue with the concept of a franchise system as long as the ruling body of the sport have the right to demand the banning (permanently or temporarily) of individual staff up to the entire team as (in theory) the American franchise operators do.

If Movistar properly get behind Quintana and make him the undisputed leader at the tour I don’t see him going anywhere else never mind Sky.
I don’t remember exactly what he said in an interview at the end of the tour but it gave me the feeling that he was ready to demand sole leadership at the tour.
Movistar wouldn’t send him to the tour last year and Valverde was clearly looking after himself early on this year which is when lots of people are saying Quintana lost the race.
As I have not heard anything about Quintana renewing with Movistar, I guess that he is under contract until the end of next season. If he keeps going the way he has been he will be seriously hot property at the end of his contract. Meaning Movistar will have to play ball or he will be off.
If he does leave Movistar and Sky have added all those Spanish speakers they are rumoured to be getting then it would be more likely at the end of next season he would move to Sky than it would be now, but even with that I am not sure he would fit in with the way that Sky seem to want to do things.
Sky are all about team training camps and heavy involvement with the riders and he likes to be left alone at home with his family to do his own thing.

I can’t see Sky hiring another Grand Tour GC rider. There was enough infighting when it was Froome and Wiggo, they surely don’t need Quintana. Similarly, they are pretty dedicated to GC wins and I don’t think they would support a sprinter in the Grand Tours (See: why Cav left a couple of years ago).

What about Sagan? He is pretty low maintenance (doesn’t really require many other team members for leadouts etc) but high profile. He would basically slot into any team and win them TV coverage / points, plus he’s a pretty well-liked personality (which wouldn’t hurt Sky at the moment). I could see that happening.

I can’t see Sky hiring another Grand Tour GC rider.

Froome is 30, Quintana is 25. Sky will be thinking about succession.

I can’t see Sky hiring another Grand Tour GC rider. There was enough infighting when it was Froome and Wiggo, they surely don’t need Quintana. Similarly, they are pretty dedicated to GC wins and I don’t think they would support a sprinter in the Grand Tours (See: why Cav left a couple of years ago).

What about Sagan? He is pretty low maintenance (doesn’t really require many other team members for leadouts etc) but high profile. He would basically slot into any team and win them TV coverage / points, plus he’s a pretty well-liked personality (which wouldn’t hurt Sky at the moment). I could see that happening.

If I am not mistaken Sagan signed a 3 year contract with Tinkoff and Oleg has recently been singing his praises. If Oleg keeps the team going Sagan will be unavailable for another 2 years.
A lot could happen in that time. I think Sagan will focus more and more on the classics and if he has the right team around him he is a serious threat in those races in my opinion. Add in that the 2 most dominant guys from that time of year are very close to retirement. Which makes it more sensible for him to look at that time of year more seriously. If he does do that then I think he will go to a team that is good in the classics for his next team. I don’t know how the Belgians would feel about it but imagine Sagan riding for Etixx in the classics. Boonen will probably be done around when Sagan’s contract expires so the money would be there in theory

Boonen will probably be done around when Sagan’s contract expires

Only one win in KBK since 2012. Injury prone. Boonen is, unfortunately, done now 🙁

Not sure what Terpstra and Stybar would make of Sagan’s arrival either.

+1 – presumably it would cost them more to do their own commentary with those two, but if they could afford them for the Dauphine then they could afford them for the TdF (for which I’m sure they get far more advertising income). I can only assume that as mentioned above there’s some contractual thing – that and possibly most people don’t actually care that much.

Only one win in KBK since 2012. Injury prone. Boonen is, unfortunately, done now

Not sure what Terpstra and Stybar would make of Sagan’s arrival either.

By done I mean packing it all in and freeing up some cash. I agree Boonen has not been great for a while and arguably unlucky in terms of crashes/injuries, or just lazy and more interested in coke and his cars. Either or both could be true to some extent, but he is still taking up a big chunk of budget. Also if Boonen won another big race before he retires it wouldn’t exactly be a massive shock to anyone in my opinion.
Maybe when the time comes Terpstra and Stybar or even some of the other at riders at Etixx will have the power to stop the team adding someone like Sagan, but I don’t think that is the case now especially in Terpstra’s case. I think the opinion of the Belgian public would have a bigger influence on weather Etixx were to sign someone like Sagan

It goes back a little further than that – English speakers won 4 TdFs more than 20 years ago. However if we include all of those subsequently removed from the record books, that’s now 16 TdF wins for English speakers since a French speaker last won one (and actually 7 of those were probably done just on bread and water, which may be more than the French have ever done).

Probably been done but a nice summary over at inrng..

The Moment The Race Was Won: The Tour

Curious to see mention of Cofidis, if you’d have asked me I’d not have been entirely certain they were even at the tour!

On a lighter note…. was Sagan drunk? 😀

very rarely actually make any money.

The teams aren’t actually allowed to make any money, it’s against the rules. Seems absurd.

Speaking of Skynet’s long-term plans, I recall Brailsford mentioning the possible goal of winning the tour with a French rider.

I’d love to see them do it with Bardet.

Given Oleg’s comments (am I allowed to call him that when I’ve never met him?) which young French riders are out of contract? Pinot (can’t spell his first name, can I call him T?) is the other obvious possibility. Let the speculation start here…

A really enjoyable TdF to follow this year. Made all the better as it wasn’t ‘just’ about the top4 (or top 5 until TJvG dropped out), there were many stand out riders.

Highlights for me included Geraint’s amazing tour, Porte’s support for Froome. Froome himself for a well composed, resilient performance across the 3 weeks, Sagan’s brilliant attacking riding (oh so wanted a stage win for him), Bardet’s skillful descending, Cummings’ opportunistic blast past the arguing French double-act, the list is endless.

Was sad to see many drop out due to illness or injury. Never good to see top riders like Cancellara and Martin fall and injure and was a shame not to see more of Peter Kenaugh (sp?).

Movistar performed well – as many have said, had Quintana had a better week 1, the tour would have had a potentially different story. But Valverde supported him well – a surprise over the 3 weeks.

Nibali rode back into contention, but it was little too late – and I am still divided on that unsportsman-like move when Froome was held up.

Cav did well to keep going through the tour, but (altho I’m a Cav fan) I was pleased to see Greipel win on the Champs.

But where was Cofidis? And I didn’t think OricaGE featured that much. Would have liked to see more success for EuropCar in terms of Pierre Rolland.

MTN/Qhubeka however – they acquitted themselves admirably, easily earning their Would Tour status and TdF invite.

Thank you to all of you who put up the daily posts – it’s really appreciated – and also thanks to those of you contributing. Was always great to check into the threads when away from the TV. Would love to have the same for the Vuelta

which young French riders are out of contract? Pinot (can’t spell his first name, can I call him T?) is the other obvious possibility. Let the speculation start here…

Sky to get marginal gainseeee and employ Rossi (other GOAT’s are available) to teach the boy what an apex is?

And I didn’t think OricaGE featured that much.

Hard to feature when the poor guys were dropping like flies! Very tough Tour for the team.

Sky to get marginal gainseeee and employ Rossi (other GOAT’s are available) to teach the boy what an apex is?

It was pretty funny that everyone was talking about how Pinot was “cured” and then promptly tried to pedal around a hairpin and hit the ground like a sack of spuds

Poor fecker! He was defo better last year to be fair. He does seem to be a chap that gets stuck in his own head and can’t let things go, cobbled stage being a good example, the stage where his team mate (?) crashed this year seemed to also shake him right up, didn’t one of his best mates also die in a crash? Perhaps some work on the inner chimp would help (moar Sky references…), although, Sky are a bit crashy, don’t pair him with Thomas!

He’s a huge talent, would be great to see him on a big team.

Or is Barguil the great (red) white (and blue) hope? Would G happily race with him provided he comes bearing sunglasses? Maybe Sky are signing all 3?

Got a lot of time for Pinot. Would be cool to see him with a bigger, more efficient team behind him.

It was pretty funny that everyone was talking about how Pinot was “cured” and then promptly tried to pedal around a hairpin and hit the ground like a sack of spuds

Funny’s not the word I’d use – looked like he was right on the limit and a pretty gentle pedal input just skated him a smidge over it. You make him sound life some ham-footed eedjit. which is a bit unfair to one of the best riders in the world.

B.A.Nana » They hate the fact that English is now the predominant language in the peloton, when 20 years ago nobody but one or two riders spoke English.

aracer – Member
It goes back a little further than that – English speakers won 4 TdFs more than 20 years ago. However if we include all of those subsequently removed from the record books, that’s now 16 TdF wins for English speakers since a French speaker last won one (and actually 7 of those were probably done just on bread and water, which may be more than the French have ever done).
Who won it, when, and what language those individuals spoke, wasn’t really the point I was making. 20 years ago (more or less) English language was in the minority amongst teams, individuals, the peloton, it wasn’t the spoken language in the tdf.
Now it’s becoming the predominant language used throughout tdf. Yanks, Brits, Ozzy, NZ’ders and other jonny come lately’s for whom English is the second language, they (french) don’t like it. A few ‘commentators’ have made this point, Boardman has mentioned it a couple of times (comparing his time and how it is now) and a French commentator made this point in an article, along with reasons why they don’t care for Team Sky (big money, science, long term strategy, he fell short of saying because the were a British team, but we all know that if they were French it would be fine). I now can’t find the article but this is near enough the point, from a few years ago http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/sports/cycling/16iht-cycling16.html. It’s a small point, but one of the underlying reasons why there are so many haters in France.

Funny’s not the word I’d use – looked like he was right on the limit and a pretty gentle pedal input just skated him a smidge over it. You make him sound life some ham-footed eedjit

No, he hit his inside pedal on the floor and fell off. Pretty basic error.

So if Sky signed up a French GC contender what would the French think about them then? And if the French chap then won the Tour?! Maybe this is Dave’s plan to get them onside?

Speaking of Skynet’s long-term plans, I recall Brailsford mentioning the possible goal of winning the tour with a French rider.

I read that this also annoyed the French (or at least some of them!) Think they took it as a suggestion that a French team didn’t have the ability to put together a proper GC challenge and it would take the backing of a foreign team.

I recall Brailsford mentioning the possible goal of winning the tour with a French rider.

Jeez, their fans would implode and start throwing cups of piss all over themselves at the dichotomy.

Do it Dave. Just for shits and giggles. With Tricolor branding instead of the Sky blue (or yellow) bands. **** them right up. And make Froome back into a super domestique heavy lifting for them as well.

you lot seem the ones with issues regarding french people , not the other way round .

the french press is always critical of anyone winning the tour . L equipe always attacked LA .
maybe it is due to the fact that the press own the Tour , L equipe and Le parisien newspapers is same company as ASO .

As i said in another thread , Yellow jerseys have always been harrassed on the road , nothing to do with their nationality or articles in the press .

Can you imagine the conflict of emotions if they took Pinot or Rolland, riders with potential but one who’ve never really delivered and turned then into tour winners? Yes, we have a French tour winner…but he’s riding for Sky. Yes, that means Sky invested in our riders and made them tour champions…but it means that Marc Madiot could’t…Ahhhhhhh

Chris have you evidence to back up the French press giving Cadel Evans or Nibali shit?
Love the idea of Froome being a super domestique to help a French Sky rider win Le Tour. Personally I think he will see the humour in it and be right up for it!

I can’t really see where Barguil, Bardet or Pinot would fit in with Sky right now and I’m not sure it would be good for them.

Maybe in a couple of years though, depending how they develop.

Rolland is the answer for Sky, a climbing domestique, loved by the French who, with time, could possible have a crack at GC. He’d do a right job for them, he may also be available cheaply very soon.

mudshark – Member
So if Sky signed up a French GC contender what would the French think about them then? And if the French chap then won the Tour?! Maybe this is Dave’s plan to get them onside?

It’d be a massive risk for Sky. To draw a (non-doping) comparison with USPS, they hired Cedric Vasseur who was pretty popular in France and then did little with him. That really pissed off the French and made them dislike USPS even more.

If Sky took on a good French rider but in any way were perceived to not have given him a clear chance (imagine how the French press would have reacted if say Porte was French) to win big, they’d get crucified.

So essentially, the only good PR for Sky would be if they took a Pinot, Barguil, etc, made them the defacto team leader for the TdF and then won. A year of being super domestique for Froome might be acceptable but anything more than that would be seen as treachery.

I read that this also annoyed the French (or at least some of them!) Think they took it as a suggestion that a French team didn’t have the ability to put together a proper GC challenge and it would take the backing of a foreign team

It’s a sort of “we want a French winner, but we don’t want the Rozbeef to do it for us”.
Which I can kinda see where the French would be coming from there. I read DB’s comments of possibly winning the TdF with a French rider, to be arrogant and patronising. Therefore, no wonder that kinda of talk gets DB’s short shrift with the French.

Rolland is the answer for Sky, a climbing domestique, loved by the French who, with time, could possible have a crack at GC. He’d do a right job for them, he may also be available cheaply very soon.

This would make a lot more sense.

They want a French winner who does it the French way.

You have to see this in the broader context. There’s a common narrative about the world and the way the US/UK are taking it away from a lot of things held dear in France – longer working hours, less time with family, austerity and so on. These are seen as damaging to the French way of life.

Sky are an extension of that – the big corporate, win at all costs and don’t care about the style/romance/history of it if it gets in the way. The whole thing about going to a mountain for weeks on end without family and living like a monk is not the French way. Similarly, steamrollering stages of the TdF as Sky have done destroys the romance of it.

Rolland would be a disaster for the reasons I stated above. The French press would claim he was being held back from his true potential to be Froome’s bitch.

Good luck with that. The winners were taking it seriously way before Sky came along (I’m sure Hinault would spend weeks training at altitude if he was riding now).

Rolland would be a disaster for the reasons I stated above. The French press would claim he was being held back from his true potential to be Froome’s bitch.

You are massively overthinking the issue in this and your previous post and I’m not convinced by your stereotyping anyway.