+1

If we assume that Brad is in good shape and thus strong enough to be in the team – a pretty safe assumption – then I can only see three reasons:

1. Froome doesn’t want him in the team because he’s ‘afraid’ of him
2. Froome doesn’t want him there because he’ll cause too much PR trouble
3. Froome/Brailsford doesn’t think he’ll be a team player, and thus not fulfill the domestique role

None of these appears to stack up to me.

Whatever the true reason, it’s gonna backfire on Froome, as the (unsatisfied) general public will see him being the reason Brad is not there (and assume reason number 1).

This still going?

1 is certainly how the media will want to spin it (and ill informed public will believe.)

Do wonder if we’re better off waiting for an announcement from Sky.

Froome is running the Sky team now ? Wow, he really should be admired

*Wonders if we’re all just being wound up ready for a “reconciliation” and Braddles to race with Froome after all*

3. Froome/Brailsford doesn’t think he’ll be a team player, and thus not fulfill the domestique role

this, plus Froome trying to sell a book.

Froome is afraid that Wiggins will be ahead of him on GC when they reach the base of the first mountain and will then try to do to him, what he tried to do to Wiggins in 2012

“The Great Attacks of Sir Bradley Wiggins”, that famous book not available on Amazon. Wiggins isnt the fastest or strongest climber in Sky, let alone the entire GC field. Would seeing Contador, Froome, Rodriguez, Quintana etc etc dancing away on their pedals as Wiggins diesels his way along in the trailing distance not tarnish your fanboi image of him?

The only chance for Wiggins to go to the Tour is for Froome to be injured beforehand.

It’s a shame he’s not going to be there as he’s a much more interesting person than Frome and it would have been nice to see him go past in Yorkshire. Frome’s has a much more interesting riding style but comes across as a unlikeable.

this may be a repost but Millar (Robert) sums up the Sky own goal pretty well:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-blog-man-down

reggiegasket – Member

this may be a repost but Millar (Robert) sums up the Sky own goal pretty well:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-blog-man-down

Thanks for that I didn’t know Robert had a blog and I do love his writing.

As usual his opinions are spot on.

This isn’t a climbers course, the last competitive stage is a time trial and the one before that a flat stage. I don’t think anyone’s “afraid” but could BW have been in the GC mix perhaps by virtue of a supporting role within the team going into that last stage it would require only a solo effort.

I don’t think that’s the reason though, there’s just too much I’ll feeling between those guys to work effectively that should have been sorted by now.

It will interesting when Sky does make a statement but until then I’m feeling a downer on the event. The only thing that doesn’t sit quite right is BW calm acceptance, if I were him I would be checking my contract.

.

But now you’ve said something you might as well say the rest!

From Millar…

Things are pretty desperate when a national hero like Bradley Wiggins, first British winner of the Tour, one of the most successful Olympians, BBC Sportsman of the Year, honoured by the Queen, feted and admired throughout the land isn’t at the start of a Tour de France in his own country.

Agree entirely. Team Sky in naive strategy shocka. I too would not be too upset if Froome has a bad day at the office. Go Michal!

Team Sky in naive strategy shocka

but this is NewsCorp’s interests (or whatever it’s now called), not just Brailsford making a call on race tactics.

It’s utterly implausible IMO that this is down just to “not liking each other” and Froome saying he doesn’t want (a willing) Wiggins in the team

What are crock from Millar. Starting stage is irrelevant. It’s about the team and an individual winning the most important event in the sport. DB is not a muppet. They know what is happening on the inside we don’t. Why is Brad a sacred cow? He is a brilliant cyclist for sure and no one would knock him for that. But 2012, he was not the best rider in TS. But he was team leader and he and the team won the race. The two alpha males sparred then and afterwards and Brad was hardly clean in how he behaved. So Froome is best bet in 2013 and 2014. Team is better without Brad. Get over it.

Then let’s do the same with Wayne 😉

Froome has been described as the ‘Kenyan born Froome’ from day one by the british media.

Why should he give a toss what the British media / public thinks of him?

Why do we buy into all this patriotic / nationalistic bulls**t, sportspeople have always been motivated by self interest, cyclists especially.

I’m tired of all this ‘plastic brit’ nonsense, it’s all getting a bit UKIP for me.

Enjoy the racing, the politics, the feuds and the tantrums but stop buying the xenophobic dross.

Team Sky have won the last two TdFs. I don’t have the expertise to critique their team plan for 2014. I suspect Robert Millar doesn’t know any more about the internal decisions of Team Sky than the people posting on this forum…

Team is better without Brad. Get over it.

I’m sure we will…. but why is the team better without Brad? That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Do you have the answer?

Why should he give a toss what the British media / public thinks of him?

Could be because his earning potential (sponsorships, endorsements, personal appearances, book sales etc.) relies heavily on him being popular and in Britain at least that popularity will be influenced by the British press.

As for xenophobia, I’m rooting for Nibali.

Behave Inkster, Ukip my arse, its about who you feel some sort of connection to for most of us. I’ll be supporting Dan Martin myself. He was born not far from where i live and i don’t really care if rides under the Irish flag like a lot of Kenyans probably don’t care that Froome rides under a British one. Also if anyone deserves to do well in the Tour its him after all the bad luck he’s had so far this year, Come on Dan!

Actually Dan Martin is a good shout, I might switch. Can I be a plastic Irishman?

Yup, thats two of us now, any more? 😀

I’m not a sky/wiggo/froome fanboi or hater, but I didnt think wiggo going to the ’14 Tour was ever on the cards or a good idea. Wiggins beating a bunch of kids in a second rate US race made commercial sense for the moneymen, with Sky being a division of Fox and 21st Century Fox a co-sponsor,but it wasnt befitting of a GT winner. Since 2012 Wiggins has done nothing racing-wise to justify his class-leading salary or to live up to his position.

Two years on he expects to be given a tour slot where he wont be a team player and doesnt get on with the team leader.

Rooting for riders has little to do with nationality for me. I love Purito as the attacking climber who never quite makes the top step, Nibali for his desperate/heroic attacks at the Vuelta, Dan Martin for his awful pedalling in corners with a chunky Vector pedal technique luck, Tony Martin for being pipped to the line after a 150km solo effort… this is what makes road racing romantic and compelling, not where someone was born.

Is Dan Martin riding? This confuses my Nibali fandomism, like to see him do well. Can’t actually explain why, just like I can’t explain why I prefer Wiggo to Froome, nothing to do with nationalism though.

reggiegasket – Member
Team is better without Brad. Get over it.
I’m sure we will…. but why is the team better without Brad? That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Do you have the answer?

Obviously not and can’t be arsed with speculation. DB’s tracks record earns him the respect to trust that he knows exactly what he is doing and it is probably not gong to be shared (until he finally cashes in with his autobiography upon retirement.)

Amazing how many people are tweeting, blogging or making statements about this (Greg lemond being the latest I noticed).

If this was a deliberate strategy by Wiggo to make sure he was picked, then it’s working very well. If he wins in Switzerland, DB will find it hard to justify.

Dan Martin is injured surely? Barring a miracle recovery I’d be surprised to see him start the TDF

solved

Wiggins ‘could win Tour de France if he just goes faster than everyone else’

No Dan’s back on the bike already, was only a broken collar bone 😀

I’m quite happy to be another plastic Irishman (I’m a genuine plastic Irishman with ancestry which means I could represent them at sports if I wanted to – at my best I was close enough to consider the idea). Go Dan, go, hope the Kenyan falls off.