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Brailsford has already said he thinks an awkward team dynamic is a good thing, so I can still see Wiggins making the team. The effect might well be that Froome and Wiggins up their games out of a bit of mutual dislike, but the end result might be a better team performance? I think the media are also making it look more adversarial than it actually is...
It all makes for a fascinating story too, just think how many sporting rivalries (in cycling and beyond: think of Hinault/Lemond) have made for utterly fascinating moments or achievements. It could be argued that rivalry brings out more than harmony sometimes...
Wiggins does come out of it looking like a "me first" sort of person.
I reckon in most sports (and elsewhere) those are the people who reach the very top, and win.
Total NON STORY ( imho )
Sky ( like other teams ) will field the squad they think gives them the best chance of Yellow in Paris .... END OF .....
As an aside Froome himself hinted in a recent interview that it may benefit Sky if Wiggins, Porte and Froome all rode as they would have 3 genuine GC contenders for the other teams to watch
More importantly, anyone know if Kyrienka is riding ? Last I heard he wasn't very well..
Be sad if he wasn't in the Tour, I totally admire him. 😕
Finished on the podium of the Bayern Rundfahrt (or however it's spelled), probably in the TdF team
As an aside Froome himself hinted in a recent interview that it may benefit Sky if Wiggins, Porte and Froome all rode as they would have 3 genuine GC contenders for the other teams to watch
Be nice to see Contador blowing away all three of them, and not just Froome 😈
Can't see it happening, though 🙁
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Be nice to see Contador blowing away all three of them, and not just FroomeCan't see it happening, though
Not since he changed his [s]doctor[/s] butcher..
Contador ..... he tried everything last year and got nowhere. He was left standing when Froome attacked. Wrong kind of steak.
I'm going to guess after Oleg Tinkoff's comments last year, that Contador will have the right kind of meat preparation this year.
Bertie does have a new beef supplier [url= http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/contadors-team-picks-up-new-beef-sponsor-41051/ ]link[/url] and he has also been back on top form this year.
Anyone know if he is riding Dauphine or Suisse ?
Froome, Wiggo & Porte for a 1-2-3 in Paris 😀
Froome recently kicked up a bit of a fuss saying there's been no testing out in Tenerife. It's almost like he thinks Contador and Nibali have some sort of doping past and thinks they could do with checking out. 😆
Although more seriously I think he also wants to ensure nobody says he's doping this year
Be a pity if Brad isnt there , hes not riding bad and if anything happened to Froome in the opening hectic week, it could save Sky a repeat of 2011 when if I remember correctly they had no rider in the top 20 after brads crash and broken collar bone?? Think with out too much trouble Brad could make top 10 and with a bit of luck maybe even podium, cant see anyone else on Sky team that could/would finish as high its a long 2 weeks with no interest in GC.
Can't really blame him considering the scrutiny he faced last year. I think that he and other pros have to accept that to some extent but he's right to make the point I reckon.
ChunkyMTB - Member
ChunkyMTB - Member
Wiggo won't be on the Tour... trust me...
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Go on then Chunky, I'll bite the bait 😀
Why would we trust you?
Although more seriously I think he also wants to ensure nobody says he's doping this year
They'll say it anyway, however much he protests 🙁
Of course they will, it's just to what degree. I do wonder how Wiggo would have coped with the post-Armstrong inquisition that Froome faced at the Tour (I know he faced it at the time as reigning champion but not actually at the Tour)
Froome recently kicked up a bit of a fuss saying there's been no testing out in Tenerife. It's almost like he thinks Contador and Nibali have some sort of doping past and thinks they could do with checking out.Although more seriously I think he also wants to ensure nobody says he's doping this year
To be fair, if you're riding clean - and let's assume he's genuinely clean - it must be a big worry knowing your success is at the merci of whether your rivals cheat or not.
As for Wiggins. To me, he has proven his performance this year. Put him in the Tour and let us see some action. I'll be disappointed if he's not there.
Am I the only person on here who likes both Wiggins & Froome?
They're very different but I find much to admire in both their approaches and neither would have got where they are today without almost superhuman levels of dedication and sacrifice.
I'll be up in Yorkshire next year and happy to cheer for both of them.
You're looking at it as a spectator and I agree, it'd be great (probably) to have him in.
But if you were Brailsford, frankly all you'd really care about was whether it will make Froome more or less likely to win.
I'll be up in Yorkshire next year and happy to cheer for both of them.
You might be a little lonely.
I think Wiggo's lead out of Cav was an attempt to make good some of the dissapointment Cav felt after the Athens Olympics and also the 2012 Tour where Cav's aspirations had to tae second place. As posted it didn't cost Wiggo anything and certainly helped him look good.
As for the TdF 1/2/3 question I think it could be Froome/Porte/Wiggins as Porte supports Froome on the climbs and Wiggins has to fend for himself, if Froome is injured then Wiggins/Porte as Porte is asked to ride for Wiggins.
I was very happy to see Froome win last year and I'd like to see him do it again but if it costs Wiggins his place in the team that changes a lot for me.
The only thing I can add is that Sky will look pretty stupid if Wiggins is not in the team and Froome crashes out early as Wiggins did in 2011.
I just wish they could both race together and be happy with the boss's verdict on who is Number 1 and who is Number 2.
I do wonder how Wiggo would have coped with the post-Armstrong inquisition that Froome faced at the Tour
lots of pottymouth and an epic flounce, probably
anyone posted this yet?
[url= https://twitter.com/velocast/status/474138711270387712/photo/1 ]velocast[/url]
Team sky keeping everyone guessing and on the back foot,come the start the other teams will have Wiggo,Frome and Porte to try and stay in touch with,Brad will lead out till the mountains taking pressure off Frome and if he hasn't gone down on the cobbles Frome to take over in the mountain with Porte and to a lesser part Brad supporting after that anyone's guess depends on where they are time wise could come down to a two horse race to the end.
But that's the point; Sky lets them race each other and they stand to lose because they're looking at each other which means at best, Froome has a 7-man support or at worst, 3 or 4. That's why teams usually pick a leader and a 2nd.
Still see it going down that way just think sky will hedge there bets till after the mountains,on an aside a think Frome has got the grunt cause he's NOT a knight of the relm 😀
[quote=butcher ]To be fair, if you're riding clean - and let's assume he's genuinely clean - it must be a big worry knowing your success is at the merci of whether your rivals cheat or not.
I don't suppose he thanks them - not even the French ones.
The idea from some on this thread that Wiggo wouldn't make the TdF team on merit based on performance and potential to help Froome is frankly quite bizarre. You don't win the Tour of California without being a very good rider in good form - undoubtedly he's stronger on the flat and on the climbs than most other Team Sky riders, including most of the team going to the DL. Of course there is clearly the issue of personalities, but is DB really going to take a rider who can't do what Wiggo can do because he's incapable of managing that, even assuming that Wiggo is really likely to rock the boat.
If Wiggo is targeting the track in Rio 2016 as suspected, he will want a stress-free 2015 in order to prepare, there are rumours that Orica are interested in him, they also seem to be interested in Richie Porte but he has another year on his Contract and isnt technically available until the end of 2015.
The whole Alonso thing appears to be stalling the process though Sagan to Tinkoff is a done deal apparently. Alonso needs riders with UCI points to get WT status but no team is going to let a likely transfer target to acquire loads of points only to move to Alonso next year... quite a few big names are out of Contract at the end of 2014, Tony Martin, Eddie Higgs Boson, Rui Costa...
Alonso is also targeting an exclusive bike deal too..... I see Halfords bought Boardman today?! 😉
Criterium Dauphine should be very interesting to gauge the Froome/Wiggo relationship
...an aside a think Frome has got the grunt cause he's NOT a knight of the relm
He never convinced me that he's not Kenyan.
Well Wiggins was born in Belguim to and Aussie father wasn't he?
At least both Froome's parents were British. 😉
Anyone else think it's completely pointless having Porte as number 2 for the TDF ? He's proven this year (and last) that he doesn't have what it takes to win a Grand Tour, so having him as backup in case of a problem with Froome means the best you've got is a Top 10. Whether Wiggins can win it on this tour, this day, this time, we don't know.. but he has proven he can win a Tour at least.
He's a better climber then Wiggins, so better able to support Froome through the mountains.Anyone else think it's completely pointless having Porte as number 2 for the TDF ?
I think they call that experience...took Wiggo a few 'failures', didn't it?He's proven this year (and last) that he doesn't have what it takes to win a Grand Tour
there does seem to be some short memories on here, though I doubt DB and the other teams will forget the rest of the sky team going AWOL twice in the mountains and once on the flat.
I'm sure Froome's girlfriend will decide what he wants to happen for him.
Anyone else think it's completely pointless having Porte as number 2 for the TDF ? He's proven this year (and last) that he doesn't have what it takes to win a Grand Tour, so having him as backup in case of a problem with Froome means the best you've got is a Top 10. Whether Wiggins can win it on this tour, this day, this time, we don't know.. but he has proven he can win a Tour at least.
Were we watching the same race last year?
One bad day and it wasn't even a bad day. It was a dodgy hour where he lost contact and then chased for 2-3 hours essentially alone without losing anymore time until realisation finally hit he wasn't going to get it back. After that he was essentially at the front all race then sitting up when not needed anymore as his GC was done on that bad day.
Bit unfair about this year as he's been out of sorts clearly and by that rational you'd have binned Froome for having a parsite wrecking his system twice!
That's not to say he will ever win a grand tour but he's never been given the opportunity yet when in full health.
Bit unfair about this year as he's been out of sorts clearly and by that rational you'd have binned Froome for having a parsite wrecking his system twice!That's not to say he will ever win a grand tour but he's never been given the opportunity yet when in full health
But this year is when the Tour is, so being out of sort this year makes him therefore pointless as a number 2 ? I can totally see why you'd have him in the team, he's a bloody great rider... but I can't see why he's your alternate plan if it goes wrong for Froome.
If Porte's been out of sorts surely it's all the more reason to take Wiggo?
I hope all 3 of them are there as it'll be their strongest team and might encourage others like Nibali/Valverde to launch some crazy attacks which will make for better viewing. And as said above I think Sky would look pretty silly if Froome crashed out the first week and they had no genuine GC contender.
But this year is when the Tour is, so being out of sort this year makes him therefore pointless as a number 2 ? I can totally see why you'd have him in the team, he's a bloody great rider... but I can't see why he's your alternate plan if it goes wrong for Froome.
Oh yes I'd agree depending upon his current state. He could well be fine. Froome was in 2012 and he'd been ill for a lot of the year.
I don't think he or Wiggins would be the alternate plan to win the Tour. If Froome crashes out they aren't going to win this tour with either of them but they will at least save face with probable stage wins and a top 5 from one of them.
He's a better climber then Wiggins, so better able to support Froome through the mountains
he blew up a few times as well and Wiggo did not but generally YES
However [ moods personality aside] I would rather have both tbh
Wiggo can tempo him/both up a climb and then leave froome/Porte to do the real work
He's a better climber then Wiggins, so better able to support Froome through the mountains
he blew up a few times as well and Wiggo did not but generally YES
However [ moods personality aside] I would rather have both tbh
Wiggo can tempo him/both up a climb and then leave froome/Porte to do the real work
Wiggins has just been on 5 live and has confirmed that "as things stand" he will not be in this years tour.