[Closed] Team Sky announce team. Wiggins is watching from the side lines.

Cav has Bronchitis so that could rule him out of some wins, hope he fully recovers in time as he's looking impressive but he's never beaten Kittel in an out and out sprint.

Abandy Schleck is riding in support of Frank this year. Don't think either of them will be at Trek next year.

Yellow for Cav would be great, if only to complete his collection.

I'm not drawn to Froome. Without Wiggins, my next natural choice as "person to feel happy when they do well" would have been Boasson Hagen. He's ruled out too, so it'll probably be Thomas Voeckler.

Agreed, allez Voeckler!

To be honest I think Sky are a fairly loathsome team and dont seem to stand by anyone , Cav had a poor time there , Sean Yates was dispatched fairly quickly and Wiggins seems to have been forgotten as soon as 2012 came to a close.
I'm looking forward to the tour but my highlights would be either a stage win for David Millar or Jens Voight , Also looking for ward to going to stage 3 for a day out.

'Vive le Tour'.

I prefer to judge Froome on his riding, rather than whether I like him as a person (even though I don't know him), or whether he's 'cool' (whatever that may be).

And as a rider, he is outstanding. I'll be cheering him on.

stanfree - Member

To be honest I think Sky are a fairly loathsome team and dont seem to stand by anyone , Cav had a poor time there , Sean Yates was dispatched fairly quickly and Wiggins seems to have been forgotten as soon as 2012 came to a close.

Wasn't a good move for Cav, certainly, there was never any chance of him having a dedicated lead out IMO. Yates left because of his admission of doping and Sky's 'zero-tolerance' policy. Wiggins had was team leader for the Giro in 2013 and was gash.

As long as its not the convicted drugs cheat Contador, who along with any other drugs cheats should not be allowe4d to race, I just hope its an exciting race.

what about all the unconvicted drugs cheats though?

I prefer to judge Froome on his riding, rather than whether I like him as a person (even though I don't know him), or whether he's 'cool' (whatever that may be).

And as a rider, he is outstanding. I'll be cheering him on.

my dislike of him came from his riding 🙄 stage 13 2013... jumped by Contrador he sent his team to burn on the front while he skulked in the bunch. Didn't even have the decency to sit third wheel and encourage his troops while Bertie was doing long turns on the front of his train.

And finally, the Schleck brothers to drop away early, never to be heard from again

a big PLEASE for this

I am really not bothered who is riding for Sky or any one else this year, I'm to excited about it all coming to Harrogate to care less about the politics of team selection

BUT

Having said that there are certain things I'd like to see.

Not least would be if Cav can't win in Harrogate I hope its cos big Jens takes everyone by surprise on the last little hill on Ripon Road and does enough to hold everyone off up Parliament Street, doubtful but who could deny him a stage win and stint in Yellow 😀

I just hope its an exciting race.

good luck with that... after the first week it may be the most boring race we've ever witnessed.

Cav and Sky were never a good match, he needs a dedicated team to win and Sky wanted GC. You won't win green (or any other jersey) without having a team committed to it. OPQS is a much better match for him as they are a classics team who will throw weight behind the sprints in the tours.

Sean Yates left due to his associated with doping in the past. His connections with Lance and Motoman are far to tight to be comfortable for Sky. I suspect Mick Rogers suffered a similar fate.

Wiggo wasn't forgotten in 2013, he was planning to go for GC in Italy first then go to France and work with Froome as a 2 pronged attack. Sadly, he made a pigs ear of the Giro so that stopped that idea. This year he was the focus for the spring races and actually did rather well with support from Thomas, Boasson-Hagen and Eisel. He still shouldn't ride the tour but I do think he could do a job at the Classics next year if he trained for them specifically.

Klunk - Member

my dislike of him came from his riding stage 13 2013..

The cross-winds stage?

warton - Member
I just hope its an exciting race.
good luck with that... after the first week it may be the most boring race we've ever witnessed.

It's impossible to be more boring than 2012.
Factoid.

warton - Member

good luck with that... after the first week it may be the most boring race we've ever witnessed.

I don't know about that, seems more wide open this year than it has been for a while.

Well in Wiggo's year of course I was supporting him. That was historic. It's probably right he's not going this year and it's a shame he won't be on show for the British fans. But thre is still a race to watch and in general i'm not too fussed about who wins, I just enjoy watching a good race. Let's hope we get one.

Oh and I think I'll be cheering Cav, Millar and The Jensie as they go by.

I'm sure that as Froome learns of how disapproving STW is of his riding style he'll be crying himself to sleep on top of his bed made from yellow jerseys stuffed with prize money.

I'll be cheering Cav and Contador, can't stand Sky the team. But mostly I want to see action.

Wiggins had was team leader for the Giro in 2013 and was gash.

True, but the giro with it's steep climbs isn't really playing to his strengths. Whereas a Tour with fewer and more gradual climbs and more TT is.

@Lifer you've lost me with the chip (on your shoulder) reference ?

I'm just not interesting in spending a weekend fighting crowds and spending £500 travel and hotels plus 5hrs each way travel if Brad's not riding. Brad riding in Yorkshire Grand Depart was what it was all about for me. The London stage finishes less than 1k from the office so I'll try and see some of that.

Let's be honest, Wiggins is a grumpy git who is boring as hell to watch on a bike. If he wasn't British then you lot would hate him for being a dull arrogant prick.

Froome can be a bit dull off the bike but he's an exciting rider who has more in his arsenal than just the ability to TT up a mountain.

Never mind that fact that his form at the moment just doesnt merit a place in the squad.

Whereas a Tour with fewer and more gradual climbs and more TT is.

So not this years route then? One shortish TT in the whole thing.

Hoping Gee does a Froome & usurps his leader.

Is Yates riding for Orica?

Is Yates riding for Orica?

Nope. Big season already and he's only young so they've parked him for now.

@whatnobeer Wiggins is a multi-medalled Olympian going back to 2000 and was the first ever British TdF winner (proving we could do it) and won the London home Olympics road race the same year. That cannot be matched. That's why he's Sir Bradley Wiggins and Froome is just Chris.

While I can understand that people are disappointed that Wiggo won't be riding, I don't understand why people are so anti-Froome.

It's been done to death numerous times but just the whole package of Froome as a person and rider is so hard to connect with or get behind, kind of regardless of nationality I feel. For a whole host of reason I think I'd be more likely to cheer for the personality-devoid Andy Murray playing a sport I couldn't care less about.

One of the things I really, really like about watching bike racing is that I can pick and choose who I am rooting for without worrying about what country they're from. I simply don't experience it as a nationalistic thing.

I'm not drawn to Froome. Without Wiggins, my next natural choice as "person to feel happy when they do well" would have been Boasson Hagen. He's ruled out too, so it'll probably be Thomas Voeckler.

I kind of agree with this. Voeckler is out injured though isn't he? Shame as I guess it is up to Roland to take up the mantle as intrepid kamikaze attacking Frenchman... and he is as loved in the peleton as Froome is in the UK 😆

More interesting perhaps is to see how other nations settled the "established elder vs in form youth" debate with Valverde throwing his weight around to be Movistar team leader for the TDF 😀 He may be old but he seems to have been eating his beef this season in a last ditch attempt at glory 😆

I'll be cheering on David Millar.
I'll miss him.

My era is coming to an end, my heros are or have departed, it's a becoming a pale pallet on a bumpy canvas stretched a little too tight.

When Vockler goes I suspect I'll stop watching/following altogether.

One more win Dave please, ta.

Let's be honest, Wiggins is a grumpy git who is boring as hell to watch on a bike. If he wasn't British then you lot would hate him for being a dull arrogant prick.

❓ I don't understand any of this.

It's been done to death numerous times but just the whole package of Froome as a person and rider is so hard to connect with or get behind, kind of regardless of nationality I feel.

Never mind that fact that his form at the moment just doesnt merit a place in the squad.

In all fairness, he needed a big show in Switzerland, yesterday was too little too late.

Gutted - love Wiggo

He just won the British TT champs - took 1.5mins out of Alex Dowsett who is hoping to start the TdF.
(and also a minute out of Gee)

The TdF has a lot more to it than TT'ing...

I don't understand any of this.

What is there to understand? He's dull to watch on a a bike. Can't attack, can't respond to attacks expect by slowly upping his pace. It's not fun or exciting.

Cav and Sky were never a good match, he needs a dedicated team to win and Sky wanted GC. You won't win green (or any other jersey) without having a team committed to it. OPQS is a much better match for him as they are a classics team who will throw weight behind the sprints in the tours.

Yeah, but there was that amazing moment when Wiggo in yellow led Cav out on the Champs-Élysées. How mental was that?

I think that's only in contrast to the (relatively) charismatic Wiggo, though - it's not like the peleton's alive with engimatic team leaders, is it?

True, but it isn't just about charisma. The vast majority of the peleton have a massive passion for cycling as a sport, can be really human and easy to relate to in how they approach various things, seem like decent human beings when interviewed, don't have partners from hell constantly craving attention 😀 ... etc etc. So much about Froome is hard to get behind in any way and there's nothing to really respect about the chap. Sure he has one good TDF result (which is admittedly amazing) but not much more going for him.

I think someone needs to prod Cuddles a bit again this year (if selected for BMC) 😀 Now THAT is entertaining! 😆

Like most people I like someone for a variety of reasons.
NATIONALITY
Brad is technically British and proud to be British, Froome seems proudto be Kenyan

ABILITY
They are both good riders, with different strengths, watching the competition would have been nice

PERSONALITY
Brad has it, some may not like it but I do. Froome is bland or a whinger.

BATTLE/GRIT
OK Brad may not be great here, but he works hard and rides to his best, he doesn't seem shy to work. Froome I've not seen work, it sort of looks easy when he does well.

FAMILIARITY and FANATICISM
Brad has got to the nations heart and is known by many that aren't big cycling fans. He has won a lot of Olympic medals at several different Olympics. Froome isn't liked because he is a threat to brad 'the prodigal son' Wiggins.

Yeah, but there was that amazing moment when Wiggo in yellow led Cav out on the Champs-Élysées. How mental was that?

jambalaya - Member
@whatnobeer Wiggins is a multi-medalled Olympian going back to 2000 and was the first ever British TdF winner (proving we could do it) and [b]won the London home Olympics road race the same year.[/b]

Saywhatnow?

Did he do this while wearing an Alexandre Vinokourov suit?

BadlyWiredDog, that moment was possibly my favourite ever tour moment, brilliant, brilliant stuff. It's either that or the day in 2011 when Andy Schlek went early on an attack of Galibier and Cuddles basically dragged the rest of the lead group, including a fast fading Voekler, up behind him. That was a hell of a days racing.

To be honest it could have been anyone's blood in Vino so who knows who won 😀

Is Yates riding for Orica?

Nope. Big season already and he's only young so they've parked him for now.

Other Brits are Millar, Cav and possibly Dowsett. Don't think there's anyone else in contention.

Saywhatnow?

Did he do this while wearing an Alexandre Vinokourov suit?

Presume he meant the Olympic TT as opposed to the road race.
Not really sure why it's relevant though?

What is there to understand? He's dull to watch on a a bike.

It's not fun or exciting.

😆

THEOLYMPIC TT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING BITS OF CYCLING SPORT I'VE EVER SEEN. Not to mention hos trck victories. Hardly 'dull'.

DanW - Member
To be honest it could have been anyone's blood in Vino so who knows who won

*like

THEOLYMPIC TT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING BITS OF CYCLING SPORT I'VE EVER SEEN. Not to mention hos trck victories. Hardly 'dull'.

We're talking about Le Tour. Track racing can be exciting, sure, and TT'ing can be exciting too if you have interest and the splits are close.

But, the TdF is a 3 week long event decided in the mountains and the final TT. Wiggins is not an exciting rider to watch in the grand tours. He can be as exciting as he likes on the track, but he'll still be dull to watch on a mountain stage.

[quote=whatnobeer ]The TdF has a lot more to it than TT'ing...

Indeed - team members are expected to spend time on the front of the peleton keeping the pace high and/or pulling back breaks. Being abe to climb well at a steady pace to shelter your team leader also helps. I wonder what sort of rider would be good at that?

To suggest that Brad doesn't merit a place in the team on the basis of what he can do physically as a team member does make you look a bit silly. I doubt any of the 8 selected to ride alongside Froome is actually stronger than BW on the flat let alone all of them, and there's a good chance he's also the second best climber on the Sky team. You do realise that he was ill at the TdS?