Cripes!

has he got the full package including sky+HD?

Tch, have you only just found that out?! I already knew that but I had inside info… 😉

Not official yet is it?

breaking where? Known for ages. And it's been all over the press this morning
Is this like one of those 'exclusive channel premiere' things where a channel screens something that everyone else has screened before but they themselves hasn't? 😉

News? That's been known about for some time. There's more than crazy-legs with inside info……

thats bonkers.

I dont get it 😯

Well, I heard it as breaking news on R5 just now. Last thing I'd heard, he was staying at Garmin, but it did always seem likehe'd go to Sky.

Brailsford has announced it this morning, apparently.

Cant see him doing much in next year's tour now.

Brailsford has announced it this morning, apparently.

It was *properly* announced this morning, there's a press conference starting about now in London.
Anything in the public domain up til now has been rumour/speculation.

a friend, who rides in a club with a relation of someone in Team Sky, said it was done a fortnight ago, a couple of people i know involved with BC told me it was happeneing, but still thought he might stay with garmin after they didnt get contador……….

Cant see him doing much in next year's tour now.

Why do you say that? Would have thought with the quality of coaching and support at BC/Sky he could do very well indeed.

Why do you say that? Would have thought with the quality of coaching and support at BC/Sky he could do very well indeed.

My reading of that is the implication that he'll be a marked man. He got away with it this year because no-one was expecting anything like it from him – everyone knew he could TT with the best of them but no-one was expecting him to be riding alongside Armstrong/Contador/Shleck in the mountains.
As Manchester Trev says, it was done about 2 weeks ago and hushed up surprisingly well!

Yep, it's official as of this morning. Here's the low down…

BRADLEY WIGGINS JOINS TEAM SKY
Britain’s Most Successful Tour de France Rider Signs Up

Thursday 10 December 2009

Bradley Wiggins has signed for Team Sky under a four-year deal starting with its debut season in 2010.

He brings huge experience from eight years as a professional on the road and has won wide recognition for his Olympic and World Championship achievements on the track.

Brought up in London, the 29-year old is the highest placed British rider ever at the Tour de France – jointly with Robert Millar – after his 4th-place at the 2009 Tour.

Announcing the signing, Dave Brailsford, Team Principal of Team Sky, said; “Brad will be at home in Team Sky. It is the perfect fit and he will be a marquee rider for us.

“He is an exceptional athlete – a great performer at a great age. And he will get better still. At Team Sky he can continue to develop, surrounded by some of the coaches and performance experts who have worked with him for years as part of the British Cycling set-up. With his experience he will help us to develop our great young talents too.

“Brad was a real revelation at this year’s Tour de France, has been hugely successful for British Cycling and his Olympic success has brought wide recognition. His presence will not only help us on the road but with the wider aims of inspiring people to not only follow the team but to get out and ride, whatever their age or ability.”

Bradley Wiggins said; “It has been an amazing year for me and my ride at the Tour has given me the drive to aim even higher. I know I can continue to develop and Team Sky is the perfect place to make that happen.

Bradley Wiggins continued “I agree with Dave that moving to Team Sky is like coming home. I’ll be on a British team with management and coaches who have shaped me as a rider. They are instrumental in my achievements so far and I know they are critical for the next part of my career.

“Team Sky has huge ambitions, not just for the team but for cycling and inspiring the public to ride. It’s an amazing project and the next four years will be very exciting. I’m really looking forward to meeting up in the New Year and preparing for our first season.”

Bradley Wiggins has performed for six road teams since he turned professional with the Linda McCartney team in 2001. He moved to Francaise des Jeux in 2002, Credit Agricole in 2004, Cofidis in 2006 – where he came 4th in the London prologue of the Tour de France – Team High Road in 2008 and Garmin-Slipstream in 2009.

He has been a World and Olympic champion on the track and in 2004 became the first British athlete in 40 years to win three medals at one Games. Two of his three Olympic Golds came at the 2008 Games in Beijing where he won the Individual Pursuit and was part of the world record-breaking Team Pursuit line-up.

Wiggins is the 25th rider to be secured for Team Sky. He will now be one of seven British riders – with Geraint Thomas, Steve Cummings, Pete Kennaugh, Chris Froome, Ian Stannard and Russell Downing – in an international line-up. Alongside them are; Davide Vigoni, Dario Cioni, Morris Possoni [all Italy], Edvald Boasson Hagen, Kurt Arvesen, Lars Petter Nordhaug [Norway], Chris Sutton, Simon Gerrans, Mathew Hayman [Australia], Sylvain Calzati, Nicolas Portal [France], Thomas Löfkvist [Sweden], Kjell Carlstrom [Finland], John Lee Augustyn [South Africa], Juan Antonio Flecha [Spain] Michael Barry [Canada], Greg Henderson [New Zealand] and Serge Pauwels [Belgium].

Good news. Much as he seemed happy at Garmin until Sky came about, it was clear that he really wanted to be at Sky this season and I guess that both common sense and money have spoken (I'm assuming there must have been a pay off for this to happen).

It's really going to be interesting to see how he does now as the BC set up that is effectively now Sky clearly worked very well for him.

A four year contract….

Hmmmm.

A brand new team…..

Hmmmm.

I'm not sure what I think about this, the length of the contract alone suggests that Wiggins is not sure about his ability to demand and get big money even if he does well.

At least part of his success this year was due to him being in a good team that knew the way to ride, albeit for Christian Vandevelde.

I hope it goes well, but I can't help being cynical.

Ace all they need now is Raleigh bikes…

is there anyone on the sky team that can help him in big mountain stages ?

I cant see him doing too well in next year's tour because I dont think he'll get the support he'll need from what is basically a new team. I think Boassen-Hagen will start to believe the hype he's been given by the press and will think he's in with a shout of getting a high placing. If Wiggins had stayed with Garmin, I think they'd have built their season around him and the tour. I agree that Brailsford has done brilliantly with the track squad, but there's a world of difference between track and road racing. Dont want to be negative, but I cant help but think we have just lost the chance of seeing a British TDF winner. Having said that, I'll happily eat my words if Wiggins and team sky prove me wrong.

Riding for Murdoch? Surely Kim Yong Ill or maybe Pol Pot could have up'ed their offer?

i think it's bad news for wiggins really. apparently there was a lot of money at stake and this seems the reason to me he's done it. If he wanted a shot at a grand tour title (and tbh he'd have more chance with anything but the tdf) then he should have stayed at garmin.

I cant see him doing too well in next year's tour because I dont think he'll get the support he'll need from what is basically a new team. … If Wiggins had stayed with Garmin, I think they'd have built their season around him and the tour. I agree that Brailsford has done brilliantly with the track squad, but there's a world of difference between track and road racing.

I thought the same when Wiggins said this:

"It's like trying to win the Champions League – you need to be at Manchester United, but I'm playing at Wigan at the moment so I have to make that step up."

Is it that clear that Sky will be United to Garmin's Wigan? As barnsleymitch says success on the track doesn't mean certain success on the road. I guess Wiggins knows what he's doing but I can't help wondering if he'd have been better off staying where he was. Looking forward to being proved wrong though!

i think it's more like he's gone from wigan to rushden & diamonds…

the SKY team had its launch the other week a few miles from me, and had there first "team" ride up past my house and up on to the Saddleworth moors, all on nice new Pinnarello's……..very flash!

I cant see him doing too well in next year's tour because I dont think he'll get the support he'll need from what is basically a new team
well, quite. But the bargaining power Sky will have this time next year for getting in good support riders will be infinitely better with Wiggins signed up.

is there anyone on the sky team that can help him in big mountain stages ?
Augustyn, Froome, Gerrans all good climbers

well, quite. But the bargaining power Sky will have this time next year for getting in good support riders will be infinitely better with Wiggins signed up.

Maybe, but it'll depend pretty heavily on how he goes next year won't it?

augustyn will only be any good on the first climb of the day, he tends not be in the running after any big descents…

i think it's more like he's gone from wigan to rushden & diamonds…

don't knock the Diamonds. Fond memories of watching them with my Grandad, may he RIP.

Wiggins will make it easier for them to get in the Grand Tours – no really big names otherwise.

Does that mean Ben Swift is not coming then as he is on the Sky list for TDU despite being contracted with Katusha?

Well even if sky don't manage to bump shoulders with the big boys next year, for Wiggo its a chance to build a team around him as team leader, which I don't think he'd get anywhere else.

These are professional riders too, they're not brainless automatons on a chip shop run, if half of the squad are decent riders, once they get a few spring classics under their belt, they should be able to support Wiggo well enough in the grand tours.

augustyn will only be any good on the first climb of the day, he tends not be in the running after any big descents…

🙂 Skilled descender though…takes the fastest line down the mountain.

Well even if sky don't manage to bump shoulders with the big boys next year, for Wiggo its a chance to build a team around him as team leader, which I don't think he'd get anywhere else.

Er, apart from Garmin maybe?

AndyP – Member

augustyn will only be any good on the first climb of the day, he tends not be in the running after any big descents…

Skilled descender though…takes the fastest line down the mountain.

that's what i was getting at Andy…

Er, apart from Garmin maybe?

What, garmin organise themselves around Wiggo? I think that was anything less than likely going forward.

that's what i was getting at Andy…

really? i missed that 😉

Er, apart from Garmin maybe?

What, garmin organise themselves around Wiggo? I think that was anything less than likely going forward.

Well, he outperformed Vande Velde, and as far as I can see it'd have been between the 2 of them for Garmin's main GC contender. If it's such an obvious choice that he's the man at Sky, why not at Garmin too?

You're assuming the Garmin teamsheet was to remain static … they've been trying to pilfer a big name for a while now. I don't think garmin would ever had marched round Wiggins the way Sky def will.

You're assuming the Garmin teamsheet was to remain static … they've been trying to pilfer a big name for a while now. I don't think garmin would ever had marched round Wiggins the way Sky def will.

Hmm, good point I guess… but I still don't see he's necessarily going to be better off at Sky in terms of ability to get results.

anotherdeadhero – Member
You're assuming the Garmin teamsheet was to remain static … they've been trying to pilfer a big name for a while now. I don't think garmin would ever had marched round Wiggins the way Sky def will.

Agreed. Plus, there's the tie in with British Cycling which will help his Olympic plans more smoothly than being at Garmin would. All good!