Wiggins leaves Garmin, Joins Sky for 2010-it's official!

yourpaceormine

To all of you non-Brits wondering wtf is going on here... an explanation.

We Brits like a good moan; as a sporting nation we are not used to winning (except when Australia send their under 12s cricket team to play for the Ashes), so we bang on and on about gentlemanly conduct and playing fair. Now we, as a nation, are in a conundrum - we have started winning things, and we simply can't accept it. Our gallant sportsmen and women play fair (I hope) and win. Ruddy marvellous. But it just doesn't sit well with the national psyche. We quite simply don't know what to do with success.

This Wiggo thing is merely one of these occassions. Move along nothing to see etc

Jez mon

yourpaceormine wrote:

To all of you non-Brits wondering wtf is going on here... an explanation.

We Brits like a good moan; as a sporting nation we are not used to winning (except when Australia send their under 12s cricket team to play for the Ashes), so we bang on and on about gentlemanly conduct and playing fair. Now we, as a nation, are in a conundrum - we have started winning things, and we simply can't accept it. Our gallant sportsmen and women play fair (I hope) and win. Ruddy marvellous. But it just doesn't sit well with the national psyche. We quite simply don't know what to do with success.

This Wiggo thing is merely one of these occassions. Move along nothing to see etc

So what did Wiggo win this year then?

frenchfighter

calvjones wrote:

One of the reasons I like cycling (as opposed to team sports) is because in the UK at least it's free of all the jingoistic nonsense you get elsewhere.

Agreed. I couldn't care less where a rider was born - what kind of person they are and what kind of rider they are is more important. I wouldn't support Wigola just because he is British.

eh

I think it is more significant Millar has, had a go than anyone else.

Maybe Miller and Cav can meet up for a good old moan about how Wiggins is a w*nker.

afx237vi

yourpaceormine wrote:

To all of you non-Brits wondering wtf is going on here... an explanation.

We Brits like a good moan; as a sporting nation we are not used to winning (except when Australia send their under 12s cricket team to play for the Ashes), so we bang on and on about gentlemanly conduct and playing fair. Now we, as a nation, are in a conundrum - we have started winning things, and we simply can't accept it. Our gallant sportsmen and women play fair (I hope) and win. Ruddy marvellous. But it just doesn't sit well with the national psyche. We quite simply don't know what to do with success.

This Wiggo thing is merely one of these occassions. Move along nothing to see etc

I'd rather be a whinging Brit who watches the sport regardless of the winner's nationality than a cheerleading sheep who is only interested when the Brits are doing well.

lucybears

Jez mon wrote:

So what did Wiggo win this year then?

a four year contract worth 1 million a year

stfc1

I get that Wiggins and Team Sky might not make everyone's hearts swell with patriotic fervour, but I genuinely don't get why they have fostered such resentment before they've even turned a pedal in anger. They're just a cycling team.

RichN95.

Now some of you may not support British riders or a British team just because they're British, but you should want them to do well as it will have create greater interest in the sport which will have a knock on effect which will benefit all types of cycling.

It will increase the participation, whether from kids taking up the sport or adults being inspired to go out on their bikes once in a while. This will lead to more races at grass routes level and a bit of sponsorship. They may even be a bit more respect from drivers.

Media attention will increase, as will TV viewing figures, so you may get a bit more than a hour of Roubaix on British Eurosport.

I play hockey and in 1988 Great Britain won the Olympics. As a direct result of this, participation levels shot up, a formal national league structure, which exists to this day, was put in place, sponsorship flooded in and it was even live on SkySports for a few years. All because Britain did well.

Jez mon

afx237vi wrote:

yourpaceormine wrote:

To all of you non-Brits wondering wtf is going on here... an explanation.

We Brits like a good moan; as a sporting nation we are not used to winning (except when Australia send their under 12s cricket team to play for the Ashes), so we bang on and on about gentlemanly conduct and playing fair. Now we, as a nation, are in a conundrum - we have started winning things, and we simply can't accept it. Our gallant sportsmen and women play fair (I hope) and win. Ruddy marvellous. But it just doesn't sit well with the national psyche. We quite simply don't know what to do with success.

This Wiggo thing is merely one of these occassions. Move along nothing to see etc

I'd rather be a whinging Brit who watches the sport regardless of the winner's nationality than a cheerleading sheep who is only interested when the Brits are doing well.

+1 afx!! I get that newcomers to cycling will get excited about Wiggins move, but personally I don't think it's much to sing and dance about. The whole thing has been handled terribly IMO, Wiggo should have made it clear earlier that he wanted to leave ASAP. Sure Garmin now get a nice cheque but wtf do people expect them t do with the money? They probably won't sign another good rider at this stage of the year, although I would love to see an argyle clad Contador leaving Lance and Wiggo in his dust, come next July!!

calvjones

RichN95 wrote:

Now some of you may not support British riders or a British team just because they're British, but you should want them to do well as it will have create greater interest in the sport which will have a knock on effect which will benefit all types of cycling.

It will increase the participation, whether from kids taking up the sport or adults being inspired to go out on their bikes once in a while. This will lead to more races at grass routes level and a bit of sponsorship. They may even be a bit more respect from drivers.

Media attention will increase, as will TV viewing figures, so you may get a bit more than a hour of Roubaix on British Eurosport.

I play hockey and in 1988 Great Britain won the Olympics. As a direct result of this, participation levels shot up, a formal national league structure, which exists to this day, was put in place, sponsorship flooded in and it was even live on SkySports for a few years. All because Britain did well.

I'm kinda not sold on the elite performance = participation argument, and I've looked at it quite a bit. Spikes in participation, yes... enduring higher levels? No evidence. Hockey may be the exception.

Also, I suspect hockey doesn't have the issues cycling has - PEDs, wholescale petty corruption (Ballan in Poland anyone?); bullying; eating disorders; suicide; very early death from other means; sh1te admin etc. etc.

I love the sport, but whilst leisure cycling is undoubtedly a good thing, I'm not sure pro-road cycling is something that (in its current form) actually should be encouraged to grow

wicked

calvjones wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Now some of you may not support British riders or a British team just because they're British, but you should want them to do well as it will have create greater interest in the sport which will have a knock on effect which will benefit all types of cycling.

It will increase the participation, whether from kids taking up the sport or adults being inspired to go out on their bikes once in a while. This will lead to more races at grass routes level and a bit of sponsorship. They may even be a bit more respect from drivers.

Media attention will increase, as will TV viewing figures, so you may get a bit more than a hour of Roubaix on British Eurosport.

I play hockey and in 1988 Great Britain won the Olympics. As a direct result of this, participation levels shot up, a formal national league structure, which exists to this day, was put in place, sponsorship flooded in and it was even live on SkySports for a few years. All because Britain did well.

I love the sport, but whilst leisure cycling is undoubtedly a good thing, I'm not sure pro-road cycling is something that (in its current form) actually should be encouraged to grow

That's not your decision. If pro cycling is so bad why are you on here commenting about it on the pro race forum? Why don't we all just give up and let the cheats win? Because its a beautiful sport thats why and as such is worth fighting for. Not encouraging growth as you put it is just a way of allowing cheats to prosper.
As for Brad whats the big issue? He is the top GC man this country has and a british team comes along so naturally sky want him. Does it really matter if he does not win the tour? Who does stand a chance of beating contador? Lets just enjoy the ride.
Comments like jingoism just do not wash. If you do not like him fair enough but it strikes me that there are some on here that are determined to criticise just because he is british and in a british team, it seems a form of superiority complex look at me cheering on a french rider unlike all those football fans. Please! Like it or not if brad does do well it will reflect positively on cycling on this country.
Personally I will settle for drivers giving me more than an inch of room when they pass my elbow with steam coming out of their ears because i held them up for 2 seconds.

RichN95.

calvjones wrote:

I'm kinda not sold on the elite performance = participation argument, and I've looked at it quite a bit. Spikes in participation, yes... enduring higher levels? No evidence. Hockey may be the exception.

Also, I suspect hockey doesn't have the issues cycling has - PEDs, wholescale petty corruption (Ballan in Poland anyone?); bullying; eating disorders; suicide; very early death from other means; sh1te admin etc. etc.

I love the sport, but whilst leisure cycling is undoubtedly a good thing, I'm not sure pro-road cycling is something that (in its current form) actually should be encouraged to grow

I wasn't thinking of growth at elite level, I was think out growth purely domestically. I'm not in a club or a racer myself, so I don't really know what goes on in the UK, but I get the impression that clubs are ageing in their demographics with less kids getting involved. There's often complaints about another event going to the wall due to lack of interest or finances. I don't often see teenagers out on road bikes.

Look at the Robert Millar thread and see how many posters were inspired by him. The more British interest there is in the sport the better. There really isn't a downside to it as far as I can see.

afx237vi

wicked wrote:

That's not your decision. If pro cycling is so bad why are you on here commenting about it on the pro race forum? Why don't we all just give up and let the cheats win? Because its a beautiful sport thats why and as such is worth fighting for. Not encouraging growth as you put it is just a way of allowing cheats to prosper.
As for Brad whats the big issue? He is the top GC man this country has and a british team comes along so naturally sky want him. Does it really matter if he does not win the tour? Who does stand a chance of beating contador? Lets just enjoy the ride.
Comments like jingoism just do not wash. If you do not like him fair enough but it strikes me that there are some on here that are determined to criticise just because he is british and in a british team, it seems a form of superiority complex look at me cheering on a french rider unlike all those football fans. Please! Like it or not if brad does do well it will reflect positively on cycling on this country.
Personally I will settle for drivers giving me more than an inch of room when they pass my elbow with steam coming out of their ears because i held them up for 2 seconds.

But conversely, there are people here who are unwilling to criticise Sky and Wiggins, despite the tapping up of contracted riders and despite the disrespectful manner that Wiggins left Garmin. Simply because they are British. It works both ways.

I think it's fair to say that the views on this forum represent the extreme ends of the spectrum. There are diehard cycling fans, some who are miffed by the way Sky have gone about things, and others who think it's great. The vast majority of people watching the Tour on ITV next July won't give a hoot.

wicked

Good point I agree. I like to think I am taking the middle ground. Whilst I have some reservations it's just exciting to have a successor to ANC halfrauds, lets just hope it has a happier ending!

Le Commentateur

I dunno, I think "Britishness" is often used to gloss over the generally average ingredients and unremarkable product. It might be Cadbury's or Carling ("made with British Barley"), but it could equally apply to Sky. We'll find out next year.