David Walsh on Sky and Wiggins

iainf72
iainf72 Posts: 15,784
edited December 2009 in Pro race
Good article

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 954505.ece
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.

Comments

  • wicked
    wicked Posts: 844
    I must admit before I clicked on the link I was expecting the worst but a nicely balanced article. Hopefully Brad will disappoint a lot of people and do well next year.
    It’s the most beautiful sport in the world but it’s governed by ***ts who have turned it into a crock of ****.
  • northernneil
    northernneil Posts: 1,549
    ii get the feeling that brailsford is all about percentages and this article kind of backs this up. If you tick as many boxes as possible it 'should' bring about success.

    That can work on the track where the variables can be measured and the playing field to some extent is 'level' but on the road there are so many possibilities the difference small percentages make to the result are less defined

    its going to be an interesting season.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    northernneil wrote:
    ii get the feeling that brailsford is all about percentages and this article kind of backs this up. If you tick as many boxes as possible it 'should' bring about success.

    That can work on the track where the variables can be measured and the playing field to some extent is 'level' but on the road there are so many possibilities the difference small percentages make to the result are less defined

    its going to be an interesting season.

    Ah, you mean events like the kierin, the points race and the Madison?
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • wicked
    wicked Posts: 844
    northernneil wrote:
    ii get the feeling that brailsford is all about percentages and this article kind of backs this up. If you tick as many boxes as possible it 'should' bring about success.

    I think you will find that this works for sports in general not just track cycling. Yes you need the talent ,tactics and the luck etc but the little things that you can control certainly do not hurt to improve if possible!
    It’s the most beautiful sport in the world but it’s governed by ***ts who have turned it into a crock of ****.
  • northernneil
    northernneil Posts: 1,549
    wicked wrote:
    northernneil wrote:
    ii get the feeling that brailsford is all about percentages and this article kind of backs this up. If you tick as many boxes as possible it 'should' bring about success.

    I think you will find that this works for sports in general not just track cycling. Yes you need the talent ,tactics and the luck etc but the little things that you can control certainly do not hurt to improve if possible!

    totally I agree with this BUT what I am trying to say is that on a track the variables are less than on a 5 hour full day of 200km public roads in the saddle - I hope he is as successful but i think he will find it MUCH harder with a road team than a track team.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Do you think he maybe realises that?
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    DaveyL wrote:
    Do you think he maybe realises that?

    He might do given the number of teams he has been in :wink:
    M.Rushton
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    exactly
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,707
    northernneil wrote:
    If you tick as many boxes as possible it 'should' bring about success.
    Brailsford and his staff will not settle for ticking boxes, 'going along for the ride' or even being congratulated for trying hard.

    It's about winning, nothing less. Planning to win GTs changed with US Postal/Discovery, there's no reason why Sky can't try something similar, but with their own meticulous approach. They will have thought it about this for a long time, are aiming high and I'm sure they won't be trying to get there by ticking boxes.
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Simon E wrote:
    northernneil wrote:
    If you tick as many boxes as possible it 'should' bring about success.
    Brailsford and his staff will not settle for ticking boxes, 'going along for the ride' or even being congratulated for trying hard.

    It's about winning, nothing less. Planning to win GTs changed with US Postal/Discovery, there's no reason why Sky can't try something similar, but with their own meticulous approach. They will have thought it about this for a long time, are aiming high and I'm sure they won't be trying to get there by ticking boxes.

    Indeed, before LA, blokes just rocked up with 8 of their closest pals and had a go. :roll:
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Simon E wrote:
    Planning to win GTs changed with US Postal/Discovery, there's no reason why Sky can't try something similar, but with their own meticulous approach.
    A very inappropriate analogy given Armstrong and his closest riders (Hincapie, Landis etc) associated himself with arch preparatore Dr Ferrari.

    Sky have said from the outside they want to avoid doping. I sincerely hope they keep their noses clean.
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,707
    Kléber wrote:
    Simon E wrote:
    Planning to win GTs changed with US Postal/Discovery, there's no reason why Sky can't try something similar, but with their own meticulous approach.
    A very inappropriate analogy
    In your view perhaps, if you consider the word planning=doping. I wasn't referring to that aspect of 'preparation', and I did say "with their own meticulous approach", which for Sky surely must exclude PEDs. And regardless of anyone else's opinion of LA and his team (clouded, it seems, by the d-word), it appeared to me that their methods did cause other teams to reappraise how they doped, er I mean planned for the Tour. Or perhaps they just woke up, took a shot of EPO and winged it...

    d.goat, I never mentioned or even hinted that riders previously turned up with just their mates, but if you too want to grind an axe then be my guest.

    Zzzzzz
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Simon E wrote:

    d.goat, I never mentioned or even hinted that riders previously turned up with just their mates, but if you too want to grind an axe then be my guest.

    Sorry, I was having a cr@p day and that was unneccessary. However, without wanting to open the whole can of worms again, I think what USPS changed about preparing for a GT was telling everybody about it. All that "where was Jan Ullrich?" stuff was nonsense, it wasn't as if he was in bed stuffing pies down his maw was it?

    I simply don't beleive that the likes of Riis, Ullrich, Indurain, Lemond, Hinault, Fignon etc were doing anything (conventionally at least) that was miles different to USPS except more racing miles instead of training camps.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Haven't some people who were on USPS / Disco said that it was a bit shambolic at times if you weren't Lance? Like ill-prepared kit, shabby hotels and the like.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,707
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    I think what USPS changed about preparing for a GT was telling everybody about it. All that "where was Jan Ullrich?" stuff was nonsense, it wasn't as if he was in bed stuffing pies down his maw was it?
    Wasn't he? He often looked like he had ;)

    Hmmm, maybe it was mostly spin, smoke & mirrors or whatever one wishes to call it....
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.

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