Etoile de Besseges - Sky's performance

afx237vi

At the risk of being labelled a hater, I couldn't help notice that Sky's performance in this race was a little bit... er... underwhelming.

Stage 1 - best Sky rider, Nicolas Portal (54th)
Stage 2 - Cummings (60th)
Stage 3 - Barry (49th)
Stage 4 - Calzati (43rd)
Stage 5 - Portal (46th)

And the GC...

1st Samuel Dumoulin (Cof)
...
44th Portal
54th Calzati
56th Barry
57th Possoni

Augustyn, Kennaugh and Cummings didn't start stage 5. Sky were 16th out of 18 in the team classification.

Now, I know that it's only February and there are tons of other teams who have done sod all, but being a new team I would have thought that Sky would be keen to make an impression on their first European race. Instead they send a team of non-sprinters to a race that was always likely to end in 5 bunch sprints.

With the A-listers in Qatar, does this suggest Sky are perhaps lacking a little depth in their squad?

Rodrego Hernandez

They are waiting for their slick new bus to arrive so they can get changed in the warmth and wash their dirty kit!

squired

Probably just using it as a race to improve condition. Sky seem to care about the races that are on television. Does getting a result in a race that no-one will see really matter? Nicolas Roche said in the interview just posted on Cyclingnews that this race is one for sprinters, yet none of the 1st or 2nd tier sprinters turned up. In other words, the race doesn't matter.

The real test for Sky is the races against decent competition, which get major tv coverage.

andyp

It's a training race. If they perform similarly in the Tour of the Med or Paris-Nice then questions should be asked.

Meanwhile they seem to be doing quite well in the ASO organised Tour of Qatar. Funny that.

stefrees

afx237vi wrote:

At the risk of being labelled a hater, I couldn't help notice that Sky's performance in this race was a little bit... er... underwhelming.

Stage 1 - best Sky rider, Nicolas Portal (54th)
Stage 2 - Cummings (60th)
Stage 3 - Barry (49th)
Stage 4 - Calzati (43rd)
Stage 5 - Portal (46th)

And the GC...

1st Samuel Dumoulin (Cof)
...
44th Portal
54th Calzati
56th Barry
57th Possoni

Augustyn, Kennaugh and Cummings didn't start stage 5. Sky were 16th out of 18 in the team classification.

Now, I know that it's only February and there are tons of other teams who have done sod all, but being a new team I would have thought that Sky would be keen to make an impression on their first European race. Instead they send a team of non-sprinters to a race that was always likely to end in 5 bunch sprints.

With the A-listers in Qatar, does this suggest Sky are perhaps lacking a little depth in their squad?

vigano pulled out at the last minute due to illness and i dont think there was much in the route to create any selection. i think theres nothing at all to read in this. even dan lloyd has just said in cycling weekly none of the big guns were trying and it was a training race.

4th for cummings last week in gp marseillaise showed that group could get results on hardish terrain.

FransJacques

Guys, in sports, this is called the B team. Get with the program. Nicholas Portal? Come on!

Have a look at Qatar if you're still not believing the hype. I think they'll struggle in the Classics when the sheit really hits the fan and plans can fly out the window with 1 bad, skewed cobble stone at the wrong time.

The stage races, when you can be sure they'll pull our all legal stops for optimim recovery, could well show a new power on the block to rival the 2nd tier teams like Liquigas, Garmin, Cervelo, etc. Don't they'll trouble the Shack too much or even Astana which will pull up their socks. And Rabo still has Menchov who's difficult to argue with.

micron

The Bessege is struggling after their main sponsor dropped out - that'll be another decent race with a long tradition lost in favour of a dead boring sprint fest that the big boys like because of the weather. Shame.

DaveyL

Sprint fest? Unlike the Bessege....

micron

Care to address the central point DaveyL about smaller races losing out to the big money injected into races like TDU and ToQ? Trophee des Grimpeurs is in trouble too and Midi Libre amongst many others already gone. Not saying Bessege is necessarily the highest quality race in the world but surely such races have their place in the calendar? Or are you happy to watch a season where the big boys soft tap round a variety of unchallenging parcours in exotic locations until they let fly in the only race that matters?

Chip \'oyler

So Sky don't do well at a race and get slagged. Then they do well at a race and get slagged "cos it's early season and only a crit/TTT". Poor feckers can't do anything right.

afx237vi

Chip \'oyler wrote:

So Sky don't do well at a race and get slagged. Then they do well at a race and get slagged "cos it's early season and only a crit/TTT". Poor feckers can't do anything right.

It was an observation, not a slagging.

teagar

So far their only success comes from races less than 100km right?

Granted, they haven't raced much, but lets see what they do when the propper season starts, rather than the silly season.

2oldnslow

Far be it from me to suggest we should whole heartedly embrace News Corporation but I do find the negativity surrounding Sky difficult to understand. As a cyclist and follower of cycle sport for over 40 years I welcome anyone that brings money resources whatever into the sport I love. Who but Sky could have provided the impetus to bring cycling to the general public. For goodness sake listen to yourselves sad sad sad do please get a life.

frenchfighter

micron wrote:

Care to address the central point DaveyL about smaller races losing out to the big money injected into races like TDU and ToQ? Trophee des Grimpeurs is in trouble too and Midi Libre amongst many others already gone. Not saying Bessege is necessarily the highest quality race in the world but surely such races have their place in the calendar? Or are you happy to watch a season where the big boys soft tap round a variety of unchallenging parcours in exotic locations until they let fly in the only race that matters?

Good point, I'm in agreement. Almost all racing outside of Europe isn't worth watching anyway.

As for the original topic, Barry certainly said his team were going to try something in the last few days:

"We don't have sprinter here so this wasn't a stage that suited the team,” he said after Wednesday’s opening leg. “We will hold tight and will be gunning for one of the upcoming hillier days.

"There are several riders on the team who can win on hillier terrain so we hope to win a stage and even the overall.”

One of those he nominates is Steve Cummings, who finished fourth at the the GP Cycliste la Marseillaise on Sunday. “Steve is in fine form and can certainly do it, with the way he's climbing at the moment."

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/3000/ ... unday.aspx

frenchfighter

Re Sky's motivation to be a sponsor, I read yesterday that one of the reasons could be because they have no rights to the Olympics so what a good way to get exposure is by sponsoring what is likely to be UK's highest achieving sport.

Kléber

The race didn't exactly cover the Sky boys in glory but the other teams did not exactly look that hot.

A 21 year old semi-pro took a stage and was on course to win the overall thanks to consistent fast finishing until he, and team mates, when down with diarrhea. Other stage wins went to Bozic and the, literally, evergreen Nico Eeckhout. This was not a high level race at all. Some miles in the legs for everyone but the small teams had their moment.

Note Cervelo's Dan Lloyd had a big crash and initially feared serious injury but he was able to ride on and finish.

DaveyL

micron wrote:

Not saying Bessege is necessarily the highest quality race in the world but surely such races have their place in the calendar? Or are you happy to watch a season where the big boys soft tap round a variety of unchallenging parcours in exotic locations until they let fly in the only race that matters?

So am I only allowed one of those two choices?

Anyone for a bit of false dichotomy?