Wiggo calls it a day
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To be fair many on here doubted his GC credentials when Sky forked out a reputed fortune and gave themselves a bad reuptation before even starting out by poaching him off Garmin. I'm still not convinced that even Sky believed he was more than a top 10 contender but he is one of only a few cyclists that the British public know and the press coverage he has got for Sky is probably more than enough to justify what he is paid. I really don't see the Murdoch family as people who take naiive risks with money!0
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My tuppence to the mix..
The Giro nailed pretty much everyone who rode it and the tour - looking through the results - Cunego, Sastre, Vino, Gerdermann, Gadret and Basso / Evans who were locking horns to the end in Italy could not keep pace when faced with the fresher legs of those who went to the tour of california.
Whether you care to admit it or not but being in the same ball park as the riders above after what was probably one of the hardest grand tours in living memory is still a significant improvement and shows consistency. Cmon were you shouting at the screen or moaning on here because Basso did not ride off into the distance dropping bertie ? It was not just a bad patch in the office for Bradley, it was the same for anyone who rode the Giro ( minus Vino's exertions ) If you go by the law of averages Brad did well to stay up there and i'm certain he'll stuff all this bashing down your throats later.0 -
The worst thing for Wiggo and Sky is that he and they tried to do almost everything the same as last year and he came up short. What now? Back to the drawing board, but it'll be difficult to identify the factors that contributed positively and those that had a negative effect. If they make the wrong changes, he could be even worse next year!
That said, last year and this year's performances are most likely outliers in terms of Wiggo's performance. He'll probably come back next year and finish about 10th.0 -
And the back lash starts. I supposed all the cynics need a new target after Cav pulled his season around.0
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He was talking of podiums and other big goals and raised a lot of people's expectations. No wonder some feel let down.
I don't personally feel let down but it's a cautionary tale that you can quickly lose all modesty by dancing a tango with a media that thrives on hype.0 -
Abdoujaparov wrote:The worst thing for Wiggo and Sky is that he and they tried to do almost everything the same as last year and he came up short. What now? Back to the drawing board, but it'll be difficult to identify the factors that contributed positively and those that had a negative effect. If they make the wrong changes, he could be even worse next year!
That said, last year and this year's performances are most likely outliers in terms of Wiggo's performance. He'll probably come back next year and finish about 10th.
Did they? I think i ready somewhere that Garmin put him in a bunch of Classics and smaller stage races last year no? I think he deffo rode more races than this year.0 -
Thick Tester wrote:
The Giro nailed pretty much everyone who rode it and the tour - looking through the results - Cunego, Sastre, Vino, Gerdermann, Gadret and Basso / Evans who were locking horns to the end in Italy could not keep pace when faced with the fresher legs of those who went to the tour of california.
Basso and Evans suffered illness and injury. Wiggins did not.
He's not a natural GC rider. There is no shame in that. He wore the pink jersey in the Giro, and lets not forget, that's the only time he's won a TT in a grand tour.
IMO, if you're a GC rider, you should show the ability early.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
I feel sorry for Bradley, and the way he conducted himself during the Tour made me respect him more. He behaved like a Champion even if his riding indicated something quite different.
With hindsight the Sky selection of riders indicated that they maybe werent too confident in the high mountains.
You could have expected to see Froome and Augustyn as support for Wiggins perhaps.0 -
Irrespective of expectations, surely it is disrespectful to the other members of the squad to effectively shut up shop for the rest of the season? Can't be good for morale.0
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Not much on after the Tour of Britain anyway is there? Worlds and Lombardy and that's about it isn't it?0
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Paris - Tours too. There are probably hundreds of other races left just not sure what else is on for Sky.
Will they enter the Vuelta ?0 -
squired wrote:Irrespective of expectations, surely it is disrespectful to the other members of the squad to effectively shut up shop for the rest of the season? Can't be good for morale.
Maybe he needs to (shut up shop).
Believe it or not, given all the hooha, the Sky team is more than just Wiggins. Yes, he was pulled in to go for a GT result, but they do have others capable of doing well/winning in other races. EBH won last year's Tour of Britain, and Greg Henderson has been winning stages (amongst others), just for starters. So don't think it'll have much effect on morale.
Given how 'mediocre' BW felt, I think that the team would be much better resting him, and finding out what has led to that/caused it, especially if he's not lost time through illness/injury.0 -
Thing is, is it really that disrespectful to the team for a rider who has done two GTs to end his season in mid September? What benefit would there be to drag himself around Lombardy or Paris Tours? He'd just be taking a place from someone else. Sounds like an excuse for people to have a go at him again. I wonder if Cummings will be showing a similar lack of respect?0
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Yes they're in Vuelta as they will be in all the major races. I'm not sure what else he'd have done anyway - always thought it was strange he did the Aussie race late last year for Garmin after such a long season.
Missing the Worlds is no great shakes - GB have no chance of winning and will have a squad of around 6 there. Wiggins was always going to take a break post-Tour even if successful, he's no man for Lombardia and after riding Giro + Tour was always going to miss the Vuelta.
I'm not sure anything will have really changed.0 -
I am a little confused by many of the rants on here.
There seem to be a lot of people who rail against Sky for whatever reason and then come on here telling them how they should do it. Why, if you don't care for Sky and Wiggins, why waste time telling them how they should have done this or that ?
As documented elsewhere Sky pay money to have their name seen. They have had their name far more in the press over the last 3 weeks than if a French rider had been the team leader and finished 9th in GC. So from that angle it has been a successful tour for Sky.
As for Wiggins, maybe it hasn't been as successful interms of GC as he would have liked but he has had a go - he now has the choice to either have another go or try something different. I hope he is successful in whatever he tries as I respect his Olympic achievements but it's not going to change my life whether he succeeds or fails. I will continue to watch cycling for the spectacle.0 -
Anyone know if he'll do the national TT champs?0
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stagehopper wrote:Yes they're in Vuelta as they will be in all the major races. I'm not sure what else he'd have done anyway - always thought it was strange he did the Aussie race late last year for Garmin after such a long season.
Missing the Worlds is no great shakes - GB have no chance of winning and will have a squad of around 6 there. Wiggins was always going to take a break post-Tour even if successful, he's no man for Lombardia and after riding Giro + Tour was always going to miss the Vuelta.
I'm not sure anything will have really changed.
Don't forget Cav, wasn't he going to target the worlds this year ? Not seen the course so no idea if it will suit him though0 -
I am sure I read somewhere it is pretty flat.0
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Bettini compared it to Madrid after he visited the course earlier this month.0
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Pross wrote:Thing is, is it really that disrespectful to the team for a rider who has done two GTs to end his season in mid September? What benefit would there be to drag himself around Lombardy or Paris Tours? He'd just be taking a place from someone else. Sounds like an excuse for people to have a go at him again. I wonder if Cummings will be showing a similar lack of respect?
He will not race again until the Tour of Britain and will shut up shop after. There are a few Pro Tour races in August, so with Sky so low in the Pro Tour team rankings Bradley should at least be going for one or two of those races. As designated team leader he will end up being the lowest ranked team leader of all Pro Tour teams at the end of the season. When you are in a position of responsibility you need to lead by example - that is how you earn respect. It is partly why most bosses in the workplace are the last to leave in the evening, not first out of the door.
Bradley made it clear that the Giro was just for "training", as were other races he competed in. So, how many days has he actually "raced"?0 -
The World's course is much tougher than most initial assumptions. Can't see Cav doing anything on it. Copenhagen next year is a more realistic target.
And as for Wiggins - what use would he be in "August races"? He's shattered. Sky would be better off having fit and in form riders in those races. You don't get any UCI points for finishing halfway back the peloton.0 -
I don't think the problem is picking upcoming races, it's the races past that are the problems.
He's got a decent amount of racing under his belt this year with the Giro-Tour double, the problem was placing all his eggs into the impossible basket of the Tour de France.0 -
[quote="squired" Bradley made it clear that the Giro was just for "training", as were other races he competed in. So, how many days has he actually "raced"?[/quote]
Thsi year? Roughly 12 or so I would say0 -
I think for a first attempt they were aiming a little high with a podium position talked about.
Really Dave Brailsford is out of his league when it comes to the major tours there must be a world of difference from training a successful track team for the Olympics/worlds .0 -
Another spectacular British sporting under achiever to make us proud.
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Its not enough to go out and do your best lads. When I read about big salarys and expectations I/we want to see them deliver.
Brad you let us down mate.....you went there to better last years 4th place.
Must do better.0 -
I think the mistake was to entertain the illusion of being able to better this. With hindsight (I know, I know) it would have been better to play the "plucky Brit" and display him as an everyman rider into his music, enjoying tea and the odd beer. In short, a Brit abroad enjoying himself rather than becoming Mr Serious.turboslave wrote:Brad you let us down mate.....you went there to better last years 4th place.
Must do better.0 -
Wiggins will not deliver anything of note for the rest of his cycling career except for the the ton of wonga he'll deliver to his bank/s for safe keeping.
He's achieved a lot -relatively-and made us all proud in very fleeting moments of brilliance, but he just doesn't appear to be hungry enough to give it a go anymore. Too much of a pragmatist probably. Sky -imo- would be better off dumping him and concentrating on the cultivation of those that are currently a wee bit more driven to give it a go. W is an avoidable distraction and must be held accountable for holding up the progress of others.
It's a condition I cannot see Cavendish duplicating in the foreseeable future. Now, there's a lad that is hungry, and I expect he might possibly end up the greatest WINNER of GT stages in history. It's difficult to see him wimping out of a challenge to his adequacy with a sanguine brush off like "....it's only seconds. It'll be minutes in Paris". Or words to that effect."Lick My Decals Off, Baby"0 -
There's plenty to be proud of in British sport, including in the three you've quoted. (For goodness' sake - underachieving in cycling - which planet are you on?).turboslave wrote:Another spectacular British sporting under achiever to make us proud.
Do you? So what? Of course it's good enough to do one's best.Its not enough to go out and do your best lads. When I read about big salarys and expectations I/we want to see them deliver.
Really? Speak for yourself. Some of us appreciate how much effort these guys really put in.Brad you let us down mate......
Wiggins has delivered on many, many occasions. So he didn't achieve what he set out to do this summer, and suddenly he's an underachiever, and letting you down. Good grief!0 -
mercsport wrote:It's a condition I cannot see Cavendish duplicating in the foreseeable future. Now, there's a lad that is hungry, and I expect he might possibly end up the greatest WINNER of GT stages in history. It's difficult to see him wimping out of a challenge to his adequacy with a sanguine brush off like "....it's only seconds. It'll be minutes in Paris". Or words to that effect.
Well.....I'm a great fan of Cavendish, but his self-proclaimed goal was apparently to win the Green jersey, but when it came to the crunch (e.g. keeping competing when not going to win the stage, needing to contest intermediates), things changed a bit. And yes, I could see him duplicating, or more so - Cavendish rides on confidence, and if he ever loses that, it can so easily fall apart.
What did you expect Wiggins to say? "OMG, I've had disastrous prologue, that's the end of the tour for me!"?
BTW how long is a fleeting moment, given the months and years it takes to train to reachand sustain the levels he has on both the track and the road (including that three week fleeting moment last year)?0 -
I just don't really understand all the Wiggins hate on here. Everytime i've seen an interview he comes across as thoroughly nice, honest guy. Past successes made it not ridiculous to aim high (the TDF course was the same for everyone last year wasn't it...)
I doubt the rest of his season was planned by himself in isolation, surely Sky would have had some input, so why all the moaning....
And as far as the salary, you only get paid what you're management think you're worth, and if any of the moaners on here were offered a salary increase past what they thought they were worth i'm sure they'd turn it down saying they're just not worth it (yeah right...
). In the same way, if i stamped my feet and told my boss i wanted £100k i'd be shown where the door was.
Also, surely he trained most of his time towards the track, surely taking that to road racing is never going to be straight forward, some amount of astonishingly good and bad results should be expected...........but then i don't that much about either, just babbling of the top of my head0
