Sky pull riders from Commonwealth games

hammerite

At least there's no Team GB at the Commonwealths, it'll mean the Aussies and New Zealanders will have to be equally annoyed at each of the home nations given BC/Team Sky's influence on their riders.

cougie

If i were a pro rider I'd not go either.

Commonwealth Medals dont hold any sway in the pro rankings.

Picking up a fever over there could wreck your season and one bad season and your career could be over.

From the reports we've seen - even if you take them with a pinch of salt - conditions arent brilliant. And if they've let wild dogs into the buildings - their security is non existent. Why risk it ?

Tom Butcher

If they weren't going to go then this should have been made clear from the start - possibly some other riders would have gone in their place.

It's not acceptable to spring a mass of withdrawals on the organisers at this stage. Yes there's been some adverse publicity about the living conditions - I doubt that it's really that bad and surely there is a way round it - after all other athletes are going.

All the other stuff - the security risk during the race, the possible risk of illness in India etc hasn't changed in the last week.

andyp

My employer wants me to go to India in 3 weeks time. I'm following this story with interest, particularly when it comes to creative excuses for not going.

RichN95.

Tom Butcher wrote:

All the other stuff - the security risk during the race, the possible risk of illness in India etc hasn't changed in the last week.

You're right, apart form the flooding and the terrorist attack, nothing's changed in the last few days..

Tom Butcher

Effectively nothing has changed. There has always been a terrorist threat - did the riders not realise that when they agreed to ride ? As for flooding - come on are you telling me that is the reason for withdrawing.

Whether they want to ride or not is their business but they should have made that clear some time ago.

wicked

Jesus there really is an anti sky agenda with some folk :roll:

Non story. The games are worth sweet FA. I would not go either. The end.

Tom Butcher

It's not the going or not going - it's the last minute decision not to go I object to. At the very least they've denied other riders of the chance to compete.

The only real new story is the condition of the athletes village - and in truth that is probably exaggerated - at least plenty of other athletes seem to have made the decision to go.

carbotanium

They'll have got their suitcases full of overpriced non fashionable clothes by now and decided whether they want to look like berks or not by being seen in them . The Commie Games hasn't ever been a priority for pro road cyclists and when it's at the end of a long season in a distant country then the motivation to go there will be even lower . Add in, no chance of appearance fees being paid , the risk of dengi fever and crumbling infra-structure and things look even less attractive . Of course Sky will never admit to instructing their riders not to go but a quick power point presantation on the risks might be influential on the rider led decision .

inkyfingers

Because of the anglophile nature of Team Sky they probably have more high profile riders than any other pro team attending the Commonwealth Games, I would imagine that if it was Saxo Bank, Quick Step or any other pro team they would be encouraging their riders not to attend as well. What sponsor is going to want to risk the long term health and safety of their most important assets for what in cycling terms is a very marginal event. If you are a athlete or a swimmer then it may be different as it's probably the 3rd most important event behind the Olympics and the World Championships.

Pross

stagehopper wrote:

British Cycling isn't sending a team, the individual nations are

Well spotted though it doesn't suit the anti-Sky brigade to realise this. People seem to also be overlooking the fact that many high profile people from the athletics teams have also dropped out so it's hardly some Sky plot to destroy the games. Incidently were there any pros from other top teams due to compete (Cav obviously) and if so have any of them dropped out?

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

stagehopper wrote:

British Cycling isn't sending a team, the individual nations are

Well spotted though it doesn't suit the anti-Sky brigade to realise this. People seem to also be overlooking the fact that many high profile people from the athletics teams have also dropped out so it's hardly some Sky plot to destroy the games. Incidently were there any pros from other top teams due to compete (Cav obviously) and if so have any of them dropped out?

Richie Porte's had been pulled out by Saxo, but that's due to them needing him to ride some races in Europe, rather than any safety concerns.

Travis Meyer has dropped out, but his brother hasn't.

stagehopper

Renshaw was considering pulling out as well.

Rodrego Hernandez

What bothers me is that the the Sky team say they are not telling their riders to pull out yet one of their DSs is a BC coach who will obviously advising his riders on what to do.

Just tell it straight rather than lie / mislead.

jimmythecuckoo

wicked wrote:

Jesus there really is an anti sky agenda with some folk :roll:

Non story. The games are worth sweet FA. I would not go either. The end.

agree with the first bit but I am a little bit uneasy about Sky pulling its riders out of a sporting event it has no coverage of.

Tom Butcher

Anti Sky agenda ? Seems to me that you can't criticise them without being accused of that - it can't just be you disagree with something they do. I thought we'd got over the fanboy phenomenon with Lance Armstrong.

Personally I'm so anti Sky I sometimes wear a Sky casquette - though I admit it was a freebie.

hammerite

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

agree with the first bit but I am a little bit uneasy about Sky pulling its riders out of a sporting event it has no coverage of.

Would Sky (the satellite company not Team Sky) really go as far as to tell a team it sponsors not to allow riders do a race (that Team Sky aren't actually in) as they don't televise it? I'd imagine it would counterproductive, Hugh Porter would stuggle to commentate on the race without mentioning things like "and there's Geraint Thomas who rides for the Team Sky professional outfit working away on the front".

RichN95.

So all the worrying about whether sportsmen would turn up to a run-down, third world city ravaged by violence and disease was all unfounded.






The US Ryder Cup team have arrived in Newport.

Pross

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

wicked wrote:

Jesus there really is an anti sky agenda with some folk :roll:

Non story. The games are worth sweet FA. I would not go either. The end.

agree with the first bit but I am a little bit uneasy about Sky pulling its riders out of a sporting event it has no coverage of.

By that rationale they would be pulling Team Sky out of every race as they don't cover any racing directly as far as I know. Bit pointless having a team then!

wicked

Pross wrote:

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

wicked wrote:

Jesus there really is an anti sky agenda with some folk :roll:

Non story. The games are worth sweet FA. I would not go either. The end.

agree with the first bit but I am a little bit uneasy about Sky pulling its riders out of a sporting event it has no coverage of.

By that rationale they would be pulling Team Sky out of every race as they don't cover any racing directly as far as I know. Bit pointless having a team then!

Some sponsorship eh!

So we can assume that Travis Meyer is going to sky next season then? Must be as he has pulled out and its all a conspiracy by murdoch for whatever dastardly plan is fashionable today.

To criticise sky on something like the breaking of contracts fair enough and justified but to see some evil masterplan in everything is getting tiresome.