Team Sky - How they doing to date?

disgruntledgoat

rebs wrote:

Noticed one think that Sky really don't seem to be interested in anyway of joining Breakaways. I am starting to think they really don't see the point. Several teams look to get in breakaways for TV exposure. This doesn't seem to be something Sky are interested in?

The same can be said for the Bleeding Carrots and Rabobank. 2 other teams which are nationalist as Sky are and have a longer term interest in their riders. Or am i just talking rubbish?

I think the Pro-Tour setup contirbutes to this... .Euskaltel have nil interest in the Giro. Even less in the northern classics. Rabo probably couldn't give a hoot about the Vuelta and only have one half decent GT prospect who they aren't going ot waste (in the physical sense) in the Giro. But the system dictates they have to be there.

Sky do have some interest in Italy (the sponsor is looking to break into the TV market there), but their stated aim is to perform at the Tour, hence sending a development squad.

tim_wand

Lance gained time on every one on that stage it was just Wiggo decided he'd make the bridge other than the prologues and TTs it was the first sign of him actually looking interested in pushing for GC.

Sky did the right thing initially looking to have as much Brit talent in the squad as Possible and I hope they are able to stick to this philosophy, but its always going to be work in development to get a Uk rider who can push for GC in the grande tours.

If anyone can do it then its Brailsford, remember Skys got a track squad (Who all pretty useful) and is probably totally centred on the 2012 Olympics ( thats one of the reasons I think they will go all out for Cavs signituare )

I think upto 2012 then Tours are a work in progress. As for the spring classics, yer they were poor but Omega cleaned up 3 with Gilbert.

Jez mon

rebs wrote:

Noticed one think that Sky really don't seem to be interested in anyway of joining Breakaways. I am starting to think they really don't see the point. Several teams look to get in breakaways for TV exposure. This doesn't seem to be something Sky are interested in?

The same can be said for the Bleeding Carrots and Rabobank. 2 other teams which are nationalist as Sky are and have a longer term interest in their riders. Or am i just talking rubbish?

Don't know whether it's due to them being "nationalist" teams, but if a team doesn't have a serious GT contender, or a top level sprinter, then at least go for speculative stage wins...

smithy21

Jez mon wrote:

rebs wrote:

Noticed one think that Sky really don't seem to be interested in anyway of joining Breakaways. I am starting to think they really don't see the point. Several teams look to get in breakaways for TV exposure. This doesn't seem to be something Sky are interested in?

The same can be said for the Bleeding Carrots and Rabobank. 2 other teams which are nationalist as Sky are and have a longer term interest in their riders. Or am i just talking rubbish?

Don't know whether it's due to them being "nationalist" teams, but if a team doesn't have a serious GT contender, or a top level sprinter, then at least go for speculative stage wins...

They dont even have to be that speculative. The first two stages after the rest day were pretty good chances for breakaways and thats how it turned out. Sky only got Downing away on the second of those as far as I am aware.

Maybe with the team they sent they had run out of legs by that stage.

cogidubnus

Jez mon wrote:

rebs wrote:

Noticed one think that Sky really don't seem to be interested in anyway of joining Breakaways. I am starting to think they really don't see the point. Several teams look to get in breakaways for TV exposure. This doesn't seem to be something Sky are interested in?

The same can be said for the Bleeding Carrots and Rabobank. 2 other teams which are nationalist as Sky are and have a longer term interest in their riders. Or am i just talking rubbish?

Don't know whether it's due to them being "nationalist" teams, but if a team doesn't have a serious GT contender, or a top level sprinter, then at least go for speculative stage wins...

I thought that was why Downing had been picked. But in the end i think he just made one break.

r0bh

http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/LIVE/us/300/classement/index.html

Wiggins finished in the main peloton on Stage 3 2009 along with Contador and the Schlecks, 41 seconds down on the Armstrong/HTC driven breakaway.

So I'm really not sure where you are going with this?

tim wand wrote:

Lance gained time on every one on that stage it was just Wiggo decided he'd make the bridge other than the prologues and TTs it was the first sign of him actually looking interested in pushing for GC.

Turfle

The definitely don't believe in getting into breaks just for the sake of it. If it's 95% likely to end in a sprint they won't put anyone out front.

All of Kennaugh, Carlstrom Cioni, Nordhaug, Downing, Lofkvist were in breaks during the final 10 days, but only Nordhaug (twice) and Downing ended up in the breaks that got away. There is a lot of luck involved when 160 riders spend the first 60k racing at 50k per hour trying to get into the break of the day.

bennyandrew

A work in progress i would say,thomas and swift have been good,be intresting to see what Rodgers can bring to the team,would have been nice to have seen him riding theTOC,but it was not to be.

BarryBonds

Pennine Daz wrote:

Maybe there just a clean team

:roll:

P_Tucker

BarryBonds wrote:

Pennine Daz wrote:

Maybe there just a clean team

:roll:

Why is it always the people who can barely spell that think Sky/British riders are clean?

Pennine Daz

Sorry if my predictable spelling i pad upset you. Maybe you should post something positive instead.
It was a bit of banter.

iainf72

bennyandrew wrote:

A work in progress i would say,thomas and swift have been good,be intresting to see what Rodgers can bring to the team,would have been nice to have seen him riding theTOC,but it was not to be.

Rogers has got glandular fever AGAIN. Like when he was being investigated for being Freiburg Mick.

carl_p

I think they're doing okay. Their lead out trains look pretty powerful, but it always to be to the benefit of another team rather their own. I think Sky will eventually become renowned as being a sprint team and I would be very surprised if Cav doesn't become part of it.

andyp

iainf72 wrote:

Rogers has got glandular fever AGAIN. Like when he was being investigated for being Freiburg Mick.

Isn't that the third time he's had glandular fever? :shock:

I'm not a medic, but I thought once you'd had it, you couldn't get it again?

frenchfighter

Sky are 8th on CQ team ranking.

From OP 'how do think they've done year to date? Will they be happy with their progress?'
This should also be asked of Hushovd, a rider currently wasting the WC stripes. Lets hope he shows them well in the next handful of months.

mr_poll

andyp wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Rogers has got glandular fever AGAIN. Like when he was being investigated for being Freiburg Mick.

Isn't that the third time he's had glandular fever? :shock:

I'm not a medic, but I thought once you'd had it, you couldn't get it again?

Nope you're not a medic - I have had Glandular Fever and once you have had it you can get it again in fact you're more likely to get it again as your immune system cannot handle it as well - stress and other factors can trigger it.

However not commenting on Rogers "illness"

bennyandrew

Freiburg Mick?

Snorebens

Carl_P wrote:

I think they're doing okay. Their lead out trains look pretty powerful, but it always to be to the benefit of another team rather their own. I think Sky will eventually become renowned as being a sprint team and I would be very surprised if Cav doesn't become part of it.

+1. I think they may as well concentrate on this aspect to be honest - wins & jerseys at TdU, Oman, KBK, Romandie, CyL, ToC, Bayern etc in 2011 have largely come from this route and the link between British Track / Pursuit Team and a decent sprint train is clear to see. It's when things head 'sky'wards that it seems to go pear shaped to me - neither cyclists in viable breakaways or near the front end of the race... maybe that'll follow in 4 plus years but I can't really ever see them being notably successful in a GT.

Jez mon

Snorebens wrote:

Carl_P wrote:

I think they're doing okay. Their lead out trains look pretty powerful, but it always to be to the benefit of another team rather their own. I think Sky will eventually become renowned as being a sprint team and I would be very surprised if Cav doesn't become part of it.

+1. I think they may as well concentrate on this aspect to be honest - wins & jerseys at TdU, Oman, KBK, Romandie, CyL, ToC, Bayern etc in 2011 have largely come from this route and the link between British Track / Pursuit Team and a decent sprint train is clear to see. It's when things head 'sky'wards that it seems to go pear shaped to me - neither cyclists in viable breakaways or near the front end of the race... maybe that'll follow in 4 plus years but I can't really ever see them being notably successful in a GT.

That would be a rather poor return for their investment.

I think sky have got everything they need to mount a GT challenge. Apart from an out and out leader.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cav stayed at HTC, I think post Beijing, he's lost respect for the whole track set up. Plus I don't think he'd sit well with sky's overly corporate image.

Now watch him sign for sky this winter :oops:

patchy

I'd be surprised if Cav isn't with Sky next year, if only because it's frankly the best way to secure the future of the team.

The Sky sponsorship was one of James Murdoch's pet projects (please correct me if I'm wrong) and now he's been whisked off to New York, it's possible that the team may have to make a better business case to a) Sky or b) another sponsor when the current deal expires in a couple of years.

Having the best sprinter in the world who's British, still in his peak years, possible world champ (and possible Olympic RR champ) on the books next year is probably going to do a better job of that sales pitch to a sponsor than a GT contender who's nearly there but not quite... and who I wouldn't be surprised to see quit the sport after the Olympics next year anyway. I reckon they'd probably even buy Renshaw out of contract if necessary. They'd obviously got the dollar if they were angling for Cancellara this year.

RichN95.

patchy wrote:

The Sky sponsorship was one of James Murdoch's pet projects (please correct me if I'm wrong) and now he's been whisked off to New York, it's possible that the team may have to make a better business case to a) Sky or b) another sponsor when the current deal expires in a couple of years.

Murdoch was certainly one of the driving forces behind it, but I don't image him moving to the US will change much. News International are in the process of buying 100% of Sky as opposed to the 39% they already owned, he will have more control over it.

It's also important to remember that, unusually for a cycling team, Sky aren't just the sponsors, they actually own the team (via a holding company called Tour Racing Limited)

ms_tree

patchy wrote:

I'd be surprised if Cav isn't with Sky next year, if only because it's frankly the best way to secure the future of the team. .

Having seen that interview with him which was repeated during the Giro I would be surprised if he did move, frankly. I loved all those references to Bernie (we're just like an old married couple!), Tony cranking his big gear etc.

RichN95.

Ms Tree wrote:

patchy wrote:

I'd be surprised if Cav isn't with Sky next year, if only because it's frankly the best way to secure the future of the team. .

Having seen that interview with him which was repeated during the Giro I would be surprised if he did move, frankly. I loved all those references to Bernie (we're just like an old married couple!), Tony cranking his big gear etc.

His problem isn't with his teammates, it's with Bob Stapleton's chequebook. If HTC don't offer him what he's worth he'll be off.

There was an article on the Cycling Weekly about where he might end up. In it there were some comments from an agent saying that any move would most likely also include key teammates. It also noted that that agent represents Eisel and Renshaw. (yes, yes, contracts etc)

Tusher

Aha, The pieces are beginning to fit.
I thought that because Renshaw had signed with Uncle Bob for two years, Cav may stay with HTC for another year, but if he can pick his team-mates, then HTC (and I think they're only around until the end of the year) can concentrate on Martin for GC and Matt Goss for the sprint wins.

In fact, they could exchange EBH for Cav, Renshaw and the gang.

RichN95.

Tusher wrote:

Aha, The pieces are beginning to fit.
I thought that because Renshaw had signed with Uncle Bob for two years, Cav may stay with HTC for another year, but if he can pick his team-mates, then HTC (and I think they're only around until the end of the year) can concentrate on Martin for GC and Matt Goss for the sprint wins.

In fact, they could exchange EBH for Cav, Renshaw and the gang.

He has. So has Eisel. But contracts are just a starting point for negotiations. If Cav and Goss both leave, HTC may change their emphasis. I'm not sure they'll lay on a full sprinters team for Howard or Degenkolb. Letting MR and BE leave would free up some cash for other riders.

Tusher

Suspect they would rather hang on to Goss if they could though.

Or perhaps he'll be going to GreenEdge.

rebs

Goss and Cav both have contracts expiring this year??
That'll be interesting. HTC deffo need to keep one. All in all I think Goss would be mad to join Green edge from the get go. Same reason Cav would have been made to join Sky in their first season.

Cav joining Sky looks likely this time round. He can form a strong lead out train with tomas dowset standard etc. And if Wiggins has another mare at the tour. He'll possibly be open to targeting roubaix and TT's more to bulk up for the pursuit team and perhaps be willing to work more for Cav like Big George did for Cav.

Shame that Clancy can't get over a speed bump would love to see him on sky running lead outs!

Sky really needs to find a british mountain goat soon.

cal_stewart

rebs wrote:

Sky really needs to find a british mountain goat soon.

Dan Martin maybe

eh

Dan Martin maybe

Money talks, but I'd be surprised if Dan ever had anything to do with a setup partly run by BC.

RichN95.

There was a bizarre result for Sky today in the Tour of Luxembourg. In a sprint they managed to come second, third, fourth and sixth. I can't quite work out how that happens, even with a big crash (and apparently there was one)