JTL

ddraver

OCDuPalais wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

According to Ellingworth , dont think the Classics squad are doing T-A ahead of MSR next season. Based on this year's experience they seem to be preferring the idea of a nice hard training camp doing a better job of prep'ing the boys. Cant see them fielding JTL in MSR either.

Please don't introduce expert/insider knowledge or common sense into the conversation whilst I'm spouting wishful-thinking aloud - it's unbecoming.

Thanks.

+1

:P

Richmond Racer

Duly chastened and put on notice, gentlemen. Henceforth when OCDP is on one, I will allow the flights of fancy to take wing etc etc.. You too ddraver

nathancom

http://roadcyclinguk.com/news/racing-news/jonathan-tiernan-locke-team-sky-interview-2202.html

JTL interview. He seems very level headed and realistic about what he can achieve at Sky this year.

squired

In the end, Sky are clearly a team that pays a lot of attention to the numbers. They will know exactly what everyone is doing in training/races and the power outputs they are capable of achieving. If JTL is at the front in terms of those measurements he will presumably have a senior role. If his numbers aren't, he won't. Sky certainly don't seem to be a team that just goes by reputation of experience. For me that is the way it should be. If you can show that you deserve to be leader you'll be given that opportunity, whether you are JTL, Dombrovski, Henao, Uran, or whoever.

andyrr

JTL is one of the riders that in 2013 I'll be looking out for in his races - I was very impressed by his Worlds ride, he seemed so comfortable mixing it with the guys at the front and he probably, with a little more experience, have finished even closer to the front guys.

jimmythecuckoo

nathancom wrote:

http://roadcyclinguk.com/news/racing-news/jonathan-tiernan-locke-team-sky-interview-2202.html

JTL interview. He seems very level headed and realistic about what he can achieve at Sky this year.

Good interview that. Its nice to see RCUK on the up as a website after a lengthy period of treading water.

If they can get the content I think the site will improve more.

frenchfighter

LeicesterLad

frenchfighter wrote:

Great picture! (nabbed for avatar)

ocdupalais

OK, we've given him a nice Winter break - well done FF for bringing him back - but can we make sure he doesn't slip off the 1st page of threads again all season - or at least until he wins this: http://www.toscana2013.it/?page=9&percorsi=2 ?

Look, they've even done a cartoon of him in his new jersey holding his Sky helmet at the presentation already...

Richmond Racer

I believe that is actually a life-size drawing

phil s

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

nathancom wrote:

http://roadcyclinguk.com/news/racing-news/jonathan-tiernan-locke-team-sky-interview-2202.html

JTL interview. He seems very level headed and realistic about what he can achieve at Sky this year.

Good interview that. Its nice to see RCUK on the up as a website after a lengthy period of treading water.

If they can get the content I think the site will improve more.

The video is from the Global Cycling Network on Youtube.

Pross

OCDuPalais wrote:

OK, we've given him a nice Winter break - well done FF for bringing him back - but can we make sure he doesn't slip off the 1st page of threads again all season - or at least until he wins this: http://www.toscana2013.it/?page=9&percorsi=2 ?

Look, they've even done a cartoon of him in his new jersey holding his Sky helmet at the presentation already...

Is that the new Rapha pointy podium hat? A tribute to a golden generation in cycling when all the best cyclists had pointy, aero shaped heads.

frenchfighter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7d0U6TBN9I

Turfle

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290, ... 51,00.html

live webchat with JTL and Swifty.

jawooga

OCDuPalais wrote:

Although faith in my source did start to wane a bit when he told me that he thought JTL was wearing shorts(!), it got me thinking that now would be the perfect time for us to enhance his growing reputation as being an old-school hard b@stard with a few "embellished facts" dropped into the ether.

I'll start:
Once, on a ride over Dartmoor, JTL went so deep on a timed hill effort that he prolapsed a lung. So as not to compromise his time, he waited until passing the finish before punching it back in.

JTL alternates without fear of ostracism: "cream then jam, jam then cream, cream then jam, jam then ..."

cougie

What is his early season race list ? I've heard nothing of him yet ?

Turfle

He's just finished the Mallorca Challenge one day races, then it's Volta ao Algarve next week.

Richmond Racer

Building towards the Ardennes...

And perhaps going for a cheeky stage at the Algarve...?

*rubs hands together in anticipation*

Turfle

Would be nice. They've got a very strong squad going, with Lopez, Uran, Henao all riding well this week.

ocdupalais

Not a peep out of him at Algarve (other than a spot of bottle fetching)... but fear not, brave JTL fan: I spotted him over the top of the freezing Mendips in the middle of this interval session...

https://twitter.com/J_T_Locke/status/304321341224521728/photo/1

He was going like a train.

Richmond Racer

Thank god OCDP

Next up, gay Paree-Nice...

LeicesterLad

OCDuPalais wrote:

Not a peep out of him at Algarve (other than a spot of bottle fetching)... but fear not, brave JTL fan: I spotted him over the top of the freezing Mendips in the middle of this interval session...

https://twitter.com/J_T_Locke/status/304321341224521728/photo/1

He was going like a train.

This is what we like to hear!

The_Slowboat

Made a brief stop in Devon (Sidmouth) last Saturday on the way down to Bude, could see why he is good on the short sharp stuff, barely a flat road and some pretty brutal up and downs.

Cornwall too appears to have some magnificent roads, will bring the bike next time as have spent the last week wishing I had it with me.

ocdupalais

I don't know if they've tweaked his position at Sky - and obviously he already had a compact racing style (he's not a big bloke) - but I think it was Lemond who talked about trying to achieve a position "in" the bike rather than "on" it: JTL was that.

And talking of P-N, that MTF on Montagne de Lure and the Col d'Eze TT will be very interesting from a JTL perspective...

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13888/Highest-ever-summit-finish-to-feature-in-2013-Paris-Nice-Col-dEze-TT-returns.aspx

I wonder if he's done much specific TT work under Sky supervision?

ocdupalais

The_Slowboat wrote:

Made a brief stop in Devon (Sidmouth) last Saturday on the way down to Bude, could see why he is good on the short sharp stuff, barely a flat road and some pretty brutal up and downs.

Made me smile to hear that a lot of the foreign pro's in the 2011 ToB complained that the stage that went through Devon (incl. Sidmouth) gave them PowerMeter readings akin to a lumpy Tour stage...

frenchfighter

I hope he produces something. Fans delight or are Sky restraining that like some of us expected. We shall see what is in The Plan later I suppose.

Pross

Having had a look at the Sky rider profiles I was surprised to see that JTL is listed as 72kg. He's heavier than Ben Swift and Chris Sutton!

EightOhEight

OCDuPalais wrote:

Not a peep out of him at Algarve (other than a spot of bottle fetching)... but fear not, brave JTL fan: I spotted him over the top of the freezing Mendips in the middle of this interval session...

https://twitter.com/J_T_Locke/status/304321341224521728/photo/1

He was going like a train.

I'm presuming he's Bristol based at the moment. His GCN interview was in the Mud Dock. Was he solo on the Mendips?

Richmond Racer

Pross wrote:

Having had a look at the Sky rider profiles I was surprised to see that JTL is listed as 72kg. He's heavier than Ben Swift and Chris Sutton!

All that rider profile guff is compiled at the start of the off-season, but when they signed him Kerrison told him he wanted him to lose weight before the start of the season. It was a shoot-load too from what I remember - something like 9kgs.

frenchfighter

Need some more of this.