Sky - internal strife - Froome vs Wiggins

thomthom

carrock wrote:

jam1e wrote:

plectrum wrote:

mikenetic wrote:

Why would any team reveal the truth to their rivals? It makes no sense. They have two clear GC contenders so they can, and surely will, play as many mind games as they can.

I love that you believe it is Sky playing mindgames, it really isn't - it is Froome being selected to be team leader and Wiggins being as big as the team - he is a superstar, saying no - that isn't the way it is going to be. It is a clear power struggle imho.

Fixed.

Is the giro/tour double impossible in the same way as the sub 4 minute mile? ie not actually impossible at all.

Winning the tour and Olympic gold was impossible. Until last year.

Can imagine the interviews already

" I don't think there is an issue with a team having 2 leaders, Chris is a great rider too......etc. "

That's not what was said. The discussion was if Froome really could keep the form throughout Tour, Olympics and Vuelta. He couldn't.

thomthom

jam1e wrote:

plectrum wrote:

mikenetic wrote:

Why would any team reveal the truth to their rivals? It makes no sense. They have two clear GC contenders so they can, and surely will, play as many mind games as they can.

I love that you believe it is Sky playing mindgames, it really isn't - it is Froome being selected to be team leader and Wiggins being as big as the team - he is a superstar, saying no - that isn't the way it is going to be. It is a clear power struggle imho.

Fixed.

Is the giro/tour double impossible in the same way as the sub 4 minute mile? ie not actually impossible at all.

You're quite right. Not if you are Stephen Roche, Indurain or Pantani... But they did, however, also have something in common.

mikenetic

plectrum wrote:

mikenetic wrote:

Why would any team reveal the truth to their rivals? It makes no sense. They have two clear GC contenders so they can, and surely will, play as many mind games as they can.

I love that you believe it is Sky playing mindgames, it really isn't - it is Froome being selected to be team leader and Wiggins being as big as the team - he is a superstar, saying no - that isn't the way it is going to be. It is a clear power struggle.

I'm playing mind games with you. Right now.

No_Ta_Doctor

Froome appears to have well and truly lost it now.

welshmessenger

ThomThom wrote:

You're quite right. Not if you are Stephen Roche, Indurain or Pantani... But they did, however, also have something in common.

Wondered when Roche's name would come up. Remarkably similar situation to the Carerra team on the face of it. Was it the Guru of Tour where Roche went against team orders? Be great to watch if Wiggins or Froome did go rogue, but I can't see it.

Gazzetta67

No tA Doctor wrote:

Froome appears to have well and truly lost it now.

Source please ???

thomthom

welshmessenger wrote:

ThomThom wrote:

You're quite right. Not if you are Stephen Roche, Indurain or Pantani... But they did, however, also have something in common.

Wondered when Roche's name would come up. Remarkably similar situation to the Carerra team on the face of it. Was it the Guru of Tour where Roche went against team orders? Be great to watch if Wiggins or Froome did go rogue, but I can't see it.

Wasn't exactly what I meant, though :P

Walter White

It would take the absolute pi.ss if Wiggins kicks up a fuss wanting to win the Tour again and if Sky pander to it.

Froome fully deserves his turn at it, even if Wiggins does grab yellow after the TT and Sky try changing tack can you really imagine Froome being ok with it and happily towing Wiggins round the mountains again?, not a chance, Froome will go for it and rightly so, at this moment hes the best cyclist on the planet with daylight behind to.

Shouldn't happen but i can see Brads ego getting the better of him regardless if he wins the Giro or not.

danlikesbikes

So this is Frommies response - http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... r-aim.html

Pretty much restates he is the leader;
Froome's statement released this evening, however suggests he expects full support from the team, rather than a dual role. He said; "There has been much speculation regarding the leadership for Team Sky at the Tour de France this year. I have made it clear that winning the Tour would be my main objective for 2013."

"I have been reassured by the management at Team Sky that I have their full backing and at no time has the leadership of the Tour team been in question. Attempting to win the Tour de France is a massive undertaking, and will take total commitment from each and every team member."

No_Ta_Doctor

Danlikesbikes wrote:

So this is Frommies response - http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... r-aim.html

Pretty much restates he is the leader;
Froome's statement released this evening, however suggests he expects full support from the team, rather than a dual role. He said; "There has been much speculation regarding the leadership for Team Sky at the Tour de France this year. I have made it clear that winning the Tour would be my main objective for 2013."

"I have been reassured by the management at Team Sky that I have their full backing and at no time has the leadership of the Tour team been in question. Attempting to win the Tour de France is a massive undertaking, and will take total commitment from each and every team member."

If he was that sure he had Sky's full backing he'd have just kept quiet and let Brailsford deal with it.

RichN95.

It's all good fun and games. Not wrong with a little inter team competition once in a while.

Wiggins needs to realise, though, that if it comes to it Sky will back Froome not him.

No_Ta_Doctor

RichN95 wrote:

It's all good fun and games. Not wrong with a little inter team competition once in a while.

Wiggins needs to realise, though, that if it comes to it Sky will back Froome not him.

It doesn't seem to be Wiggins that's trying to force the issue though.

danlikesbikes

No tA Doctor wrote:

If he was that sure he had Sky's full backing he'd have just kept quiet and let Brailsford deal with it.

I think he did as the BBC are running with it & the last time Sky ended up having to give plenty of press releases to quash the rumours.

I'm sure that tomorrow we will hear from Sky too.

Its either a PR bluff from Sky or Wiggo just being himself, knowing he is good and stating that he wants to go for both, Froome was told (we assume) that he would get the nod this year in return for his support of Wiggo last year & is just standing up for himself.

thamacdaddy

The fact froome felt he needed to do a press release saying things like that only make me strongly believe all is far from rosey and wiggo went "off message" on the PR.

danlikesbikes

thamacdaddy wrote:

The fact froome felt he needed to do a press release saying things like that only make me strongly believe all is far from rosey and wiggo went "off message" on the PR.

Indeed, not like he has not done that before. Don't get me wrong I like him & he is Britain's/Sky's cycling supper star but just think that he does not like the idea that he is getting one race and Frommie the other. TBH think thats a good sign really as if he didn't have that drive he wouldn't have gotten to where he is now.

curium

I think Brailsford will back Froome as promised. I also think that Froome is a lot more valuable to Sky as he would fit in well at a lot of other teams where as I think there are less options for Wiggins so he'll have to lump it! Both probably have lucrative contracts with Sky but of the two I see Froome having more options outside the team and Brailsford will have this in mind.

Froome is younger, more talented and has a lot more high profile wins ahead of him.

That said, there is also an element of letting other teams believe that Sky genuinely have two leaders and so the others contenders will have to mark them both.

Daz555

curium wrote:

Froome is younger, more talented and has a lot more high profile wins ahead of him.

Younger? Yes. More wins ahead? Maybe.

More talented? More talented than the multiple track and road Olympic and World champion who has also won a grand tour? Serious?

Depends on how you define talented I suppose.

menchovʹsstabilisers

If you are Sky you encourage these stories not stop them - what wonderful publicity. This is what the sponsors pay for. It's creating a sense of anticipation about the Tour with this will he won't he narrative. It's getting your minority sport extensive coverage in your home country, far more so than Froome winning the Tour de Romandie, maybe even more so than Wiggo winning the Giro.

Think of it as your equivalent of a rider getting in the break to secure some TV coverage. Now Wiggins' break is unlikely to succeed - but if it does great, if not you've still plan A and it provides plenty of media exposure in the meantime.

Richmond Racer

It's very decent of Sky to uphold the very origins of le Tour which was to sell papers...

And you know who's nabbed the best seat on the bus for all of this over the next 3 months...David Walsh

specialgueststar

where is that ubiquitous (former) Brailsford. He keeps very quiet these days?

argyllflyer

"Attempting to win the Tour de France is a massive undertaking, and will take total commitment from each and every team member."

"with the depth of talent that we have at Team Sky, I have no doubt that the strongest and most willing riders will be there to support me."

Froome clearly doesn't want a Wiggins, uncommitted to his cause, in France.

dsoutar

iainf72 wrote:

Why are people still talking about this when the news of a new Boards of Canada album today?

Screwed up priorities. :P

Really ?? Must check this out

No_Ta_Doctor

Can anyone find a definitive statement from Brailsford favouring Froome over Wiggins for the Tour?

This from mid December seems to say pretty much what Wiggins has been saying - Surdave will decide after the Giro:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/de ... e-sky-tour

Is there a later statement somewhere?

disgruntledgoat

I can get rubbish office politics at work... somebody wake me up when the Giro starts

Daz555

argyllflyer wrote:

"Attempting to win the Tour de France is a massive undertaking, and will take total commitment from each and every team member."

"with the depth of talent that we have at Team Sky, I have no doubt that the strongest and most willing riders will be there to support me."

Froome clearly doesn't want a Wiggins, uncommitted to his cause, in France.

I read it that way too.

Shows me that Froome is a little scared of Wiggins - he probably finds him intimidating as an athlete and as a person.

Wiggins has every right to try and secure the leader position for the Tour. Personally I can only see it going to Froome however.

I just hope that Sky let Wiggins defend his title and respond properly to attacks from the likes of dirtie Bertie and of course Froome himself - in the early stages at least.

Daz555

I bet Froome's missus is about to explode with rage on twitter with Sir Bradley getting all this wind up exposure!

Richmond Racer

No tA Doctor wrote:

Can anyone find a definitive statement from Brailsford favouring Froome over Wiggins for the Tour?

This from mid December seems to say pretty much what Wiggins has been saying - Surdave will decide after the Giro:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/de ... e-sky-tour

Is there a later statement somewhere?

The consistent messsage from both Brailsford and Kerrison in every interview since Jan has been 'Brad's going for the Giro, and Froome is focusing on the Tour' and 'the goal is to have Brad come out of the Giro and be in optimum condition and holding form right through to the Tour'

At no point - to my knowledge - has anyone from The Management explicitely said Froome's leading the Tour team.

Having said that, I'm sure Froome will get the nod*. But by not committing to this (at least in public) it heightens their massively competitive instincts to out-perfrom each other in the run-up.


*the Graun running a poll on who should lead so that should be helpful to Surdave in his decision-making

Richmond Racer

A Brucie bonus is that its confusing Nibali and Astana. Nibbles and team manager separately quoted as saying that they dont know whether/think Bradders is just riding the Giro as prep now.

tailwindhome

Richmond Racer wrote:

A Brucie bonus is that its confusing Nibali and Astana. Nibbles and team manager separately quoted as saying that they dont know whether/think Bradders is just riding the Giro as prep now.

One of the cycling journalists tweeted after Paris-Roubaix that Sky had five cards to play, unfortunately they were all 6s and 7s. They're now going in to the Grand Tours with 2 Aces. The management challenge is to make this everyone else's problem.

goonz

Shouldnt Sky tell their guys to stop talking to the press like this? Wheres the management?

I personally wouldnt mind seeing them go head to head but it could also bite Sky in the butt if both implode and end up with neither at the front.

Wiggins put all your efforts in the Giro and then talk, I may be speared for this, but I'm not the biggest Wiggo fan.