Sky - internal strife - Froome vs Wiggins

RichN95.

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.

Nibali's a Grade A wind up merchant though, so I wouldn't take much he says at face value

Daz555

RichN95 wrote:

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.

Nibali's a Grade A wind up merchant though, so I wouldn't take much he says at face value.

Indeed. Besides a GT does not make good prep for another GT....."train to race, not race to train."

Walter White

Daz555 wrote:

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.

I think your right in the respect that Froome is intimidated somewhat by Wiggins the person but wrong about Wiggins the athlete, he obviously has some respect for him as an athlete but he knows damn well he could leave Wiggins trailing in his wake when it comes to it in the Tour.

I dont think Wiggins has every right to defend his title at all seeing as he is handicapping himself by doing the Giro, hes owes Froome big time, hes said so himself many times, his ego is so huge though that he thinks its all about him, i've always liked Wiggins but he can be a right di.ck, he needs to stfu and get on with the job in hand (Giro) and then pay back the favour to Froome like he said he would come France, to be honest Froome doesn't even need his help.

Richmond Racer

Said he'd repay the favour to Froome 'one day' - didnt say when though....

Wiggins is tweaking Froome's nose - call it payback for what Froome did to him last year

Walter White

Richmond Racer wrote:

Said he'd repay the favour to Froome 'one day' - didnt say when though....

Wiggins is tweaking Froome's nose - call it payback for what Froome did to him last year

Im suprised Wiggins is so hurt at that, suprised to hear him mention it recently, its the huge ego again isn't it though? it obviously took a big hit when Froome went up the road for a few seconds.

Lets see Wiggins try it on in France, i would love to see it all kick off in the Tour between them, team orders getting ignored, i do think Froome would easily get the better of it though and possibly very easily, thay would be a hammer blow to Brads massive ego.

bompington

Don't you just love one-eyed partisan sports fans?

Richmond Racer

bompington wrote:

Don't you just love one-eyed partisan sports fans?

Daz555

Walter White wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

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.

I think your right in the respect that Froome is intimidated somewhat by Wiggins the person but wrong about Wiggins the athlete, he obviously has some respect for him as an athlete but he knows damn well he could leave Wiggins trailing in his wake when it comes to it in the Tour.

I dont think Wiggins has every right to defend his title at all seeing as he is handicapping himself by doing the Giro, hes owes Froome big time, hes said so himself many times, his ego is so huge though that he thinks its all about him, i've always liked Wiggins but he can be a right di.ck, he needs to stfu and get on with the job in hand (Giro) and then pay back the favour to Froome like he said he would come France, to be honest Froome doesn't even need his help.

Egos aside - ultimately Wiggins and Froome will do what they are told by Sutton and Sir Dave. I'll be happy that whatever goes down in France will be at the agreement of the management.

As I said elsewhere - the perfect situation for many fans is for Froome to be team leader but for Wiggo to arrive in decent shape after the Giro and for him to take yellow on Stage 11.

Daz555

Walter White wrote:

Lets see Wiggins try it on in France, i would love to see it all kick off in the Tour between them, team orders getting ignored, i do think Froome would easily get the better of it though and possibly very easily, that would be a hammer blow to Brads massive ego.

I don't think Wiggo would be too hurt if he was out-climbed by a rider that he will already know is a better climber than him - they do train together.

lloyd_bower

goonz wrote:

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.

Yeah, spot on. What the hell is the Sky Management doing here?

Wiggins is talking way ahead of himself, he's not even won the Giro yet, and is by no means a cert to do so having only won one GT before. He was well placed in the Giro a couple of years ago, the year following his 4th finish in the tour, but then fell well back.

Froome deserves a shout at the Tour with full leadership, he ably supported Wiggins in the tour last year. And also in the Vuelta in '11 when Sky backed the wrong horse, meaning that Froome equalled the best GT result by a Brit at the time and missing out only by seconds on the win, which he's have got without being forced into domestique duties when actually leading the race.

Even if Wiggins takes out the Giro, he'd be best to go for the Vuelta if he wanted a double. The last three riders to do a Giro/Tour double were on the juice, Pantani, Indurain and Roche.

No_Ta_Doctor

Walter White wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

Said he'd repay the favour to Froome 'one day' - didnt say when though....

Wiggins is tweaking Froome's nose - call it payback for what Froome did to him last year

Im suprised Wiggins is so hurt at that, suprised to hear him mention it recently, its the huge ego again isn't it though? it obviously took a big hit when Froome went up the road for a few seconds.

Lets see Wiggins try it on in France, i would love to see it all kick off in the Tour between them, team orders getting ignored, i do think Froome would easily get the better of it though and possibly very easily, thay would be a hammer blow to Brads massive ego.

You don't think it's a big deal when a team-mate attacks you while you're wearing the yellow jersey, against team orders and to the absolute bemusement of the team car? I'm pretty sure that's the sort of thing I'd remember.

It's easy to write this off as Wiggins ego, but what about Froome's ego? Attacking your leader seems more than a little egocentric to me.

No_Ta_Doctor

Richmond Racer wrote:

Said he'd repay the favour to Froome 'one day' - didnt say when though....

Wiggins is tweaking Froome's nose - call it payback for what Froome did to him last year

Did he say what "favour" he was going to repay though?

Richmond Racer

No tA Doctor wrote:

Richmond Racer wrote:

Said he'd repay the favour to Froome 'one day' - didnt say when though....

Wiggins is tweaking Froome's nose - call it payback for what Froome did to him last year

Did he say what "favour" he was going to repay though?

Like.

Richmond Racer

Mike Kaltoft Jensen

‏@MikeKaltoft 1m Richie Porte tells @Staghoj that he's been promised a role as Sky's team leader in next year's Giro d'Italia


I would like to make it public that I've been promised a role as Sky's team leader at next year's Vuelta. I've been training on Leith Hill and I'm confident I'll be ready to fight for red.

RichN95.

I've been promised a two year contract with Sky. I think I'll stick with Virgin though

No_Ta_Doctor

Lady Macbeth doesn't think both will make the Tour team

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound 3m

Chris & Brad on the same start line, in the same kit? Mmmmmm… doubt it!

RichN95.

No tA Doctor wrote:

Lady Macbeth doesn't think both will make the Tour team

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound 3m

Chris & Brad on the same start line, in the same kit? Mmmmmm… doubt it!

She's clearly backing Wiggins to be in the British champions jersey again.

Or maybe Froome's been promised it. Nothing says 'No I'm not Kenyan' like a British champs jersey.

inkyfingers

This is solid gold gossip and hype, part of me absolutely loves it, part of me (a smaller part) is appalled by it.

The big cycling news outlets must have somebody working full time just refreshing Michelle Cound's twitter feed.

The only sure thing now is that Wiggins will look pretty silly if he flunks the Giro.

Macaloon

Steve Peters is the creative demon behind this soap opera.
Target audience: SKY Truthers.
Dilemma: To remain social-media relevant you have to take up arms on behalf of a guy who called you a bad name last year, or the zero-hero making a mockery of the sport.
Genius.

mroli

3 days out from the Giro, all we're talking about is Sky and how one of 2 of their winners is bound to win the TdF. If you want column inches - well done Bradders and Froome dog.

10 years ago, none of this would have made a ripple. Cycling has gone from being ignored to being poured over, analysed and dissected. Froome will be no 1 at le tour and Brad will be riding in exactly the same way he did last year. Froome will have to attack him (and be allowed to do so) on MTNs.

Story over.

No_Ta_Doctor

RichN95 wrote:

No tA Doctor wrote:

Lady Macbeth doesn't think both will make the Tour team

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound 3m

Chris & Brad on the same start line, in the same kit? Mmmmmm… doubt it!

She's clearly backing Wiggins to be in the British champions jersey again.

Or maybe Froome's been promised it. Nothing says 'No I'm not Kenyan' like a British champs jersey.

Well Wiggins would actually be turning up in yellow....

danlikesbikes

For a bit of balance I have just read through the report from Sky News given by Wiggo & it does appear a bit more rounded than the BBC one.

http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/ ... -de-France

With lines like;
"Without racing against each other when we hit the mountains or whatever, the racing then decides naturally who the leader becomes.

"And that may be that we both stay in contention, and then Chris wins a mountain stage and takes the yellow jersey, in which case there is a natural hierarchy there. Then I try to finish second, as he did last year.

"That is in an ideal scenario. That may not happen. There may be a clear-cut leader before we even get there. I could crash in training tomorrow."

Think it gives a broader response when you look at what he was saying regarding be able to do the double;
"As the years have gone on, I have realised maybe I am of capable of this [the double]," he added. "Two years ago I would never have imagined I would even try to win the Giro because it was always about trying to win the Tour.

"Now I have managed to win the Tour, you think if I am capable of doing that - if we keep training this way and look at the improvements over the last 18 months.

"It is just seeing what you are capable of doing with each year that goes past. It is just an exploration of what you can do each year."

greeny12

It's all good fun and will provide an extra bit of soap opera at the Tour, but at the end of the day Froome's gonna have to face the fact that even if he smokes everyone to Paris he'll only ever be the Buzz Aldrin to Wiggo's Neil Armstrong...

Coach H

IMHO

If you can take the ego's out of it (very unlikely) how about this for a very sound mental tactic.

Froome's real waekness at the Tour is not the parcours its the pressure (he might be able to handle it but who knows). Wiggins has endured the pressure before many times (Olympics in particular) and still admits to finding it hard. So apart from some initial focus on Froome a long way out from the start, would Wiggins putting himself back in the frame take some of the pressure off Froome. There are only so many column inches available and if Brad can fill more of them then this is less for Froome to have to deal with and even then it would only be to refute Brads aspirations. All of a sudden the focus on Froome is dimminished and less pressure results.

No_Ta_Doctor

mroli wrote:

3 days out from the Giro, all we're talking about is Sky and how one of 2 of their winners is bound to win the TdF. If you want column inches - well done Bradders and Froome dog.

10 years ago, none of this would have made a ripple. Cycling has gone from being ignored to being poured over, analysed and dissected. Froome will be no 1 at le tour and Brad will be riding in exactly the same way he did last year. Froome will have to attack him (and be allowed to do so) on MTNs.

Story over.

Not quite that simple. If Froome is allowed to attack Wiggins in the mountains, is Wiggins allowed to respond and is he granted any resources to do so? Will Wiggins be allowed to have the Sky train ride the final climbs hard to prevent serious attacks - including from Froome? And does that all change if Wiggins is in yellow after the stage 11 TT?

At some point one of the two will have to give up their chances and follow a team order, or it will be all out warfare. Which would be fun :-)

Richmond Racer

No tA Doctor wrote:

mroli wrote:

3 days out from the Giro, all we're talking about is Sky and how one of 2 of their winners is bound to win the TdF. If you want column inches - well done Bradders and Froome dog.

10 years ago, none of this would have made a ripple. Cycling has gone from being ignored to being poured over, analysed and dissected. Froome will be no 1 at le tour and Brad will be riding in exactly the same way he did last year. Froome will have to attack him (and be allowed to do so) on MTNs.

Story over.

Not quite that simple. If Froome is allowed to attack Wiggins in the mountains, is Wiggins allowed to respond and is he granted any resources to do so? Will Wiggins be allowed to have the Sky train ride the final climbs hard to prevent serious attacks - including from Froome? And does that all change if Wiggins is in yellow after the stage 11 TT?

At some point one of the two will have to give up their chances and follow a team order, or it will be all out warfare. Which would be fun :-)

Any Sky train riding tempo will be doing the same job for Froome as for Wiggins. Brad wont be able to chase Froome if/when Froome jumps - team orders would prevail, and unlike Froome, he'll stick with them. I'll put money on it.

Out of the two of them, Froome is actually the looser cannon. And he would outright disobey any team orders that went against him this year. Which I dont think they will - I think he'll get his shot.

Just as well as for all that politeness Froome is actually pretty ruthless and its showing now - he'd kill his granny for the win.

And whilst all this goes on, the Spanish Armada collude and one of them ends up in yellow on the road into Paris.

morstar

mroli wrote:

3 days out from the Giro, all we're talking about is Sky and how one of 2 of their winners is bound to win the TdF. If you want column inches - well done Bradders and Froome dog.

10 years ago, none of this would have made a ripple. Cycling has gone from being ignored to being poured over, analysed and dissected. Froome will be no 1 at le tour and Brad will be riding in exactly the same way he did last year. Froome will have to attack him (and be allowed to do so) on MTNs.

Story over.

This^

And if it does transpire like this (no mechanicals etc pre key stages) it will be a fascinating battle. Froome would undoubtedly gap Brad, but by how far and for how long? Would it be enough? Clearly some fans have nailed their colours to the mast already but I'd love to see it transpire in reality. Just think how quickly Porte was coming back at Froome in CI!

Richmond Racer

morstar wrote:

mroli wrote:

3 days out from the Giro, all we're talking about is Sky and how one of 2 of their winners is bound to win the TdF. If you want column inches - well done Bradders and Froome dog.

10 years ago, none of this would have made a ripple. Cycling has gone from being ignored to being poured over, analysed and dissected. Froome will be no 1 at le tour and Brad will be riding in exactly the same way he did last year. Froome will have to attack him (and be allowed to do so) on MTNs.

Story over.

This^

And if it does transpire like this (no mechanicals etc pre key stages) it will be a fascinating battle. Froome would undoubtedly gap Brad, but by how far and for how long? Would it be enough? Clearly some fans have nailed their colours to the mast already but I'd love to see it transpire in reality. Just think how quickly Porte was coming back at Froome in CI!

Ooooh, would actually love this if truth be told...

The problem is that in reality Surdave wont allow a divided team once racing starts....Boooooo....

ocdupalais

Richmond Racer wrote:

all that politeness Froome is actually pretty ruthless and its showing now.

The trait that gave the British their Empire.

powerbookboy

plectrum wrote:

Can there be 2 team leaders ???
Is Wiggins a child?
Who is the better rider?
Does Wiggins deserve some respect?
Is Froome the real deal and at 27 a multiple TdF potential winner?
Can Wiggins win with this year's course?
..... lots of questions.

It will certainly prove exciting but if I was Brailsford, I'd not even take Wiggins to France.

No, Different not better, Yes, Yes, Yes but not after Giro.

Froome deserves his chance. Wiggins has cost him one Vuelta and just possibly a Tour, he deserves leader status, with Wiggins as the number 2.

It's reminding me of Bertie/Lance. Mind games. Hope Froome doesn't lose it...