Sky - internal strife - Froome vs Wiggins

Abdoujaparov

A bit of conflict is healthy and I remember Brailsford saying he tries to add some to the team to get the most out of his riders. The Froome v Wiggins thing works perfectly for Sky - imagine how seriously you'd take the next two months of training if you were Froome! Unless he gets injured, I don't think we'll have seen a fitter Froome by the time the Tour rolls around.

Walter White

oneof1982 wrote:

Danlikesbikes wrote:

ThomThom wrote:

The missus is erupting on twitter as we speak.

Indeed

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound 25m
To those claiming that this Wiggins/Froome thing is some sort of publicity stunt, you are wrong.
Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound 24m
I look forward to @TeamSky clearing up this mess (ASAP) #fedup

Thing is I do feel for her & Froomie, but puts Sky in a tough position what can they say? The can't clear things up in fairness till nearer the race when both riders have done their training and we know what sort of form they have etc

No reason for Sky to do anything in terms of clearing this up. Both riders work for the team. Wiggins has his work set out for the giro. If he flunks that then there is no debate. If he performs well and comes out strong, then Sur Dave will make a decision at last possible moment a la Hoy/Kenny for Olympic sprint.

IMHO Froome will get the nod but he is showing weakness. He needs to shut up, and request she does the same.

Froome needs to shut up? ha, hes only having to respond because Brad is running his mouth and Froome is now getting microphones shoved in his face because of that, if Brad had just shut up in the first place there would be little talk.

bgfalll123

his girlfriends twitter is embarrassing !! Has she ever thought about being a touch proffesional about the whole situation ? :shock:

Richmond Racer

bgfalll123 wrote:

his girlfriends twitter is embarrassing !! Has she ever thought about being a touch proffesional about the whole situation ? :shock:

She's been like it since last year - she aint gonna stop now. So no.

MrT

Mrs W keeping twitter powder dry until week 2....more fun and games yet to come I fear...

deejay

powerbookboy wrote:

When was the last time an clean rider did the double? Probably never.
.

Bollox.
1992 and 1993.
Now don't start the bull shyte again as this forum has had plenty of time to shout my opinion down, time and time again.

Come on, if you have something new that can prove your statement, that you think you have found in your "Books" o Power boy.
Otherwise, Buttocks.

oneof1982

Walter White wrote:

Froome needs to shut up? ha, hes only having to respond because Brad is running his mouth and Froome is now getting microphones shoved in his face because of that, if Brad had just shut up in the first place there would be little talk.

Froome "released a statement" and his girlfriend twattered. He didn't get a microphone shoved up in his face. He will get the nod from sky but he needs to calm down....

Monty Zoncolan

In terms of the demands of the race, is Wiggins likely to be able to challenge for the TDF if he has a decent crack at the Giro?

And what about the chat around the time this year's TDF route was announced - to the effect that it better suited Froome's style.

It's early days of course but I can't help think this posturing, quickly starting to look like bickering, will end up benefitting no-one at sky.

deejay

I doubt that Wiggins is worried about Twits as he will be concentrating on his Job over the next three weeks.
I would think he knows his own programe until after the Giro when he may re asses his needs then.

Has Froome finished then or will he ride the Dauphine or Tour de Suisse.??

ddraver

Last year was the year for a rider like Wiggins to have an attempt at the double. If anyone is going to do it, the tour will need to be one like last year where the other favourites don't really show up.

Not sure it's a realistic prospect at all for Bradley, but I ll enjoy watching him try!

danlikesbikes

oneof1982 wrote:

Danlikesbikes wrote:

ThomThom wrote:

The missus is erupting on twitter as we speak.

Indeed

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound 25m
To those claiming that this Wiggins/Froome thing is some sort of publicity stunt, you are wrong.
Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound 24m
I look forward to @TeamSky clearing up this mess (ASAP) #fedup

Thing is I do feel for her & Froomie, but puts Sky in a tough position what can they say? The can't clear things up in fairness till nearer the race when both riders have done their training and we know what sort of form they have etc

No reason for Sky to do anything in terms of clearing this up. Both riders work for the team. Wiggins has his work set out for the giro. If he flunks that then there is no debate. If he performs well and comes out strong, then Sur Dave will make a decision at last possible moment a la Hoy/Kenny for Olympic sprint.

IMHO Froome will get the nod but he is showing weakness. He needs to shut up, and request she does the same.

Independent are we? So its OK for one team member to go off giving a TV interviews & not for another to release a press statement?

FWIW I don't think either are showing any weakness at all, what they are showing is their competitive nature and as others have said its a tough but good position for Surdave to be in as I'm sure that he'd rather have 2 top class riders both in contention and both wanting the number 1 spot rather than other teams who perhaps have 2 good riders but little hope of winning.

DeadCalm

Wiggins has said no more than he would like to go for it and the team should back the strongest rider. The mature response from Froome would have been 'of course the team should pick the strongest rider and I have no doubt that will be me'. Instead, what we got was some kind of juvenile whining about it being his turn. Sad really.

rick_chasey

This is such a non story.

RoadPainter

Rick Chasey wrote:

This is such a non story.

But it does a very good job of taking Giro pressure off Wiggo. He effectively gave Froome an invite to share some of the media circus when he's not even racing - something Froome foolishly accepted.

No_Ta_Doctor

Rick Chasey wrote:

This is such a non story.

Just a bit of soap opera, but quite fun.

RoadPainter

No tA Doctor wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

This is such a non story.

Just a bit of soap opera, but quite fun.

Makes you pinch yourself to make sure it's real: 2 British riders squabbling(ish) over who's going to lead the dominant British team in this year's Tour!

No_Ta_Doctor

RoadPainter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

This is such a non story.

But it does a very good job of taking Giro pressure off Wiggo. He effectively gave Froome an invite to share some of the media circus when he's not even racing - something Froome foolishly accepted.

I don't buy that. It's a distraction for Wiggins now, the press speculation about him will be ramped up. I think he just gave an interview where he openly stated what he'd like to do, which isn't at all at odds with Skys public statements, and the world went batshit crazy.

danlikesbikes

No tA Doctor wrote:

I don't buy that. It's a distraction for Wiggins now, the press speculation about him will be ramped up. I think he just gave an interview where he openly stated what he'd like to do, which isn't at all at odds with Skys public statements, and the world went batshit crazy.

Think your right I did post up (can't recall if its in this &/or another thread) the BBC & Sky interviews and TBH the Sky does seem pretty well rounded. OK he could of worded it a bit better and not ruffled a few feathers but you don't get to where he is without being a bit tough.

gingermagician

For those of you who don't have access behind the NI paywall, Owen Slot in The Times is claiming that Cound "now speaks officially with a role in (Froome's) management team".

Apparently his official statement from last night was circulated by her to press agencies...

bgfalll123

GingerMagician wrote:

For those of you who don't have access behind the NI paywall, Owen Slot in The Times is claiming that Cound "now speaks officially with a role in (Froome's) management team".

Apparently his official statement from last night was circulated by her to press agencies...

WOW the woman who publicly mugged Wiggins off to his wife on twitter has been given a PR role by Froome ?

WREAKS of fit girlfriend with control issues that he doesn't want to lose.

Wiggo is the man.

oneof1982

Rick Chasey wrote:

This is such a non story.

9 pages in 2 days on your own forum? Don't think you'd get a job in newspapers

oneof1982

Danlikesbikes wrote:

Independent are we? So its OK for one team member to go off giving a TV interviews & not for another to release a press statement?

FWIW I don't think either are showing any weakness at all, what they are showing is their competitive nature and as others have said its a tough but good position for Surdave to be in as I'm sure that he'd rather have 2 top class riders both in contention and both wanting the number 1 spot rather than other teams who perhaps have 2 good riders but little hope of winning.

Independent of what?

The point is Wiggo has voiced the same line as the sky managament team have in public. They haven't made any defintivie public commitment to Froome leading the tour. As I have said twice I think they ultimately will. Froome issuing statements to the press makes him look a bit daft to me. I used the analogy of Hoy and Kenny for the Olympic track sprint. Rght up the the end, when asked, Hoy was staking a claim to the spot, but probabaly new all along that it was unlikely. Wiggo appears to be doing much the same.

Richmond Racer

bgfalll123 wrote:

GingerMagician wrote:

For those of you who don't have access behind the NI paywall, Owen Slot in The Times is claiming that Cound "now speaks officially with a role in (Froome's) management team".

Apparently his official statement from last night was circulated by her to press agencies...

WOW the woman who publicly mugged Wiggins off to his wife on twitter has been given a PR role by Froome ?

WREAKS of fit girlfriend with control issues that he doesn't want to lose.

Wiggo is the man.

Control issues? Well she tweets under his tweeter name quite a lot. Been known to tweet some bitch comments about Wiggins and Sky's management from his account and then think better of it and delete the tweets.

Liability.


If I were Surdave I'd make Porte team leader for the Dauphine. Give Froome something to think about. I suspect that Wiggins and Porte will be riding GTs against Froome next year with him on another team. I cant see him lasting there through last year of his contract.

bgfalll123

Richmond Racer wrote:

bgfalll123 wrote:

GingerMagician wrote:

For those of you who don't have access behind the NI paywall, Owen Slot in The Times is claiming that Cound "now speaks officially with a role in (Froome's) management team".

Apparently his official statement from last night was circulated by her to press agencies...

WOW the woman who publicly mugged Wiggins off to his wife on twitter has been given a PR role by Froome ?

WREAKS of fit girlfriend with control issues that he doesn't want to lose.

Wiggo is the man.

Control issues? Well she tweets under his tweeter name quite a lot. Been known to tweet some ***** comments about Wiggins and Sky's management from his account and then think better of it and delete the tweets.

Liability.


If I were Surdave I'd make Porte team leader for the Dauphine. Give Froome something to think about. I suspect that Wiggins and Porte will be riding GTs against Froome next year with him on another team. I cant see him lasting there through last year of his contract.

Its a shame because Froome is obviously going to win the tour one day and has so much ability. He is still young and has improved lots in the last couple of years. The best approach would be to talk his girl and tell her to keep quiet and bide his time to become the natural leader of the team instead of this constant reassurance of us, the press and most of all himself that he is the leader. IF he knows he is the leader why the fuck does he care if we know ? Like lots of people on here i agree that it is better if nobody knew to keep the pressure off.

Bakunin

Why is Wiggins talking about a race in July when he has one starting this weekend?

The shark must be pleased.

But why would Froome respond? On some level, he must be a little unsure of how things will play out. As Wiggins admitted last week -- he talks nonsense quite often.

powerbookboy

Bakunin wrote:

Why is Wiggins talking about a race in July when he has one starting this weekend?

The shark must be pleased.

But why would Froome respond? On some level, he must be a little unsure of how things will play out. As Wiggins admitted last week -- he talks nonsense quite often.

Because he thinks he's going to be screwed again and Wiggins is winding him up. Froome has played lapdog 2 years in a row to Wiggins, with some justification he feels he's earned some payback from Wiggins. Perfectly understandable, not weak, putting his cards on the table.

Bearing in mind Wiggins is at the tail of his career, Froome the beginning, Sky would be very very stupid to annoy Froome any more.

Wiggins should concentrate on adding a Giro, Vuelta, World TT and a Classic before he bows out. That would make him pretty darn legendary in my my book...

powerbookboy

deejay wrote:

powerbookboy wrote:

When was the last time an clean rider did the double? Probably never.
.

Bollox.
1992 and 1993.
Now don't start the bull shyte again as this forum has had plenty of time to shout my opinion down, time and time again.

Come on, if you have something new that can prove your statement, that you think you have found in your "Books" o Power boy.
Otherwise, Buttocks.

Well that's one view. The relationship between Conconi and Banesto, the effectiveness of the testing regimes at that time, the attitude within the sport and what we now know went on before, during and after suggests that taking a contrary point of view isn't a hugely controversial position to hold.

Even assuming you are correct, it's a rare and exceptional event to do the double. Froome, like Wiggins, is a rare and exceptional rider. Look at what Froome did in the Vuelta. Statistically you wouldn't bet on a rider holding form for 3 months covering 2 GCs, when you could have 2 rider holding their form for 30 days.

argyllflyer

Latest:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... claim.html

inkyfingers

If it's true, then I think Froome has made a mistake getting Miss Cound involved in handling his PR, he'd have been better off using somebody more credible, Gerald Ratner maybe.

blazing_saddles

Richmond Racer wrote:

If I were Surdave I'd make Porte team leader for the Dauphine. Give Froome something to think about.

Can't agree here. Think that would only serve to further any paranoia and create divides.
Also puts Porte in the middle of the tug o war.

Richmond Racer wrote:

I suspect that Wiggins and Porte will be riding GTs against Froome next year with him on another team. I cant see him lasting there through last year of his contract.

I agree.
Froome's been on a race programme specifically to peak for the TDF.
If he loses his dance card to Wiggins, his season is effectively over.
Some reward.
No question he will leave Sky-A huge, long term loss.

To those who think it will be be health competition, I disagree.
It will end up making La Vie Claire look like harmonious accord.
Things have grown a lot since then.
It's already certain that both riders will now have to deal with
a huge media scrum that this will generate, throughout the Tour.
It isn't just a question over who will cope with it best, but which
piece of dirty laundry becomes the straw that breaks the camel's back
and instigates open warfare.

I just can't see either of them being prepared to go all out as last man
in the Sky choo-choo.