It's a poor show that Wiggins hasn't congratulated Froome

rick_chasey

This is a bizarre thread.

chilling

Wiggo is the inverse of John Terry.

Bustacapp

I've never liked Wiggins. From throwing his bikes about in a huff like a little girl to modelling himself on Liam Gallagher. Froome is twice the man Wiggo is. A fine upstanding gentleman.

kelsen

Bustacapp wrote:

I've never liked Wiggins. From throwing his bikes about in a huff like a little girl to modelling himself on Liam Gallagher.

Not to mention the reason why Cavendish was the only cyclist not to get one of these... :twisted:

EKE_38BPM

Someone you don't know didn't get public congratulations (but may well have had lots privately) from someone else you don't know and ths has got your back up?!

DDD, man up.

DonDaddyD

My back is not up, a person with a public profile has taken an action (or more accurately inaction) I disagree with. I've posted it here because it falls within the cycling sphere.

Furthermore:

I don't accept the "who cares" argument. If "who cares" is a justifiable arguement then there is no point to this entire 'chat' forum where people discuss endlessly any number of topics freely. Clearly some do care about a multitude of topics that others do not care about, those who do not care don't tend to post.

And you know what? I don't care, but I am interested in the actions of Wiggins, the one time poster child for British Professional Cycling (along with Hoy, Pendleton and Cavendish). Just like a professional footballer whose actions come under scrutiny because they are in the public eye, I've held Wiggins to such standards as well and he leaves me unimpressed.

The decent thing would be to congratulate your team mate and the team on his win (and the team for supporting him to make the win possible). It shows gratitude and class. Instead what we have is the Captain of arguably the Worlds biggest and best professional cycling team acting like a b*tch and petulant jealous child because he couldn't have the glory for himself. That's not OK, that should never be OK and if it was anyother sporting star we wouldn't tollerate it.

But in any case:

I have an opinion so I have chosen to share it. Disagree with it all you want, that's what the forum is for but after you've taken the time to read this thread, and this post and felt compelled to log-in and post an opinion don't claim not care, because your only lying to yourself.

I'm done.

jonny_trousers

I'm actually with DDD on this. It's unsporting, un-gentlemanly and un-British. I'm a big fan of Wiggo, but, to my eyes, his public silence makes him look a little spoilt. Particularly when you consider he might not have achieved his own TdF win had it not been for Chris Froome.

apreading

I agree that Wiggo should have congratulated him. This is why they are sportsmen and not just competitors. The sporting thing is always to congratulate the victor in your own sport, especially when they do something as momentous as this, which you did the year before and are now passing the title on to them. The sportsmanlike and decent thing to do would be to pass the title on graciously.

Also, he is a knight of the British realm and part of receiving this honour should be a duty to represent your country and its interests in your arena that you were knighted for. Despite the fact that Froomey was second, it is still a big thing for cycling in Britain and Wiggo should be seen to promote this for the future generations.

Besides which it is a PR gaffe not to, but then we see enough of those by sportsmen all the time...

I also thought Andy Murray passed up the perfect chance to redeem himself a little bit with the non-Scottish people in Britain when he won Wimbledon - did anyone see that the trophy table had a Union Flag on it? He would have endeared himself to all and gained massive media attention if he had picked this up and held it high, draped it on his shoulders or some such.

And these people have PR managers - they clearly arent as good as they should be for the money they get paid...

EKE_38BPM

I get the feeling that all of this means much more to DDD than it does to Froome or Wiggins.

kelsen

I have to admit, my initial reaction was "Who cares!", but DDD has raised some very good points and I agree with at least some of it. Last year, it was all about Wiggo, and returning some of that plaudit would show a bit of grace and humility to the people who helped to get him to where he is.

BelgianBeerGeek

They ride for the same trade team. They don't have to be buddies. Sur Dave was saying the other day he doesn't give a rats if team members don't particularly get on, as long as they are focused on the goal.

Load of fuss over nothing.

jedster

I agree that Wiggo should have congratulated him.

You know what? So do I. I don't think it's that big a deal but I do think the fact that Wiggo hasn't publicly congratulated Froome and the rest of his teammates makes him look a smaller man. Someone else basically said that Wiggins just doesn't give a toss about any of that stuff. May well be true but if it is then it's a minor character defect IMO. Like I say, its not a big deal but it does lack a bit of class.

This is the other hand is garbage:

I also thought Andy Murray passed up the perfect chance to redeem himself a little bit with the non-Scottish people in Britain when he won Wimbledon - did anyone see that the trophy table had a Union Flag on it? He would have endeared himself to all and gained massive media attention if he had picked this up and held it high, draped it on his shoulders or some such.

What the hell does Andy Murray have to redeem himself for? Please don't tell me it's that "anyone but England" bullshit. If you haven't worked out what a trumped up / Daily Mail twisted episode that was then you need to listen to Tim Henman talking about it (he was in the restaurant with Murray when he said it).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqQsHBwkDgQ

And if you watched Wimbledon this year (or him winning the Olympic Gold last year) you'd have realised that the days when stupid home counties types didn't get behind him are long gone. It was very obvious at the Olymics how proud he was to be representing GB and competing in the same team as Mo, Jess etc.

apreading

jedster wrote:

What the hell does Andy Murray have to redeem himself for? Please don't tell me it's that "anyone but England" bullshit. If you haven't worked out what a trumped up / Daily Mail twisted episode that was then you need to listen to Tim Henman talking about it (he was in the restaurant with Murray when he said it).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqQsHBwkDgQ

And if you watched Wimbledon this year (or him winning the Olympic Gold last year) you'd have realised that the days when stupid home counties types didn't get behind him are long gone. It was very obvious at the Olymics how proud he was to be representing GB and competing in the same team as Mo, Jess etc.

I was not saying that it wasnt a trumped up / twisted episode, but its one that many English people have taken to heart - I know several (mainly football fans) that cant find it in themselves to support him as a result.

I am not saying that he should have to do anything special to redeem himself, just that it was a missed opportunity to smooth off some of the PR issues that he faces - those days are not long gone and many still cling to them and every opportunity to lessen the damage would be well taken.

jedster

I know several (mainly football fans) that cant find it in themselves to support him as a result.

well I hope you tell them it's all a load of cr@p and they've been conned by the daily mail and point them to the Henman interview. That's what I do and it seems quite effective

Coach H

DonDaddyD wrote:

No I just think it is bad sport not to congratulate your teammate.

This guy was knighted for the exact same win, oh how the Country celebrated, should we all have shrugged our shoulders and said "who gives a f*ck?"

FWIW I agree mainly with the first bit. It does SEEM a bit petty but also understandable.

The second bit is not correct. Wiggo did not get a Knighhood for his TDF win alone, it was a progression from his previous OBE & CBE and 2012 TT Gold. Had it been just the TDF win OR TT Gold it would probably have been an MBE. I would expect Froome is in line for an OBE or ,more probably, a CBE.

CiB

Time for a Facebook campaign then, or a petition on the Govt website that garners 100,000 signatories. That'll learn him, the miserable get failing to live up to stiff-jawed sportign Brit standards.

If it's worth anything I'd rather see Wiggo march up to Froome, pull Froome's shorts open at the top and empty a jug full of school gravy down there, there let it go with a ping and give him two firm pats on the front of the pad whilst maintaining solid eye contact and a smug grin. Better than an empty congratulations that no-one believes a word of.

jongooligan

CiB wrote:

If it's worth anything I'd rather see Wiggo march up to Froome, pull Froome's shorts open at the top and empty a jug full of school gravy down there, there let it go with a ping and give him two firm pats on the front of the pad whilst maintaining solid eye contact and a smug grin. Better than an empty congratulations that no-one believes a word of.

Yeah, that would do it, two firm pats on the front of the pad. Then stand back and enjoy the ensuing carnage.

rick_chasey

This is why I was and am ambivalent to British success in cycling and it going more mainstream.

When it was niche you tended to get die hards who were knowledgeable.

Now you get dogsh!t like this.

It's people getting up in arms about sfa that makes football interviews so dull.

Please don't let this happen to cycling. Please.

cedargreen

My father in law is 89 today. Still nothing from Wiggins or Froome- not even a card. Very poor.

Monkeypump

Rick Chasey wrote:

This is why I was and am ambivalent to British success in cycling and it going more mainstream.

When it was niche you tended to get die hards who were knowledgeable.

Now you get dogsh!t like this.

It's people getting up in arms about sfa that makes football interviews so dull.

Please don't let this happen to cycling. Please.

Jeez, I bet you didn't let other kids play with your Lego either. What a sad, outdated, elitist attitude.

As for DDD's point, I agree with him, although I'm not surprised at Wiggins. Froome has the last laugh though (at least for moment) - last year he looked better than Wiggins, this year he proved what everyone was already thinking. The team crossing the line together shows he's not just a better rider, but a better sportsman too.

The Rookie

To counter that though I'd point out that Wiggins couldn't do that as he'd acted as lead out for Cavendish so he could get his 4th consecutive stage win on the CE......

ad_snow

Wiggins has now congratulated Froome and the team, whilst stating he 'couldn't' watch the Tour & he'd have loved to be there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/23480165

"It was a great team performance, a great individual performance and they deserved everything they got," Wiggins said of Froome's triumph.
"Chris's performance was dominant. I've said before, he's probably best climber in the world....A Tour like this year, Chris is the stronger rider."

Everyone happy?

dhope

Wiggins says well done

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23480165

ad_snow

dhope wrote:

Wiggins says well done

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23480165

Ninja'd

apreading

He obviously read this thread and saw the error of his ways...!

jonny_trousers

ad_snow wrote:

Wiggins has now congratulated Froome and the team, whilst stating he 'couldn't' watch the Tour & he'd have loved to be there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/23480165

"It was a great team performance, a great individual performance and they deserved everything they got," Wiggins said of Froome's triumph.
"Chris's performance was dominant. I've said before, he's probably best climber in the world....A Tour like this year, Chris is the stronger rider."

Everyone happy?

Wow! First DDD single handedly rids Bike Radar of soft porn and now he gets Wiggo to offer his public congratulations. Lets get this man to Syria smartish