Wiggone!!

eh

Millar came up through the British junior road racing scene, and spent time here as his mum still lived here. He rode on a UK based team (Team Energy) and was supported by the Dave Rayner fund.

Froome is the worst kind of international sports star IMO. Shifts country when it suits to get the best facilities, despite never having been based there, and then swans off to a tax haven. And people complain about bankers and footballers :roll:

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eh wrote:

Millar came up through the British junior road racing scene, and spent time here as his mum still lived here. He rode on a UK based team (Team Energy) and was supported by the Dave Rayner fund.

Froome is the worst kind of international sports star IMO. Shifts country when it suits to get the best facilities, despite never having been based there, and then swans off to a tax haven. And people complain about bankers and footballers :roll:

As much as Froome gets paid (€1m? €2m?) its nothing on the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Rooney, Neymar etc. About a months salary to them.

pinno

meagain wrote:

As Pross says "...... million a year.

Personally I avoid Sky as far as possible - its the most successful far right propaganda machine ever - if Goebbels had had 10% of the control of mass opinion as does Sky then we'd all be writing in German!

I thought I was alone in this view :shock:

meagain

pinarello001 wrote:

meagain wrote:

As Pross says "...... million a year.

Personally I avoid Sky as far as possible - its the most successful far right propaganda machine ever - if Goebbels had had 10% of the control of mass opinion as does Sky then we'd all be writing in German!

I thought I was alone in this view :shock:

Indeed not! There's 4 here - herself and the 2 kids. So that makes 5 of us. And I'm pretty sure that Alan Bennett is with us!

The_Boy

Are we really doing the "he's not British" thing? Again?

pinno

meagain wrote:

pinarello001 wrote:

meagain wrote:

As Pross says "...... million a year.

Personally I avoid Sky as far as possible - its the most successful far right propaganda machine ever - if Goebbels had had 10% of the control of mass opinion as does Sky then we'd all be writing in German!

I thought I was alone in this view :shock:

Indeed not! There's 4 here - herself and the 2 kids. So that makes 5 of us. And I'm pretty sure that Alan Bennett is with us!

6 - John Pilger

DeVlaeminck

FJS wrote:

Sad some people still can't really deal with that. For me it makes them a bit more interesting; kids from Kilburn don't win the Tour de France; kids from Nairobi certainly don't

It isn't that people "can't deal with that". It's that some people think that having lived in Britain at some point in your life is at least one component of Britishness. That doesn't imply a fear or dislike of people that haven't or some affinity for the BNP.

I have a Scottish parent but have never lived there and I wouldn't consider it an insult to not be considered as Scottish as someone who had grown up there. If you accept that there is such a thing as nationality then surely residence is more important than ancestry. If anything that is a less right wing view as it accepts people of any colour as having an equal right to call themselves a particular nationality if they've had the shared experience of living in that country through their formative years. It's really rather sad that Macaloon brought up Nick Griffin in this - you may as well say the citizenship by blood view makes you a Nazi.

vinnymarsden

Well said DeVlaminck!!

My sentiments exactly…I NEVER ever mentioned Nick Griffin , the BNP or any such boll ocks did I…I simply said..and stand by it…….that he is not a REAL Brit….i have Irish descendants, that simply doesn't make me Irish does it..I'm a Yorkshireman, , I was born/lived here forever..hence I think I qualify as a Brit, in the sense I was suggesting…PLEASE let's not make it a political debate…I'm not Racist, I simply don't believe in hanging your hat on a convenient door that's all...

iainf72

I consider myself a Brit. Wasn't born here, but both my parents were.

I have never felt any affinity for the country I grew up in and was always treated as an outsider growing up. But it works differently for other people. It's one of those things that I don't think there is one size fits all

Anyway, on Froome, I bet if he was still riding on a Kenyan licence people would be saying he's not a "real" Kenyan.

The_Boy

iainf72 wrote:

It's one of those things that I don't think there is one size fits all

No, Iain. National identity is an entirely black and white issue, and nothing at all to do with the experiences, circumstances and emotions of the individual involved.

RichN95.

iainf72 wrote:

Anyway, on Froome, I bet if he was still riding on a Kenyan licence people would be saying he's not a "real" Kenyan.

Julius Mwangi seemed to be of that opinion until he got good.

Some people have two nationalities. What's the problem?

I myself am English or Welsh, depending on the circumstances (English for football, Welsh for rugby). Earlier this week my dad couldn't quite get his head around the idea that I'm supporting Wales at the Commonwealths (hockey he understands as I know some them, but otherwise it's "but you didn't live in Wales until you were 23" - but I have for the last 19 and have a Welsh mother).

gattocattivo

iainf72 wrote:

Anyway, on Froome, I bet if he was still riding on a Kenyan licence people would be saying he's not a "real" Kenyan.

Yes, but a different type of person from the ones saying he's not really British.

mike6

Take it to its logical/illogical conclusion. He is more British because he had the coice and he "Chose" to be British. Most of us our nationality is purely an accident of birth.

alanholden

Noticed his name had been rubbed out from the team bus at the tour of Poland not quite sure what this implies but thought it may be of interest

RichN95.

alanholden wrote:

Noticed his name had been rubbed out from the team bus at the tour of Poland not quite sure what this implies but thought it may be of interest

It just looks like some has done a botched job with the paint remover when scrubbing Tiernan-Locke off.

No_Ta_Doctor

Nationality is a funny one. In a few years I'll have lived in Denmark for half my life. I don't really consider myself particularly English or British, but do consider myself a Londoner, even though I've already lived in Copenhagen longer than I lived in London. My three kids are all eligible for dual nationality, but consider themselves more Danish than British. I support Denmark over England in the football. But I support an English club team. I've never sought Danish nationality and don't consider myself Danish. And my case is fairly simple in comparison . Denmark isn't a former British colony and doesn't have a community of post empire Brits left over from colonial rule.

Sorry, I said it was funny. I meant pointless.

rick_chasey

Ah I miss the times on this forum where Brit success was so weak that it was all about liking cycling and not some tribal sport.

No_Ta_Doctor

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ah I miss the times on this forum where Brit success was so weak that it was all about liking cycling and not some tribal sport.

Before my time, but with you on it anyway.

mike6

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ah I miss the times on this forum where Brit success was so weak that it was all about liking cycling and not some tribal sport.

Quite.

The Americans never have a problem with nationality. If you want to be American and compete for them, you are accepted. There stance seems to be "Who wouldnt want to be American".

If you look at some of the Kenyans, who were not quite good enough to get a regular slot in there national distance running squad, and now compete for other nations. Now that is not the same thing, they had no connection with there new country they merely moved to compete for a sportingly weaker nation and be guaranteed a place in the team.

Froome didnt have to apply to be British he had a British passport, ergo he is British.

philwint

For me nationality is a bit of a redundant thing. These days most of us can up sticks and go where we want. I see myself as more European than English, and more Human than European.

Whether Froome is English, British, Kenyan or Malaysian is of completely no concern to me. He's a bloody good cyclist, and I enjoy watching him race (amongst many other excellent cyclists) and that's the end of it.

pinno

That's the thing with cycling. it must be (unless you are the Tifosi), the most non-partisan sport. The British media certainly pushed the Wiggo is British bandwagon but L'Equipe talked little of his nationality and more of his ability (for example).

If I said that my favourite cyclists were Roche to Museeuw to Friere to Gilbert to Voigt, no one gives a damn that they aren't British.
I was born in Kenya, lived in England and Scotland, one parent is Welsh, one English and a grandparent from Eire and people think it's odd when I say that I am 'European' and a Europhile. If they think that it's odd, does that speak of the insularity of some of the inhabitants of this insular island?

salsiccia1

pinarello001 wrote:

That's the thing with cycling. it must be (unless you are the Tifosi), the most non-partisan sport. The British media certainly pushed the Wiggo is British bandwagon but L'Equipe talked little of his nationality and more of his ability (for example).

If I said that my favourite cyclists were Roche to Museeuw to Friere to Gilbert to Voigt, no one gives a damn that they aren't British.
I was born in Kenya, lived in England and Scotland, one parent is Welsh, one English and a grandparent from Eire and people think it's odd when I say that I am 'European' and a Europhile. If they think that it's odd, does that speak of the insularity of some of the inhabitants of this insular island?

Well said on all points.

tailwindhome

pinarello001 wrote:

I was born in Kenya, lived in England and Scotland, one parent is Welsh, one English and a grandparent from Eire

So...you're Irish then?

mike6

Mexican I would have said, surely?

pinno

mike6 wrote:

Mexican I would have said, surely?

Yeah, a Mexican. That's what I am. I didn't know who me was until this day. I feel liberated, freed. I have broken the chains of not knowing who me is. Mexican...wow...Mexican, what an epiphany.

Thank you, thank you thank you

I'm off to Google everything about Mexico.

Raul Alcala, Banditos, Taco's, Tequila...

I don't know why but this springs to mind:

RoadPainter

I think everyone knows in their heart which nationality they are. This can change over time based on your experiences. Unfortunately this feeling can't be used in rules, so eligibility criteria are made up. Some abuse this to earn more money / get more support. In the same situation, many would do the same.

bigmat

Back to Wiggo, he's riding London Surrey on Sunday apparently so not quite "done with the road".

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Wiggo is riding Sunday:

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290, ... 22,00.html

tailwindhome

UK Cycling Expert ‏@ukcyclingexpert · 3h
Brilliant news that Sir Bradley Wiggins is doing the London sportive! Perfect for him now that he doesn't like competitive cycling!

oldbazza

TailWindHome wrote:

UK Cycling Expert ‏@ukcyclingexpert · 3h
Brilliant news that Sir Bradley Wiggins is doing the London sportive! Perfect for him now that he doesn't like competitive cycling!

How long will he last if the weather turns bad? :roll: