What’s next for Team Sky?

ajkerr73
ajkerr73 Posts: 318
edited August 2018 in Pro race
Either next year or the year after, Froome and Thomas may well be done.

Too early for Bernal?

With Sky’s early target being to produce a Brit tour winner, why doesn’t Dave B lay down a new target?

Produce a French Tour winner........
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Comments

  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,815
    Sign Tom D and maintain stranglehold over the Tour for the foreseeable future?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Ajkerr73 wrote:
    Either next year or the year after, Froome and Thomas may well be done.

    Too early for Bernal?

    With Sky’s early target being to produce a Brit tour winner, why doesn’t Dave B lay down a new target?

    Produce a French Tour winner........

    Portal... done that already
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Ajkerr73 wrote:
    Either next year or the year after, Froome and Thomas may well be done.

    Too early for Bernal?

    With Sky’s early target being to produce a Brit tour winner, why doesn’t Dave B lay down a new target?

    Produce a French Tour winner........

    He’s good but not that good!
  • onyourright
    onyourright Posts: 509
    After this year’s shambles, Brailsford may have gone off the notion of hiring a French GC guy, although I’d still like to see him doing that.

    Despite his recent setbacks, I see Brailsford as the most significant thinker in cycling today. Trying to win the Tour every year in more or less the same way doesn’t seem an appropriate goal for him, but I’m not sure what he should do instead. He could probably do a better job than most of fixing the structural problems of pro cycling, but he would meet fierce resistance from the old guard if he tried.

    One way or another, maybe it’s time for Sky to find a new boss. Someone to tackle the classics, perhaps? A serious women’s team? Some sort of attempt at reigniting cycling in the US?
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Gee to have a proper crack at RVV & P-R
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  • G Hincapie
    G Hincapie Posts: 78
    MrB123 wrote:
    Sign Tom D and maintain stranglehold over the Tour for the foreseeable future?

    Good call IMHO. Whether that would work contractually and is something Tom would want is another matter of course. How long does he have left on his current contract?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    They have a bit of a dilemma next year now. I can see Froome being desperate to get his 5th Tour but there’ll be pressure for them to ‘honour the Tour’ and field the reigning champion with him having a real crack. Likewise, the Giro organisers will presumably expect Froome to defend his title. Any chance they can reasonably swap?
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    Pross wrote:
    They have a bit of a dilemma next year now. I can see Froome being desperate to get his 5th Tour but there’ll be pressure for them to ‘honour the Tour’ and field the reigning champion with him having a real crack. Likewise, the Giro organisers will presumably expect Froome to defend his title. Any chance they can reasonably swap?

    The Tour is always going to have a more favourable parcours for Thomas, plus the possibility of exploiting top ten GC rider as domestiques...

    I can see Froome skipping the Tour as being too much grief and targeting the Giro and Vuelta, though 5 Tours has to be hugely tempting as a goal, even if just to píss on Hinault's frites.
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  • onyourright
    onyourright Posts: 509
    I think Froome wants six Tours, not five. I can’t see him doing anything other than focusing on that until he gets it or retires.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Agreed, Froome (and Sky) are not going to let joining the 5 TdF victories club go easy...and nor should he.

    Got to be honest, I kinda hope he does it too.
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  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    I reckon G and Froome will be joint leaders in the Tour next year. If that happens no way will Froome ride the Giro again, he's ticked that box and it'll be all in for the record equalling fifth Tour. Bernal might be offered a leadership or joint leadership at one of the other two grand tours with a view to him going for the 2020 Tour if he continues to progress.

    I actually doubt Froome will win another Tour - Dumoulin has looked stronger than him in both grand tours this year - give him the same team as Froome and he beats Froome comfortably in both.
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    ^Which is why I reckon Froome will want to use that team to given him a full on shot at winning a 5th.

    However, SDBs famed lack of romance may now be working against him on that front...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    I would argue that Froome was stronger than Dumoulin in the Giro due to winning it, in some style.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,651
    I guess the most likely scenario for Froome here is that he takes a rest (4 GTs in a row, 3 wins and a podium, is a f@cking heavy race schedule) and goes all in for just the Tour next year. He's been on top of GT racing up to now to the extent that he could rock up a little tired and still win, but that ship has sailed now. I've no doubt that nobody outside Sky can challenge him head to head on a Tour that's his only target. Dumoulin is closest and Roglic and one of the Yates's could step up, but he'd still have the Sky machine at his disposal, and that isn't showing any signs of weakening.

    I've no idea where that leaves Thomas, but I don't think they'll want to go to the Tour with two leaders again - that was just because Thomas had been prepped in case Froome couldn't ride or was completely bonked from the Giro. Brailsford is looking to Bernal long term, Thomas is pretty much the same age as Froome, I don't think there's a real shift in top-dog yet.
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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,314
    For Froome, there is only one target left to get. That is clear.
    For Thomas, it is less clear but a holder no-show doesn't sit right, but neither does a genuine double leader.
    Sky have conundrum which will be pragmatically solved by the strongest rider 11 months from now.
    Bernal in 2-3 years, with assumed progression.
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  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    Thomas to target the Giro and support froome in the tour.
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  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Maybe Thomas > Giro, Froome > Tour, Bernal > Vuelta next year?
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,436
    Pross wrote:
    They have a bit of a dilemma next year now. I can see Froome being desperate to get his 5th Tour but there’ll be pressure for them to ‘honour the Tour’ and field the reigning champion with him having a real crack. Likewise, the Giro organisers will presumably expect Froome to defend his title. Any chance they can reasonably swap?

    Sky didn't care about fielding the reigning champ in 2013 with Wiggins and don't think anything much has changed in their methods
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    I would argue that Froome was stronger than Dumoulin in the Giro due to winning it, in some style.

    But with equal teams he wouldn't have - Team Sky allowed him to limit his losses on bad days and maximise his gains on the good - plus of course Sunweb's tactical mistake in not telling Dumoulin just to TT after Froome.
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  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485
    Whatever they do, we should at least believe them if they announce joint team leaders, based on this years race!
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  • hypster
    hypster Posts: 1,229
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I reckon G and Froome will be joint leaders in the Tour next year. If that happens no way will Froome ride the Giro again, he's ticked that box and it'll be all in for the record equalling fifth Tour. Bernal might be offered a leadership or joint leadership at one of the other two grand tours with a view to him going for the 2020 Tour if he continues to progress.

    I actually doubt Froome will win another Tour - Dumoulin has looked stronger than him in both grand tours this year - give him the same team as Froome and he beats Froome comfortably in both.

    Agree with your first assertion but have to take issue with the second. Froome had come to the Giro on the back of winning the Tour and the Vuelta. He may have looked a bit below par at times but Dumoulin was equally lacklustre in my opinion, especially considering he was the defending champion. Then stage 19 showed who ultmately was the strongest, which was audacious not only to conceive it, but to carry it out as well.

    Obviously three GTs on the trot took their toll and Froome as we now know was even more below par at this year's Tour (which was lucky for Thomas). Even so, he still managed to finish within seconds of Dumoulin, almost won the final time trial (no team help there) and Dumoulin was yet again less than sparkling.

    I think Dumoulin is in danger of inheriting the title of "bridesmaid never the bride" so proudly worn by Jan Ullrich and now Nairo Quintana.
  • onyourright
    onyourright Posts: 509
    hypster wrote:
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I think Dumoulin is in danger of inheriting the title of "bridesmaid never the bride" so proudly worn by Jan Ullrich and now Nairo Quintana.
    Or that other Dutchman, Joop Zoetemelk.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    I would be amazed if Froome did anything other than focus solely on the Tour next year. At the same time, I think G will be down to do both the Giro and Tour, which I doubt he will be unhappy with.

    Sky can publicly call it 'joint leadership' if they like but I think the understanding will be that Froome is the priority, with G as a back up.

    I can see Bernal getting the nod for the Vuelta in 2019 and if all goes well then one of the Giro or Tour the following year.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    I’ve suggested on here that they could win all the GTs in a year (I was suggesting Nieve and Henao st the time! ), but that year is getting nearer.
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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,548
    Milton50 wrote:
    I would be amazed if Froome did anything other than focus solely on the Tour next year. At the same time, I think G will be down to do both the Giro and Tour, which I doubt he will be unhappy with.

    Sky can publicly call it 'joint leadership' if they like but I think the understanding will be that Froome is the priority, with G as a back up.

    I can see Bernal getting the nod for the Vuelta in 2019 and if all goes well then one of the Giro or Tour the following year.

    Don't forget that the Worlds is in Yorkshire next year and a lot of British riders will be targeting that, which will have an influence on their GT choice.
  • tim000
    tim000 Posts: 718
    froome all in for the tour next year
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    OnYourRight wrote:
    hypster wrote:
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I think Dumoulin is in danger of inheriting the title of "bridesmaid never the bride" so proudly worn by Jan Ullrich and now Nairo Quintana.
    Or that other Dutchman, Joop Zoetemelk.

    He's been a bride in pink...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • hypster
    hypster Posts: 1,229
    In brown more like...
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    Pross wrote:
    They have a bit of a dilemma next year now. I can see Froome being desperate to get his 5th Tour but there’ll be pressure for them to ‘honour the Tour’ and field the reigning champion with him having a real crack. Likewise, the Giro organisers will presumably expect Froome to defend his title. Any chance they can reasonably swap?
    They didn't let Wiggins defend his title.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    mrfpb wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    They have a bit of a dilemma next year now. I can see Froome being desperate to get his 5th Tour but there’ll be pressure for them to ‘honour the Tour’ and field the reigning champion with him having a real crack. Likewise, the Giro organisers will presumably expect Froome to defend his title. Any chance they can reasonably swap?
    They didn't let Wiggins defend his title.
    I didn't think Wiggins was particularly keen on the idea?

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