Brits take on TdF

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  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,700
    Brilliant, it's happening. :D
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Yeah, but they'll need some decent early season results and some good signings to get even a sniff of a wildcard place for the 2010 TdF (like Garmin nee Slipstream last year). Hope it happens, not sure it will.
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
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  • Christophe3967
    Christophe3967 Posts: 1,200
    Over on the Road forum there's a fair amount of cynicism about this, but I can't think of anyone better than Brailsford (who's pictured at Hyde Park Corner with loads of commuters in the background) to make a go of this. It would be good to get Cavendish on board but I don't think he'll be available. Sadly I guess this means we'll need Sky to see any cycling action from now on.
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  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    In order to prepare to take on the world's cycling elite over Europe's highest mountain passes, I can't think of a better base than Manchester.
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    The roadies are based in Italy though aren't they? The Academy at least. And there'll be a fair few international names in there too. Shame they can't get Cav on board. How about Wiggins? How long's he tied to Garmin for?

    TV should be fine for the next few years. ITV signed up last year for rights until, I think, 2013.

    As for the cynicysm, it sounds ambitious at least... but I bet people would have said the same about the track team if they'd announced a few years ago what they were aiming to achieve in 2008.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,700
    Cav and Wiggins are both on 2 year contracts. I believe Cav is available at the start of 2010, but unless the team's already started to show results, he'd be stupid to leave Columbia. Wiggins is free for 2011. Millar will obviously never ride for the team, he owns Slipstream along with Vaughters.
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    Always Tyred wrote:
    In order to prepare to take on the world's cycling elite over Europe's highest mountain passes, I can't think of a better base than Manchester.

    yeah, a track for speed work and trials, loads of admin, nutrition, technological and training experts at their fingertips, right next to the airport to get to races all over the world - yeah really poor location... :roll:
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    JonGinge wrote:
    Yeah, but they'll need some decent early season results and some good signings to get even a sniff of a wildcard place for the 2010 TdF (like Garmin nee Slipstream last year). Hope it happens, not sure it will.

    The reception the 2007 Tour received in London and through Kent may help.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    whyamihere wrote:
    Cav and Wiggins are both on 2 year contracts. I believe Cav is available at the start of 2010, but unless the team's already started to show results, he'd be stupid to leave Columbia. Wiggins is free for 2011. Millar will obviously never ride for the team, he owns Slipstream along with Vaughters.

    And he's a drug cheat.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,700
    Well, yes, he was. He's clean now though.
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    whyamihere wrote:
    Well, yes, he was. He's clean now though.
    Which is why he is now slow.
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    edhornby wrote:
    Always Tyred wrote:
    In order to prepare to take on the world's cycling elite over Europe's highest mountain passes, I can't think of a better base than Manchester.

    yeah, a track for speed work and trials, loads of admin, nutrition, technological and training experts at their fingertips, right next to the airport to get to races all over the world - yeah really poor location... :roll:
    I can think of better places. Somewhere close to some mountains for example. And not in the second largest connurbation in the most densely populated country in Europe. With a shite climate.

    I mean, look at the struggle Man City are having attracting world class talent to Manchester. If CSC moved to Manchester, it would probably be okay, they'd be more like United. But the British cycling team is City, isn't it?
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Always Tyred wrote:
    whyamihere wrote:
    Well, yes, he was. He's clean now though.
    Which is why he is now slow.
    Well, he was a fraction of a second behind Kirchen* in the Cholet ITT in the TdF and second only to Leipheimer in the ToC 2008 Solvang ITT. So, yeah, he's slow.

    * discounting the CERA'd up Schumacher
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    cjcp wrote:
    JonGinge wrote:
    Yeah, but they'll need some decent early season results and some good signings to get even a sniff of a wildcard place for the 2010 TdF (like Garmin nee Slipstream last year). Hope it happens, not sure it will.

    The reception the 2007 Tour received in London and through Kent may help.
    Point taken.
    Aren't they trying to get London the grand depart again in 2011 or 2012?
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited February 2009
    You know I still don't understand how racing works...

    But I like watching the bikes go fast, always have, always will.

    Do you reckon I could get into Team Sky... :oops: That would be beyond cool!!! Wouldn't want to live in Manchester though... urgh! :wink:
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    JonGinge wrote:
    Always Tyred wrote:
    whyamihere wrote:
    Well, yes, he was. He's clean now though.
    Which is why he is now slow.
    Well, he was a fraction of a second behind Kirchen* in the Cholet ITT in the TdF and second only to Leipheimer in the ToC 2008 Solvang ITT. So, yeah, he's slow.

    * discounting the CERA'd up Schumacher
    Okay, so he's a pro rider, he's not slow. If he's slow, I cycle at the speed of continental drift.

    But he's a hell of a lot slower than when he had a couple of vials of EPO that he claimed made no difference in his winning the world TT that he would have won anyway, etc. I even think he's a bit slower than when he solo'd to TdF and Vuelta stage wins when he wasn't taking the EPO that only had a placebo effect.

    He's also a really, really annoying whinging twit, and his criticisms of other dopers and his constant evangelical lamentations about the state of the sport are horribly out of place, given that if he hadn't been caught he'd still be doing it.

    He's not a sportsman I have a lot of time for.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited February 2009
    Do you reckon I could get into Team Sky...

    I'm going to ride extra fast on my commute so that hopefully someone notices my talent!!! :P
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    Don't think London will get the grand depart again soon but they're hoping to bring Le Tour across for a couple of stages. There's a requirement to have a full-scale "try out" the Olympic road race course before the Games in 2012, a perfect excuse to get the Tour back.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    JonGinge wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    JonGinge wrote:
    Yeah, but they'll need some decent early season results and some good signings to get even a sniff of a wildcard place for the 2010 TdF (like Garmin nee Slipstream last year). Hope it happens, not sure it will.

    The reception the 2007 Tour received in London and through Kent may help.
    Point taken.
    Aren't they trying to get London the grand depart again in 2011 or 2012?

    Yeah, but isn't there a rule which says that the Grand Depart can only be held outside France twice in five years or something.

    It would be great. It shakes things up a bit. There's some talent coming through too. Dan Lloyd, Ben Swift? Wonder if Froome would switch too.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."

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