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@Jimmy_Fingers
There were theories that it was a parting gift from Pat to Cookson, but seems unlikely given his agent. So counter theories it was a way to get at Pat.
The usual suspects are using it as a way to throw mud at Sky, but really the opposite is true. He did attend a training camp with Sky in Tenerife in April 2012, but he was already winning by then. And his winning was already a subject of innuendo. What it does do is make their recruitment look questionable, hoodwinked by a rider who looks to have been doping heavily, given the contrast in the two years.
He had what, three years out due to glandular fever? Getting into his late twenties, limited time left to build his career and earn a fat contract. Break out year, fat contract at the end of it and suddenly the racehorse is a donkey, Sky realise they have a dud. I wonder if Walsh was fed the story, given he was embedded at the time. His sister, who a friend knows, certainly thinks it was a ploy by Sky to sack him, but the numbers don't lie. The BP isn't perfect ( given Horner released his data and experts have said it's suspect) but at the same time JTLs fluctuations must have been glaring.
Sad but you sort of saw it coming a way off.