Tour de France 2013

Oops...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/jun/27/alberto-contador-tour-de-france-video

In his defence he didn't quite say that he can beat Froome, he said if he didn't think that could beat Froome than he wouldn't have the motivation to be at the TdF.

If Froome had been given the leadership of the team in mid Tpur last year as Cound demanded, and if he had then gone on to win, it would have been very damaging to the whole promotion of cycling in this country. It would have been like Rudzetsky being the first "Brit" to win Wimbledon or Zola Budd winning an Olympic Gold. Only that Froome has less charisma.

So instead the country went ape for the Australian/Englishman that was born in Ghent?

will Wiggo be riding the Vuelta?

#after-TdF-blackhole

Lets hope so.

No, ToP, ToB, Worlds for him

Ill be at the robin hood in at hebden bridge for the first UK stage next year, should be a really good spot and its really close to lumb falls for a quick swim afterwards.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview#!q=Robin+Hood+Inn%2C+Hebden+Bridge&data=!1m4!1m3!1d16387!2d-2.0090499!3d53.7617772!4m10!1m9!4m8!1m3!1d7453!2d-1.9919539!3d53.7109213!3m2!1i1242!2i606!4f13.1

Chucky is lucky Porte didn't try and stab him in the back a la 2012, maybe now he's done it he'll realise how shit it was for him to do the grandstanding last year on Wiggo with all the unnecessary media pressure and speculation it brought down on the team.

Regardless, I don't see Wiggo riding for Sky much longer unless some concessions are made to assuage egos-Froome's already said he doesn't see them riding on the same team which is a big statement to make and very limiting for DB.

Hope Wiggo comes out and tears through the field at the Tour of Poland like a prawn vindaloo and ten pints of stella.

If Froome had been given the leadership of the team in mid Tpur last year as Cound demanded, and if he had then gone on to win, it would have been very damaging to the whole promotion of cycling in this country. It would have been like Rudzetsky being the first "Brit" to win Wimbledon or Zola Budd winning an Olympic Gold. Only that Froome has less charisma.

Yep we discussed this last year; he was the "end to end" product of the BC junior talent search, Academy, Olympic Development Squad, podium program and the whole Team Sky project

That win (plus the other Olympic medals) justified those and pretty much BC cycling funding for ever and ever.

Ill be at the robin hood in at hebden bridge for the first UK stage next year, should be a really good spot and its really close to lumb falls for a quick swim afterwards.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview#!q=Robin+Hood+Inn%2C+Hebden+Bridge&data=!1m4!1m3!1d16387!2d-2.0090499!3d53.7617772!4m10!1m9!4m8!1m3!1d7453!2d-1.9919539!3d53.7109213!3m2!1i1242!2i606!4f13.1

It's in Cragg Vale, and you could see it in the recent episode of the Cycle Show when they went up Cragg Vale and Holme Moss.

Ahh ok, a mate of mine from Hebden told me it was going past the robin hood inn. Either way I will base myself at Hebden Bridge for the day, lovely little town with good ales.

Chucky is lucky Porte didn't try and stab him in the back a la 2012

That would have been difficult for Porte, given Froome was demonstrably the stronger rider.

That would have been difficult for Porte, given Froome was demonstrably the stronger rider.

Except when he cracked and sent Porte off to get him some illegal gel.

I didn't see any backstabbing in 2012, give it up and move on pls, finally

So you don't think it's a disruptive thing to have to field questions about your domestique dropping you and being visibly frustrated when you're 3/4 of the way through an historic TdF victory as designated team leader?

It's been picked over for the last year exactly because it happened and it's still a current issue because there's a clear rift in the team.

I think the fiancé should have shut up but Froome is a gentleman. He never dropped Wiggins unallowed as far as I can remember. Unfair to blame it all on him.

Wiggins wouldn't have won without Froome.

Froome wouldn't have won without Porte.

Probably.

I still want to see one of them on a different team next year and head to head in TdF2014. But it'll be two years since Wiggo won (and peaked?) then, so not sure we'll see that Wiggins again.

^^This. Just because his Fiance / PR / Manager / Number One Fan / Social Network Mouthpiece saw fit to inflame things in a less than gracious manner that doesn't reflect Froome's actions. He actually didn't leave Wiggo, no attack on the jersey was made and Wiggins was very able to play out the latter stages as he'd planned / hoped to, grinning over the last but two stage line behind a visibly knackered Froome. All was well and if it weren't for the focus of social media we'd have left this in the dust twelve months ago.

Well Wiggo won it anyways. The real backstabbing was more Froome maneuvering himself into the number one riding spot and by dint of that managing to exclude Wiggins from the starting line up. Even a sub par Wiggins should have started this Tour IMO.

But Froome certainly has my admiration for his win. Ugly riding style aside, he won with plenty of panache, crushing his rivals when the legs were good, limiting losses when he was having a bad day. He did look vulnerable at times, but at the end I think his ride and that of most of the peloton was believable, which is a relief.

It would be great to see them on opposing teams next year. It all depends on whether Wiggins has it in him mentally I guess.

Wiggins has said he doesn't want to do it again, hasn't he? This year he missed a block of training to be with his family and it showed in the Giro. Not blaming him, but you wonder if he has the hunger to apply himself to that level again. Froome on the other hand has Cound at home, so no wonder he enjoys sleeping on volcanoes with his teammates.

I thank you

^^ this! too many good riders/GC contenders in one team... also for Quintana - Valverde

So when Uran-a rider who is leaving Sky and has nothing to lose-comes out during the Giro and when asked about loyalty states he's ''not like Froome'' what do you think he meant?

I can understand Froome being the favoured rider-he's far stronger in the hills when it counts-but Wiggo's still been put in a shitty position by his and the Cound's machinations.

In other news - am I right in thinking that there was a little cross team assistance going on between Sky and Cav in the last few laps yesterday? Lot of chat on the road and that punchy (pre celebration) break catch was Sky led. I imagine Cav is well liked by the Sky lads still.