2014 Pro-cycling season thread

One more issue I have with Sky, and this is an ongoing gripe, is it is supposed to be a quasi-national trade team, nurturing British riders. Last Giro the only British rider was Wiggins, this Giro there was only one, Swift. This TdF looks like its just Thomas and Froome, and I think there was only 3 last year. I may be wrong but I don't think they sent any British riders to the Vuelta last year.

I think the Yates brother's made the right shout going to OGE. They are similarly set up, but do seem to make sure plenty of Australians get to race.

Not that the Yates' are Aussies of course.

it is supposed to be a marketing strategy in 21 CF's major markets.

ftfy

And Froome isn't really a Brit. So that's one British rider.

Sky has lost it's sense of purpose that's for sure.

"To win the Giro d'Italia Femminile with a British rider within five years."

^ This should happen.

Porte hasn't achieved anything that Wiggins hasn't. He's a weaker TT'r and has cracked in the mountains plenty of times. The only plus he's got over Wiggins, again imo, is a being a few years younger.
Yeah I'd take Wiggins and Porte. And if it came to it. Have Porte ride for Wiggins.

You lot seem to be missing the fact that Porte has never been a protected rider. He's a superdom ffs. Obviously he'd smash the two drama queens out of the park if he was allowed to...

Also, remember last year's Tour where Porte rode so hard one day after his work was done, to cement his own place on GC, that he blew up the next day leaving Froome isolated? Sky were incredibly fortunate to get away with that, thanks mainly to Movistar's idiotic tactics.

Rubbish. Movistar attacked stupidly early forcing Sky to use up their riders. Why do you think Kiryenka was eliminated? Porte was lucky to bust a gut for stick bandit and still have anything left for further stages.

Wiggins pays Scott Mitchell to "accidentally" get his camera strap caught in Froome's wheel at the Dauphine, resulting in predictable collarbone breakage. Wiggins takes leadership, making "Cup of tea?" gesture as he wins Yorkshire stage, thus endearing himself to millions of indifferent Brits. Leads out Cav to victory on the Champs Elysees. Moves to OPQ. Gets full chest piece of St. George slaying the dragon with his face on St. George and Froome's face on the dragon. Becomes Prime Minister.

<<< moist.

waits for hippy to make joke about not winning anything in Ghent...

Pub drinky drunky something something.

You can always rely on hippy to bring balance to the debate

You can always rely on hippy to [strike]bring balance[/strike] weigh in on the debate

.

Even David Millar has been trolling his sister with "So how's you Friday going?" comments on Twitter

Millar gives very good value on Twitter.

Fran Millar ‏@franmillar 6h

@millarmind you're a d*ck.

Hah.

Oh Oleg

https://twitter.com/olegtinkov/statuses/474836741862723584

kind of lol

Hahaha.

Starting to like him, ever since that full-kit wanker episode after the Stelvio

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/07/chris-froome-interview

typical characterless and unrevealing interview from the bug man

tsss, to give such dull answers to those brilliant, thought provoking questions...

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
A woolly mammoth. I have always thought they are really cool.

wut?

Robert Millar article is worth a read: http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/robert-millar/robert-millar-blog-man-down

Think he gets it absolutely spot on. Sky haven't done themselves or Froome any favours at all by shitting on Wiggins. People who normally would be shouting for them now want Froome to lose.

"I'm genuinely surprised that the announcement has been made so early because now there's a whole month to mull over who said what, when, where and why. Maybe that's Dave Brailsford's plan; get it out the way, so that when the Tour starts it's old news. A whole month of speculation and analysis of Team Sky's politics and relationships. Fantastic. Stand back and watch the fireworks.".

But Sky, and Brailsford, didn't announc it, Wiggins did in two interviews. William Fotheringham in the Guardian had some thoughts about why.

Sky were pretty generous about letting Cav leave to another team before his contract is up. Maybe Wiggo has realised that despite putting his tail between his legs and trying to play ball with the new team regime he's not going to get a berth anyway so is trying to engineer an exit to another team in time for the tour?

If OGE didn't jump at him I'm wondering with Phinney out badly injured and Evans already done the Giro if they'd take him on for extra support for Van Garderen or to act as an alternate? Seems like Sky have already been running down the clock on him and Robert Millar makes a good argument about him being marginalised so they'd be better letting him go early than stoke more ire from the native cycle fans.

It's not possible to change teams mid season unless you bend the rules.

Edit: Millar nails it. Wiggins is a legend, Froome is a cunt.

"In terms of character it's the politician versus the rock star."

Preach.