[adker]

I want to see some "Take back our Race" grand gesture from the riders, for the riders and the spectators, perhaps a sit down in the middle of a stage, some gesture of solidarity, something that says we are no longer racing against the times of the past, we are racing against each other and more importantly something that inspires the riders to race their guts out against each other to return the grandeur of the race. Perhaps they all take off their headsets and chuck them in the grass, block the team cars on the road, and just go it alone man against man. The sport needs something special and it has to come from the riders.

[Strategy]

So far, the most entertaining aspect of the Tour is the regular tantrum being thrown by Chris Froome and Wiggins vs each other about who will be Captain. If we are going to see another year with total Sky domination (hopefully not), I want to see that blow up all over the road.

[Burkni]

#schadenfreude

[The Rake]

Strategy, on 01 May 2013 - 03:42 PM, said:

So far, the most entertaining aspect of the Tour is the regular tantrum being thrown by Chris Froome and Wiggins vs each other about who will be Captain. If we are going to see another year with total Sky domination (hopefully not), I want to see that blow up all over the road.

Gearing Thomas interviewed on radio (can you believe BBC radio 5 now has monthly cycle show) and he reckons this is Sky kidology. They already know who is leader.

Michelle Cound may think otherwise...

[VdB]

The Rake, on 01 May 2013 - 09:09 PM, said:

Gearing Thomas interviewed on radio (can you believe BBC radio 5 now has monthly cycle show) and he reckons this is Sky kidology. They already know who is leader.

Michelle Cound may think otherwise...

Do you mean Froome? Not being facetious, I really wonder who the leader is if they already decided on it!

I would go with Froome myself tbh.

[Strategy]

I'm not at all convinced that Wiggins is the type of personality who will accept being demoted, if he is selected for the Tour. Which is only natural - winning the Tour isn't something you will usually manage if you're the type of person who is happy to take second place to anyone else (Andy Schleck, please take note... )

And Geraint's comments don't really fit very well with what we saw happening last year, where it was obvious that being "professional" wasn't always easy.

This post has been edited by Strategy: 02 May 2013 - 02:45 PM

[Burkni]

If Sky are right in the head, Froome will be their undisputed leader. The big question is whether Wiggo really is riding the Giro to win.

[N.B.O.L.]

I'm surprised at this controversy. I thought it was Wiggins who said last year, that this year he was going for the Giro and Froome would be the man in the Tour.

[bontempi]

Wiggins is coming across as a bit of a "big head" by talking up his chances of being the leader at the Tour as if he's already won the Giro. If he does win the Giro then it will make things difficult for Sky. Don't forget that Froome had his chance in the Vuelta and came up short. But anyway, I think Wiggins should focus on the task in hand and then see how the cards fall after the Giro.

[N.B.O.L.]

 bontempi, on 03 May 2013 - 03:29 PM, said:

Wiggins is coming across as a bit of a "big head" by talking up his chances of being the leader at the Tour as if he's already won the Giro. If he does win the Giro then it will make things difficult for Sky. Don't forget that Froome had his chance in the Vuelta and came up short. But anyway, I think Wiggins should focus on the task in hand and then see how the cards fall after the Giro.

Froome had his chance in the Vuelta after working his ass off for Wiggo all season long. It wasn't like they tuned him for that race.

[bontempi]

N.B.O.L., on 04 May 2013 - 01:27 AM, said:

Froome had his chance in the Vuelta after working his ass off for Wiggo all season long. It wasn't like they tuned him for that race.

Fair point. I just felt that if Wiggins does win the Giro, Sky would be overlooking the defending champion and a guy who has won the last two GTs he entered in favour of someone who has not won a GT, despite having an, admittedly dubious, opportunity. Personally I think they should go with Froome and it seems the Sky camp are now saying Froome will definately be the leader, so this may all be a moot point. But Sky may have trouble selling that decision to the British public.

[Strategy]

And Boom! With Wiggin's retiral from the Tour, the scene is set for the conflict during the Tour. I expect Team Sky's claims that there is no conflict to become more and more comical as we get closer to the Tour.

[Burkni]

 Strategy, on 17 May 2013 - 09:01 PM, said:

And Boom! With Wiggin's retiral from the Tour, the scene is set for the conflict during the Tour. I expect Team Sky's claims that there is no conflict to become more and more comical as we get closer to the Tour.

They will.

[Mark]

Regardless of whomever Sky says will be the leader, I really want Froome to drop Wiggins at the latter's first sign of weakness in the mountains. Stamp that authority and leave no doubt.

[VdB]

I'm pretty sure he will now. There is absolutely no reason for him to still lay down to Wiggins' or Sky's demands anymore if he proves to be stronger. It may cause problems for them both though - they will want to be strong early in the Tour so they can distance/hang on to the other on the first real mountain stage and prove team leadership is a done deal/still up for grabs. That SHOULD make them a little more vulnerable for the other pretenders.

On a sidenote, Boonen will likely ride the Tour after his lost spring. It would be pretty kickass to see him tandem up with Steegmans (who has been showing glimpse of his old glory) and form a super deluxe sprint train for Cav at the Tour.

Martin, Steegmans, Boonen, Trentin, Meersman, Chavanel, Van Keirsbulck? That's a team that could possibly rival his old HTC-High Road train (if they can get their act together).