Sky Tour Team

[Team Fiwip]

Well this is your team Brad and those are their placings for the season so far, stage races are overall finishing positions, those underlined are what I'd consider to be major stage races, Giro, Criterium du Dauphine, Tour de Suisse etc. What do you reckon, is this line-up good enough?

Michael Barry - 39th, 56th, 15th, 85th, 32nd, 47th, 54th, 44th, 99th, 78th, 98th, 26th, 44th,

Steve Cummings - 4th, 15th, 69th, 75th, 54th, 39th, 74th, 24th, 55th

Juan Antonio Flecha - 108th, 75th, 1st, 8th, 49th, 18th, 27th, 3rd, 110th, 34th, 134th, 3rd, 36th, 4th, 32nd

Simon Gerrans - 22nd, 15th, 84th, 64th, 56th, 12th, 37th

Edvald Boasson Hagen - 39th, 2nd, 6th, 50th, 196th, 59th, 107th

Thomas Löfkvist - 10th, 55th, 36th, 27th, 35th, 31st, 23rd, 31st, 17th, 65th, 12th

Serge Pauwels - 71st, 71st, 16th, 33rd

Geraint Thomas - 80th, 88th, 32nd, 50th, 33rd, 64th, 38th, 11th, 21st

Bradley Wiggins - 114th, 48th, 3rd, 35th, 67th, 74th, 40th

 

[Will1985]

I fail to see the relevance of all these final GC positions - each rider is different and has a different set of objectives. If Cav were on Team Sky his underlined bits would say DNF DNF etc, yet we know he'll be in the mix for stage wins and the green jersey. He'll probably finish around 130th.

Each guy will do his bit and work his balls off to ensure that Wiggins has a chance at yellow - perhaps going in a break on mountain stages to help Brad on the lower slopes at the end before finishing 20 minutes down; or perhaps another has to sit back after the peloton has split because helping the chase might give a GC rider who missed the split a chance to save time; or perhaps spend a day at the front of the pack driving it along.... they may finish 50th or 150th in Paris but if Wiggins is in yellow or on the podium they have done their jobs properly.

 

[yello]

Having not done a similar exercise with the other teams, I cannot compare. However, I wouldn't expect any of them boast a roster of winners. I suspect that's pretty much par for the coarse (to select a sporting metaphor) tbh.

I think Team Sky will have a presence, and Wiggins will give it a shot but you have to remember it's Team Sky's first crack at it. I'll be wishing them well without expectation.

 

[Stange]

I fail to see the relevance of all these final GC positions - each rider is different and has a different set of objectives. If Cav were on Team Sky his underlined bits would say DNF DNF etc, yet we know he'll be in the mix for stage wins and the green jersey. He'll probably finish around 130th.

Each guy will do his bit and work his balls off to ensure that Wiggins has a chance at yellow - perhaps going in a break on mountain stages to help Brad on the lower slopes at the end before finishing 20 minutes down; or perhaps another has to sit back after the peloton has split because helping the chase might give a GC rider who missed the split a chance to save time; or perhaps spend a day at the front of the pack driving it along.... they may finish 50th or 150th in Paris but if Wiggins is in yellow or on the podium they have done their jobs properly.

agreed. I believe that Skys job this year was to show just enough in the races to get a place for the tour. It doesn't always work, look at (and forgive the probable mispelling) vaconsoleil.

A win in the tour within 5 years is the Sky plan. Not now.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I know Team Fiwip has some weird thing against Team Sky (and remember, I'm not particularly a fan), but it looks like a pretty solid team for a first crack at the TdF.

Michael Barry - in the team as a domestique, and one of the most experienced around.

Steve Cummings - in the team for experience, and for his breakaways.

Juan Antonio Flecha - break-away artist and semi-classics winner.

Simon Gerrans - winner of stages in each of the Grand Tours and an excellent all-round rider.

Edvald Boasson Hagen - one of the most promising riders in the world, who hasn't done much yet this season as he's been out with injury and is only now coming back to fitness.

Thomas Löfkvist - future contender

Serge Pauwels - in for experience, a solid future domestique

Geraint Thomas - in for experience, but becoming a good all-round rider.

Bradley Wiggins - um, 4th in the Tour de France last year.

 

[lukesdad]

agreed. I believe that Skys job this year was to show just enough in the races to get a place for the tour. It doesn't always work, look at (and forgive the probable mispelling) vaconsoleil.

A win in the tour within 5 years is the Sky plan. Not now.

Better employ Bertie then !

 

[Stange]

Better employ Bertie then !

given their bank balance, I wouldn't rule it out!

 

[Keith Oates]

To see any of the team win a stage would be good and to see Wiggins in the top ten or better will show the rest that Sky is a team to watch in the future. From what we've seen so far this year I have a nasty feeling that Wiggins will be struggling in the tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[raindog]

Well this is your team Brad and those are their placings for the season so far, stage races are overall finishing positions, those underlined are what I'd consider to be major stage races, Giro, Criterium du Dauphine, Tour de Suisse etc. What do you reckon, is this line-up good enough?

Good enough for what? Are the other 21 teams "good enough"?

By the way, only a week to go - is someone going to start a Tour thread? I daren't do it, because the last time I got a bollocking for not putting "spoiler" or something in the thread title.

 

[ChristinaJL]

I like the look of the team, experience and younger riders in there. Don't think it's any weaker a team than the garmin one Wiggins was on last year.