Wiggo AND Froome in next year's TdF Sky team?

[ayceejay]

Were I 'Sir Brad' this is what I would do as the most popular cyclist ever and not in need of either the money or the insanity of bike racing: quit.

 

[StuAff]

My take on it: Wiggo will stay at Sky. As with that other knackered old has-been Mr Cavendish, suggestions of his demise as a top-class contender deserve some of that forthright language the two heroes are fond of using. They both had a run of bad results, just as they had a run of (very) good results before. Brailsford doesn't want him to go, if he's got any sense he wouldn't want to. Where else can he get the level of support he needs and wants, and who else would give him the opportunities he wants (be they GC/classics/TT...whatever)? BMC may have $$$$ but they're a basketcase at the moment. Movistar? Nope. OPQS? Green jerseys and they have a classics guy already. Trek? Well, Brad would be the kind of high-profile signing the sponsors would like...likely to be a work in progress though. (Edit: both Schlecks signed up today...oh dear). FDJ? Really?

If I were Brailsford, I'd be thinking that having Froome, Wiggo, Porte, Henao, Uran (if he doesn't move) et al in the ranks was a real nightmare....
for every other ProTour team.
If Chris is LeMond to Wiggo's Hinault, who'd want to be Urs Zimmerman?

I can't see Brad wanting to end his career now- he'd want to go out on a high or at least make an effort to do so. And there's still a world championship TT to go this year anyway.

 

[Slaav]

My current thoughts are that Cavendish still wants an Olympic Gold - and most definitely thinks or believes in himself to do it. That will allow the training etc to be something he won't dismiss.

I wondered if Wiggo had another Olympic cycle in him but don't think so. Has he more cycling success in him? Definitely - wouldnt want to be his coach and/or mentor now though

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

Indeed. I suppose Wiggo should just sit on his wheel then!

That's what Sagan thought!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Cancellara was essentially just a good TTer who could get up the short lumps of a classic and ride away.

And this, I think, might be the kind of thing that Wiggins might try next season - Sky lacked a Classics challenge, and at least for the longer, flatter classics, Wiggins could be ideal.

 

[smutchin]

I keep hearing people saying that Wiggo will target the Classics. Has he mentioned this at all or is it speculation? Seems a bit out there to me.

He was supposed to be riding LBL this year but wasn't named in Sky's start list for reasons that are still slightly clouded in mystery - although with hindsight, it seems clear that he's had all sorts of problems with form and fitness right from the start this year.

The question seems to me to be more one of motivation to ride at all than to ride for Froome per se. He famously had similar problems after the Olympics in 2004 but came through them. Whether he'll rediscover his mojo this time isn't clear - it's becoming apparent that winning bike races isn't his number one priority any more, and he's no longer willing to compromise his life off the bike to the same extent as he has done in the past.

So I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him at another GT.

It would be a shame, though, because a fit and motivated Wiggins would still be a huge asset to Sky next year, whether as team leader or superdomestique, and the team would unquestionably have been considerably stronger with him at the Tour than it was without him.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

He was supposed to be riding LBL this year but wasn't named in Sky's start list for reasons that are still slightly clouded in mystery - although with hindsight, it seems clear that he's had all sorts of problems with form and fitness right from the start this year.

The question seems to me to be more one of motivation to ride at all than to ride for Froome per se. He famously had similar problems after the Olympics in 2004 but came through them. Whether he'll rediscover his mojo this time isn't clear - it's becoming apparent that winning bike races isn't his number one priority any more, and he's no longer willing to compromise his life off the bike to the same extent as he has done in the past.

So I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him at another GT.

It would be a shame, though, because a fit and motivated Wiggins would still be a huge asset to Sky next year, whether as team leader or superdomestique, and the team would unquestionably have been considerably stronger with him at the Tour than it was without him.

Interesting. I still don't see the Classics as another direction for a TDF winner. I see it as a compromise. Besides i still believe quite strongly that he would not be a Classics contender. His excellence lies in a high level of consistency and TT'ing. Not a one day race where he can give 150% and either win a sprint finish or power away with 10k to go.

I think the only way we will see him at another GT will be if he publicly targets the Giro or Vuelta for 2014. Froome will be Mr TDF i gather. He will not ride under Froome imo.

I like Wiggins. I like him as a bike rider and a personality. His wife though has mentioned that he's a twat when he's training and riding 24/7. For this reason, and the fact that he's achieved the Yellow jersey, i think he may retire sooner rather than later and become a more hands on family man.

 

[smutchin]

Wiggins is an exceptional rouleur. I'll never forget his solo breakaway ride in the 2007 Tour. OK, so it ended in glorious failure, but he held off the peloton for 190km of a 200km stage.

 

[thom]

Wiggins is an exceptional rouleur. I'll never forget his solo breakaway ride in the 2007 Tour. OK, so it ended in glorious failure, but he held off the peloton for 190km of a 200km stage.

Aye that was good - riding for Cofidis ? 10 km to go the peloton went straight past him...
He's one of those riders who can reinvent himself but to win a classic, riders typically need to exhibit panache in the sense that they need to outwit opponents somewhere along the way. There's a point where they back themselves 100% and lay their cards on the table, risking defeat. It isn't Wiggo's style but he has spoke a lot of his reverence for the classics that I think he will want to ride them seriously during his career. The non-cobbled ones like LBL could see him have a pop like Ryder Hesjedal. He has spoken for Paris-Roubaix though.

The challenge is one he might really be up for - only the likes of Merckx & Hinault have such crossover wins (although their volume is far superior).

 

[neilb1906]

I wouldn't dismiss Movistar as a team for Wiggins. Who is to say that Quintana and Riu Costa will be there next season? I can see OPQS bidding for Quintana for a start.

 

[SWSteve]

I wouldn't mind if he stopped riding bikes and just started to work flogging his own shirts at his local Fred Perry store.

 

[RAYMOND]

Couldn't they have 2 leaders, see who is doing well after the first week and both go for it.See who is the stronger,in the better position before getting behind 1 of them maybe.
Personally I think froome is better than wiggo,stronger on the hills and more attacking, also not far behind wiggo in the time trials.

 

[Montelimar]

Cant picture either doing slave for the other. Brailsfords got his work cut out with that one. How about the knight for Saxo now that Bertie's off his feed? Ok its silly season.

 

[jugglingphil]

Who knows what will happen, probably not even Wiggins at the moment. He's still too good a rider to quit IMO.
Wiggo to become tech director of a team, perhaps his own women's team. Maybe not next year though!

 

[Stonechat]

There is a lot more dissent between members of football and cricket teams than bw and cf