Wiggins Discussion thread.

[happychappy]

For me personally, it would bring endless amounts of enjoyment and amusement to get to see Froome and Wiggins fighting it out for leadership of Sky all across France. And while they are consumed with fighting it out with each other, see Nibali take advantage of that and ride away and into yellow. That would be just perfect!

In that case I'd enjoy seeing Horner kick Nibali's *** AGAIN.

[Pricey_sky]

For me personally, it would bring endless amounts of enjoyment and amusement to get to see Froome and Wiggins fighting it out for leadership of Sky all across France. And while they are consumed with fighting it out with each other, see Nibali take advantage of that and ride away and into yellow. That would be just perfect!

Unfortunately even Froome bickering with Wiggins would still have enough to hold off Nibali on this years route. He only has to follow Nibali up the mountains knowing he has that long, flat TT at the end where he will blow all his GC rivals away. If Contador returns to his previous form then we would have a great race, its a big if at the moment though.

[greenedge]

There's a stage finish at 7000 feet in the Tour of Cali... I don't know much about the actual climb, but a few kilos extra are probably gonna hurt.

Yeah but its Wiggins, his extremely light weight is probably 15kg or so off his old track weight, so I'm sure he'll be fine, little ring grovelling up it.

[Afrank]

Unfortunately even Froome bickering with Wiggins would still have enough to hold off Nibali on this years route. He only has to follow Nibali up the mountains knowing he has that long, flat TT at the end where he will blow all his GC rivals away. If Contador returns to his previous form then we would have a great race, its a big if at the moment though.

Nibali excels in a bit of chaos, he can create that chaos just as easily as take advantage of it. Give him a hilly stage, cobbles, and the usual mountains as opportunities to create a little chaos with an angry Froome and Wiggins trying to assert their own leadership rights over the other, and after a while Nibali's built up enough of a lead to hold yellow through the time trial and into Paris.

Of course, I'm probably being a bit of an irrational Nibali fanboy with this. But creating some chaos and taking advantage of it could definitely be Nibali's best chance of taking yellow. And a 2012 Wiggins vs. Froome could only add to the possibility of chaos. Realistically I don't really expect to see a 2012 Wiggins though.

[pastronef]

I really hope so. The dream is Froome has a minor crash or mechanical and wiggins finds himself in the front group but doesn't know to wait as his "earpiece wasn't working"

So you mean the hierarchy for the Tour would be

Froome
Porte
Wiggo
?

Porte is already going for the Giro, so I'd put Wiggo behind Froome for the Tour.
if Wiggo is in the front group, Knees, EBH, Sivtsov, Kiry, Kennaugh will WAIT for Froome if he crashes or has a flat, not Wiggins

[gooner]

Wiggins may do the Vuelta.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/09/bradley-wiggins-vuelta-a-espana?

[oldcrank]

It would be lovely if BMW were to win the World ITT this year,
but even if he doesn't, the wonderfully diverse lists of World
Championships, Olympic medals, time-trial wins, stage-race
wins, and Grand Tour results that make up his palmares have
already assured him of legendary status in the sport of cycling.

[Bavarianrider]

I thought Wiggins wouldn't go for GC anymore?

[mariposa]

Wiggins may do the Vuelta.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/09/bradley-wiggins-vuelta-a-espana?

Typical British press report making it sound as though having to give up the chance to defend his TOB title is important! Doh which would you like on your palmares TOB or La Vuelta? Anyway I really don't think that Bradley has a hope of winning La Vuelta.

[BYOP88]

Typical British press report making it sound as though having to give up the chance to defend his TOB title is important! Doh which would you like on your palmares TOB or La Vuelta? Anyway I really don't think that Bradley has a hope of winning La Vuelta.

Won't be long until the ToB will be a WT race. Cookson's already increased it's ranking.

[Afrank]

I thought Wiggins wouldn't go for GC anymore?

It will be more a issue of whether he can go for GC IMO. I'm not convinced Wiggins will get back to his 2012 levels, or even his levels before that.

[mariposa]

Won't be long until the ToB will be a WT race. Cookson's already increased it's ranking.

World Tour or not the TOB has a long way to go to be on par with La Vuelta.

[will10]

I thought Wiggins wouldn't go for GC anymore?

Where does it say that in the article? If anything he says he won't be riding for GC as he'll be looking to emulate Tony's Tour/Vuelta prep for the Worlds, which as you know better than anyone means finishing well down on GC

[Jelantik]

I thought Wiggins wouldn't go for GC anymore?

It will be more a issue of whether he can go for GC IMO. I'm not convinced Wiggins will get back to his 2012 levels, or even his levels before that.

+1. I always thought that he got all the stars line up for him on 2012. Repeating the same performance, I see as quite a big challenge for him. However, with purito, evan, richie, quintana, horner goes for giro, TDF podium seems to open up. Besides nibali, contador, valverde who it think got a great chance, the rest of the TDF cast he might be able to hang with them (molema, VDB, hesjedal, tejay, Costa). Especially at the end, there is a long ITT. If he can hang in the mountain, he could possibly smooke everyone in the ITT.

He out smarted nibali with constant hard riding in 2012 (even though it doesn't mean he can achieve the same effect this year). Valverde seems to be a tad below nibali or the same. And Contador this year is still a question mark. If he shows up like last year, wiggins can be 'Porte' like last year. But that's a big "IF".

[oldcrank]

https://twitter.com/bigbodge9/status/432247942205153280/photo/1
I do hope all SKY fans will join Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins CBE
and support Cpl. Josh Boggi and other disabled veterans by
making a donation at http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk or to similar
organisations in your country such as http://www.soldieron.org.au

[willbick]

guys there is no way Wiggo will go to le tour 2014 as a GC contender - he simply wont be in the same super skinny climbing shape he was in 2012. He is keen to be on the SKy team for le tour because he knows it'll probably be his last chance to ride a TdF and there is the added attraction of it starting in england, but he will go as a rouleur domestique and obviously try to win the ITT.

For what its worth I would guess that Kennaugh will be playing the Porte role this year in the TdF.

[pastronef]

guys there is no way Wiggo will go to le tour 2014 as a GC contender - he simply wont be in the same super skinny climbing shape he was in 2012. He is keen to be on the SKy team for le tour because he knows it'll probably be his last chance to ride a TdF and there is the added attraction of it starting in england, but he will go as a rouleur domestique and obviously try to win the ITT.

For what its worth I would guess that Kennaugh will be playing the Porte role this year in the TdF.

so the mountain train will be

Froome
Kennaugh
Porte
Nieve

[Grupetto1]

Isn't Henao going to the tour?

[pastronef]

Isn't Henao going to the tour?

I think so. I was looking for a link for the pre-selection of the Tour team, but I don't remember where I read it

[Ryo Hazuki]

even if he still was in that anorexic body he'd have no chance. the tour 2012 win was a laughable result on a horrible course against horrible competition and he wasn't even the best then