British Identity

[Sofía_]

How hard can be build a cycling identity if you're british?

Wiggins: from Belgium
Froome: from Kenya
Daniel Martin: yes! Birmingham, no wait, he rides for Ireland.
Jeremy Hunt: Brit... no, Canada
Peter Kennaugh & Cavendish: Isle of Man (a self-governing British Crown Dependency)
David Millar: this one is from... Malta

do you know another examples?

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Thank god they at least got the right skin colour!

What would nationalities mean if they were just constructed? Everyone knows that they are god given, since the creation of the earth and the cosmos.

 

[clipperton]

and let's not get started on their cricket team shall we? [/bitter ashes-deprived aussie jape]

 

[Martin318is]

How hard can be build a cycling identity if you're british?

Wiggins: from Belgium
Froome: from Kenya
Daniel Martin: yes! Birmingham, no wait, he rides for Ireland.
Jeremy Hunt: Brit... no, Canada
Peter Kennaugh & Cavendish: Isle of Man (a self-governing British Crown Dependency)
David Millar: this one is from... Malta

do you know another examples?

You're talking about a country whose royal family is effectively German so...

You get the same thing with "Australian" movie stars.

Mel Gibson - American since about 11yrs old I think
Russel Crowe - Kiwi?
Nicle Kidman - born in Hawaii or somewhere wasnt she?

My own kids are Australian but born to a Colombian mother and they have been living in Colombia for about 6 months so... as of right now are they Aussie or Colombian? Who cares, they're mine.

 

[clipperton]

so... as of right now are they Aussie or Colombian?

depends what country's customs officer you're talking to, doesn't it?

 

[Fester]

All children of the empire; Kenya, Malta, Man, Canada, Australia

It's not a bad thing the fact that Britain and its cyclists are from a mix of backgrounds.

Personally the concept of national irks me. It shouldn't be a factor, only someones worth should matter... Alas I think it will be many hundred years before people stop discriminanting on nationality, color, creed and actually focus on what someone can do and what they do, do.

 

[taiwan]

All children of the empire; Kenya, Malta, Man, Canada, Australia

It's not a bad thing the fact that Britain and its cyclists are from a mix of backgrounds.

Personally the concept of national irks me. It shouldn't be a factor, only someones worth should matter... Alas I think it will be many hundred years before people stop discriminanting on nationality, color, creed and actually focus on what someone can do and what they do, do.

That's the post.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

All children of the empire; Kenya, Malta, Man, Canada, Australia

It's not a bad thing the fact that Britain and its cyclists are from a mix of backgrounds.

Personally the concept of national irks me. It shouldn't be a factor, only someones worth should matter... Alas I think it will be many hundred years before people stop discriminanting on nationality, color, creed and actually focus on what someone can do and what they do, do.

That is exactly why your first reaction to this is to indifferent.
If you dislike the concept of nationalities for obvious reasons, why on earth post something that even joins into the topic?

 

[BroDeal]

The definition of who is British gets expanded when this is the best you have.

 

[cineteq]

Thank god they at least got the right skin colour!

We have Hitler re-incarnation?

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

We have Hitler re-incarnation?

"What would nationalities mean if they were just constructed? Everyone knows that they are god given, since the creation of the earth and the cosmos."

This is what I wrote below it.
I should reconsider using irony on topics as serious as this one.

 

[Maxiton]

"What would nationalities mean if they were just constructed? Everyone knows that they are god given, since the creation of the earth and the cosmos."

This is what I wrote below it.
I should reconsider using irony on topics as serious as this one.

For what it's worth I got it. I thought the last two sentences were the giveaway. Still, it takes a brave man to ironize without emoticons. People, myself included, are usually too distracted on the web to read closely.

Regarding the OP, though, an empire (Britain) transcends nation - so I don't think it's strange that the British team is made up the way it is. And maybe basing teams on countries (or empires) is better than basing them on brands. Personally I'd like to see us get back to amateur competition, like the Olympics used to be. I think sport is best when it's non-commercial.

 

[movingtarget]

You're talking about a country whose royal family is effectively German so...

You get the same thing with "Australian" movie stars.

Mel Gibson - American since about 11yrs old I think
Russel Crowe - Kiwi?
Nicle Kidman - born in Hawaii or somewhere wasnt she?

My own kids are Australian but born to a Colombian mother and they have been living in Colombia for about 6 months so... as of right now are they Aussie or Colombian? Who cares, they're mine.

The Finn brothers-Kiwis. Look at some of the quintessential American movie stars. Cary Grant - British. Charlie Chaplin-British. Merle Oberon- Tasmanian ! Errol Flynn-Tasmanian ! Princess Mary of Denmark -Tasmanian ! Who cares.
Manchester City Football Team ? Chelsea Football team ?

 

[ingsve]

How hard can be build a cycling identity if you're british?

Wiggins: from Belgium
Froome: from Kenya
Daniel Martin: yes! Birmingham, no wait, he rides for Ireland.
Jeremy Hunt: Brit... no, Canada
Peter Kennaugh & Cavendish: Isle of Man (a self-governing British Crown Dependency)
David Millar: this one is from... Malta

do you know another examples?

Charles Wegelius - Finland
Max Sciandri - Italian (though born in Derby)

 

[ultimobici]

How hard can be build a cycling identity if you're British?

Wiggins: from Belgium Yes his dad was an Aussie, but he was brought up in Britain by a British mother etc etc
Froome: from Kenya British parentage
Daniel Martin: yes! Birmingham, no wait, he rides for Ireland.
Jeremy Hunt: Brit... no, Canada
Peter Kennaugh & Cavendish: Isle of Man (a self-governing British Crown Dependency)No different to English, Welsh or Scottish
David Millar: this one is from... Malta Born to British parents, father was in RAF & stationed in Malta

do you know another examples?

By your definition Phil Anderson is British not Australian by virtue of his place of birth.

But to answer your original question, not hard at all. Robert Millar, Deno Davie, Mick Edwards, Dave Lloyd, David Rayner (RIP), Malcolm Elliott were all great riders. Edwards was Moser's gregario, Elliott won the points title in the Vuelta. So it's not hard at all!

 

[just some guy]

where was Simpson born ?

Never mind thanks to wiki - Haswell, County Durham.

 

[craig1985]

What was the situation of Hunt? Is he like Owen Hargreaves who was born in Canada to British parents, or was he born in Canada and born to Britain at a young age?

 

[Martin318is]

The Finn brothers-Kiwis.

Not to mention Paul Hester and Vicka and Linda Bull...

 

[Martin318is]

Should have mentioned - the younger of my two Aussie - Colombian daughters was actually born in England.....

 

[Andy99]

Look at Ireland;

Dan Martin - Born Birmingham, Former Brit National Champ
Nicolas Roche - Was French
Matthew Brammeier - Born Liverpool, Former member of GB academy.

It works both ways.

Robbie McEwen has a British passport too.

 

[euanli]

Surely identity is first and foremost a personal thing? If Wiggins et al consider themselves to be British having been brought up in or by British parents then they are as far as I'm concerned.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

How hard can be build a cycling identity if you're british?

Wiggins: from Belgium
Froome: from Kenya
Daniel Martin: yes! Birmingham, no wait, he rides for Ireland.
Jeremy Hunt: Brit... no, Canada
Peter Kennaugh & Cavendish: Isle of Man (a self-governing British Crown Dependency)
David Millar: this one is from... Malta

do you know another examples?

Ah well done Sofia u sum up British identity so well even though you clearly are very poorly informed. Wiggins born in Belgium to an English mother and Australian dad, doesn't sound very Belgian does it. Britain itself is a union of England, Scotland, Wales and Nothern Ireland so the whole thing is a mix of nationalities and cultures, a melting pot. I am proud my country welcomes and embraces those who move and wish to represent their new country. Look at the runner Mo Farrah let's be honest how many countries would embrace a somalian refugee and nominate him as a sports star the year? Why don't you take your petty nationalistic views and keep them to yourself, what does it have to do with cycling. Nothing except jealousy I expect.

 

[Swabian Lass]

I'm not crazy about this trend for "national" teams in cycling, truth be told. But if you look at the history of sport it's full of people changing nationality to get a better chance to compete, so I don't think that the UK's any worse than any other country really.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

"What would nationalities mean if they were just constructed? Everyone knows that they are god given, since the creation of the earth and the cosmos."

This is what I wrote below it.
I should reconsider using irony on topics as serious as this one.

No maybe u shouldnt be so silly as to bring skin colour into a thread about cycling
.

 

[RedheadDane]

How hard can be build a cycling identity if you're british?

Wiggins: from Belgium
Froome: from Kenya
Daniel Martin: yes! Birmingham, no wait, he rides for Ireland.
Jeremy Hunt: Brit... no, Canada
Peter Kennaugh & Cavendish: Isle of Man (a self-governing British Crown Dependency)
David Millar: this one is from... Malta

do you know another examples?

Well... just because you're born in a country it doesn't mean it's your nationality. After all; it needs to be where your mother is (or preferably parents are, but the mother is, after all, the most important.)

If you work by the strict the country you are born is in your nationality rule you seem to be deploying then we've got one as well; According to Wikipedia 'Birdie' was born in Switzerland. As far as I'm concerned he's still Danish...