Chris Froome?

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Team's response, sending Porte & Knees back and leaving Wiggins with just Siutsov (who then did nothing of use to him), suggests Froome is being treated as a serious back up plan at least.

Rogers was left to fend for himself when he punctured.

 

[Jaunty Monty]

Siutsou was close enough in case Wiggins needed him... he didn't. Siutsou and Rogers both came in with the front group so Wiggins couldn't have been that isolated. Evans only had Gilbert and Van Garderen come in with him. Sanchez, Valverde and Scarponi all came in alone.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Siutsou and Wiggins parted company with 6km to go and after that Wiggins was choosing his own wheels and doing his own work.

He is obviously very much up to it, but the idea of a strong team would normally be that when your leader is at the back at the wrong time, a teammate pulls him forward, rather than him having to do it himself (twice).

 

[Frosty]

Wiggins even took the risk of tagging onto the end of the Euskaltel train at one point.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Nice bit of post rationalisation from Brailsford -

"He was quite confident. We'd had a look that on the climb he could cruise up. It was easier to move up on a climb than it was on the flat.

"He just waited for that and moved up very easily on the climb."

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Team's response, sending Porte & Knees back and leaving Wiggins with just Siutsov (who then did nothing of use to him), suggests Froome is being treated as a serious back up plan at least.

Rogers was left to fend for himself when he punctured.

I'd suggest that Wiggins might not be entirely displeased at Froome loosing a bit of cheap time. You are right that the assistance he received implies protected status, which is sensible from Sky's point of view. But from Wiggins point of view, he'd probably prefer to have Froome as an out and out domestique.

 

[Boeing]

What real intensive does Froome have to stay at the front and lose energy? It's not like Brailsford has a back up plan. Froome wants a stage and that is it. Sky put all chips in on red.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

What real intensive does Froome have to stay at the front and lose energy? It's not like Brailsford has a back up plan. Froome wants a stage and that is it. Sky put all chips in on red.

I thought that was guaranteed to be their plan, but sending two guys back to help him limit losses implies that the team don't want him losing time.

 

[Gloin22]

What real intensive does Froome have to stay at the front and lose energy? It's not like Brailsford has a back up plan. Froome wants a stage and that is it. Sky put all chips in on red.

Becasue he can do very good GC ? What if something happens to Brad ?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Podium ?

Come on. They go for Wiggo here to win.

For him a target is Top 10, anything more than that is above expectations. Top 10 and Wiggins win is a dream mate

what is the point of this? Top 10 shouldn't matter in the light of a TDF victory, if he is no longer in contention for a podium he should be burying himself for wiggo.

As it is I don't think the time loss is time to panic yet tho, and sky should for the time being still protect him as plan B. But when it comes down to it and wiggo has a sniff Froome should be riding for him only.

 

[cineteq]

I'd suggest that Wiggins might not be entirely displeased at Froome loosing a bit of cheap time. You are right that the assistance he received implies protected status, which is sensible from Sky's point of view. But from Wiggins point of view, he'd probably prefer to have Froome as an out and out domestique.

I agree and I wouldn't be surprised if Wiggo was the one who dropped the nails that caused Froome's flat.

 

[The Joker]

I wouldn't be surprised if Wiggo was the one who dropped the nails that caused Froome's flat.

Either Wiggo, or a friend / relative standing on the side of the road