Froome not part of Sky Tour squad!

[Anonymous]

Listening to the Real Peloton podcast, interview with Froome, saying he's not doing the Tour this year and is doing the Giro and Vuelta instead. He's talking about the pressure involved in riding the Tour, and there's personal improvement to be made - the team have decided he should concentrate on personal improvement this year and stay away from the pressure of the Tour.

I'm a bit surprised at this. I would have thought he'd have been a key part of the Wiggins Mountain Squad. Although I can understand the personal improvement thing and riding the Giro and Vuelta isn't bad. But still, could be an error for Sky.

Then Downing is talking about him not being in the Tour as Wiggins wants people who will help him in the mountains. Paradox, no?

 

[issoisso]

Listening to the Real Peloton podcast, interview with Froome, saying he's not doing the Tour this year and is doing the Giro and Vuelta instead. He's talking about the pressure involved in riding the Tour, and there's personal improvement to be made - the team have decided he should concentrate on personal improvement this year and stay away from the pressure of the Tour.

I'm a bit surprised at this. I would have thought he'd have been a key part of the Wiggins Mountain Squad. Although I can understand the personal improvement thing and riding the Giro and Vuelta isn't bad. But still, could be an error for Sky.

Makes sense to me. They have far better climbers than him.

Then Downing is talking about him not being in the Tour as Wiggins wants people who will help him in the mountains. Paradox, no?

No

 

[karlboss]

Makes sense to me. They have far better climbers than him.



No

+1 How many climbers do you need anyway?

 

[Anonymous]

+1 How many climbers do you need anyway?

Yeah, I agree with this, they shouldn't have a team of climbers and the way Downing has ridden so far, he could be useful on the flat stages. But I would have thought if you're looking at two climbers, then they would be Froome and Lofqvist.

 

[Jamsque]

Froome hasn't shown himself much in the mountains so far this season, I think riding the Giro and the Vuelta is the right move for him.

 

[Michele]

With all respect for Downing, I think SKy has far better guys.

 

[auscyclefan94]

With all respect for Downing, I think SKy has far better guys.

supposedly Henderson is getting a ride at the tour when sky is suppose to be riding for wiggo? Strange...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yeah, I agree with this, they shouldn't have a team of climbers and the way Downing has ridden so far, he could be useful on the flat stages. But I would have thought if you're looking at two climbers, then they would be Froome and Lofqvist.

Gerrans? Augustyn?

Anyway, we now know that the statement of everybody on Sky's team getting a Grand Tour slot was pure PR bull. Just like most things to do with Team Sky before the péloton made it clear they weren't happy. Since then Sky have shut up and been pleasant.

 

[ingsve]

Gerrans? Augustyn?

Pauwels is another possible climbing domestique. He mentioned something about having a choice between riding for himself in Giro or Vuelta or lieutenanting for Wiggins in the Tour.

Also Cummings is one of the guys in Sky that has been going better than alot of the others at Sky in thougher stages so far this year so he could possibly help as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Froome has been down for the giro for a while. Cummings is also unlikely to be in the Tour squad, more likely Steve will do the giro, or possibly the Vuelta to look after young peter Kennaugh.

At the moment the squad is likely to be:
Arversen, Boasson Hagen, Calzati, Flecha, Gerrans, Lloftvist, Geraint Thomas, Brad Wiggins, And one other. Henderson is the likelehood, John Lee Augustyn another possibility. But again I think JLA is set for the giro.

You dont need a whole team of climbers, Brad was fourth last year with arguably only two riders for support.

 

[sublimit]

i didnt read that before i posted because we posted at the same time but i reckon Wiggins, Hagen, Lovqvist are definite.

Dim S will know a lot more but i reckon Gerrans is certain.. G Thomas has ridden the tour so he will also go.

Calzati, Cummings, Henderson leading out Hagen and maybe having a go himself at wins and also Flecha are highly likely. so it seems like a toss up between Cummings, Arvesen. but I still reckon Henderson will go.

 

[hfer07]

Froome has been down for the giro for a while. Cummings is also unlikely to be in the Tour squad, more likely Steve will do the giro, or possibly the Vuelta to look after young peter Kennaugh.

At the moment the squad is likely to be:
Arversen, Boasson Hagen, Calzati, Flecha, Gerrans, Lloftvist, Geraint Thomas, Brad Wiggins, And one other. Henderson is the likelehood, John Lee Augustyn another possibility. But again I think JLA is set for the giro.

You dont need a whole team of climbers, Brad was fourth last year with arguably only two riders for support.

I like Gerrans a lot, but he's more like a stage seeker than a reliable domestic. If Sky wants to get stages, then he's a good choice, otherwise I'd go with Pauwels

 

[Boeing]

allegedly Sky is letting the riders pick the Tour Roster so perhaps he didn't have the choice

 

[Ibanez]

There are no climbers on that squad! Who is the leader here, Wiggins or EBH? They can't seriously want to take Henderson over another climber...he wont stand a chance in Tour sprints.

 

[sublimit]

There are no climbers on that squad! Who is the leader here, Wiggins or EBH? They can't seriously want to take Henderson over another climber...he wont stand a chance in Tour sprints.

Henderson can do a lead out job for Hagen and is an outside possible winner himself even in a bunch gallop on the flatter stages.

But I reckon Wiggins will have to take his chance hanging onto the Saxo team on the climbs aided by Lovqvist, Calzati.

 

[Anonymous]

Was Wiggins that mentioned Kurt, Edvald, and Geraint in interview during Qatar. Thing is, Sky cannot put all their eggs in one basket. What would be better, Brad 4th In the tour, or strong top 10-20 performances in all three tours.

7 of the spots seem to be filled, the doubts would be Flecha if he wears himself out over the spring, and Henderson. John Lee is a possibility but is likely they will hold him back until he develops more. The same with Chris Froome.

But I reckon Wiggins will have to take his chance hanging onto the Saxo team on the climbs aided by Lovqvist, Calzati.

And Simon Gerrans.

remember this result from last years Giro - Stage 14

1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Cervelo Test Team 4.16.48 (40.186 km/h)
2 Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 0.12
3 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 0.18
4 Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Katusha 0.24
5 Philip Deignan (Irl) Cervelo Test Team 0.27
6 Christopher Froome (GBr) Barloworld 0.36
7 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d'Epargne 0.41
8 Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step 1.01
9 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) ISD 1.04
10 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
11 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini
12 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo
13 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
14 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team
15 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C.
16 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 1.07
17 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
18 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli

 

[sublimit]

i must admit i knew he got the stage but Ireland's Diegnan getting position 5 in that stage i'd forgotten that. Gerrans can do something no question at the Tour.

but Saxo look very strong for the overall, HTC for the flat stages, Plenty of time for Sky to get it right though this year or next.. The Giro squad will tell everything i think.

 

[Jan the Man]

I'd be surprised if the Sky team didn't follow this sort of format, with maybe one or two changes dependent on injuries/form/objective

Leader:Brad Wiggins

Sprinter/Green Jersey: Edvald Boasson Hagen

Road Captain: Kurt Asle Arversen

Protected Rider: Thomas Lövkvist

Flat Domestiques: Juan Antonio Flecha, Geraint Thomas

Hills/Mountain Domestiques: Kjell Callstrom, Serge Pauwels, Simon Gerrans


There may well be one or two alterations i.e. Henderson or Calzati for say Callstrom but I don't think the tour team will be too different to the above.

 

[JRanton]

Sky's 15 rider preliminary Giro squad list is: Arvesen, Barry, Cioni, Froome, Hayman, Henderson, Possoni, Stannard, Sutton, Wiggins, Nordhaug, Calzati, Thomas, Carlstrom, Cummings.

http://www.steephill.tv/2010/giro-d-italia/preliminary_list_of_riders.html

So for the Giro nine-man team I would expect something close to this:

Wiggins
Sutton
Possoni
Froome
Cioni
Carlstrom
Barry
Hayman
Stannard


That would be a pretty well balanced line-up I think and also fits in with the strong rumours that Thomas and Calzati are in the Tour team and I expect Henderson and Arvesen will also be on the start line in July. I think Cummings and Nordhaug will do the Vuelta.

The 11 Sky riders not on the premlinary Giro squad list are: Lovkvist, Gerrans, EBH, Flecha, Pauwels, Vigano, Augustyn, Portal, Downing, Swift and Kennaugh.

So possible Tour squad:

Wiggins
EBH
Henderson
Gerrans
Lovkvist
Calzati
Arvesen
Flecha
Thomas

I think the riders just missing out will be Pauwels and Cummings. I think a rider like Henderson can have more of a positive impact in the Tour for Sky than another average climbing domestique like Pauwels. I don't think Pauwels is good enough at his role to justify being in the team ahead of Henderson. It would be a mistake for Sky to put all their eggs in the Wiggins basket. Some will argue, perhaps correctly, that my predicted tour line-up doesn't have enough quality climbing domestiques but this is more of a problem with the Sky roster in general.

The Vuelta line-up will look something like this:

Froome
Pauwels
Cummings
Nordhaug
Vigano
Swift
Downing
Kennaugh
Augustyn
Portal

Obviously that is ten riders so one Sky rider will not get to ride a grand tour this year due to Wiggins and Froome both riding two each.

 

[Anonymous]

Sky's 15 rider preliminary Giro squad list is: .......................snip
Obviously that is ten riders so one Sky rider will not get to ride a grand tour this year due to Wiggins and Froome both riding two each.

Thats the tour squad we have. If Froome does ride two, then my feeling is Swift will miss out, or that Downing will be given leadership role in Ireland and Tour of Britain in return for skipping the Vuelta.

 

[Hairy Wheels]

Barry will ride the Tour this year, all armchair DS-ing aside. That's from someone who is in the know (not me, a friend of mine).

He might have ridden the Tour with Columbia, were it not for that douche Aldag....

 

[JRanton]

Barry will ride the Tour this year, all armchair DS-ing aside. That's from someone who is in the know (not me, a friend of mine).

He might have ridden the Tour with Columbia, were it not for that douche Aldag....

I thought that was a possibility but with Arvesen, Flecha and Thomas all likely to ride the Tour there doesn't seem to be room for him.

Oh and no need for the attitude. It's a cycling forum so expect people to speculate a little bit.

 

[JRanton]

Thats the tour squad we have. If Froome does ride two, then my feeling is Swift will miss out, or that Downing will be given leadership role in Ireland and Tour of Britain in return for skipping the Vuelta.

How accurate do you think the Giro line-up is?

 

[issoisso]

He might have ridden the Tour with Columbia, were it not for that douche Aldag....

How is Aldag a douche for not selecting Barry?

 

[craig1985]

BTW Henderson is riding the Giro as well. I assume he will abandon along with all the sprinters when the mountains start.