Has Team Sky lost its mojo?

[Mellow Velo]

Sky simply have a very poor team when it comes to climbing. That was already obvious when their roster was presented. And if the only half-decent climbers (Löfkvist, Wiggins, Gerrans) don't show, you have an invisible team in the hilly races.

That's what I thought, when their roster was finalised. Plus EBH has not unsuprisingly failed to live up to expectation.
It's also assumed Thomas Lofkvist can ride a Giro of similar/better quality than last year and Wiggins can repeat his Tour success.

These gials are easily missable.

ACF: You won't have time to enjoy Bro's material, as you will be too busy fending off the BMC battering, that's all set for this summer.

 

[Jan the Man]

Plus EBH has not unsuprisingly failed to live up to expectation.

I agree that Sky should not be rated anything but average, but it's hard for EBH to live up to his potential when he has missed every classic bar MSR through injury, and during MSR he was ill iirc.

I agree with other posters, the danger for Sky is the tour. That is where they, and the media, have stoked expectations so high that anything other than a podium would be seen as a disaster.

 

[maltiv]

That's what I thought, when their roster was finalised. Plus EBH has not unsuprisingly failed to live up to expectation.
It's also assumed Thomas Lofkvist can ride a Giro of similar/better quality than last year and Wiggins can repeat his Tour success.

These gials are easily missable.

ACF: You won't have time to enjoy Bro's material, as you will be too busy fending off the BMC battering, that's all set for this summer.

Eh, might be related to him being injured? I wouldn't say that "not being able to ride" equals to failing. In fact, he has only ridden one classic this year in healthy conditions, which was Omloop where he was 6th and his teammate won. He also had great results before that, such as beating Cancellara (and everyone else) in a TT and winning two bunch sprints.

So I wouldn't say he failed to live up to expectation, unless people expected him to continue riding and winning despite being injured.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

I think Sky have done OK so far. Injuries and illness to EBH, Lofkvist, Gerrans, Wiggins, Calstrom, Arveson etc haven't helped. EBH was missed at on the cobbled classics.

However, what did people really expect. They don't have anyone as good as Cancellara, Contador or Gilbert so that took out a lot of races for them and they don't have dopers like Vino or ValvPiti so that takes out the others.

I think some have underperformed so far, due to lack of form or injury but without a really special rider like Cancellara then they've had little chance so far.

At the start of the season I would have expected a solid showing in the classics with at least 1 win, top 20 in the Giro and top 10 at the Tour with some individual stage victories thrown in. Therefore, I see no reason to suggest they've failed in my expectations. There's a lot of other teams who have performed the same or worse in my opinion.

 

[auscyclefan94]

That's what I thought, when their roster was finalised. Plus EBH has not unsuprisingly failed to live up to expectation.
It's also assumed Thomas Lofkvist can ride a Giro of similar/better quality than last year and Wiggins can repeat his Tour success.

These gials are easily missable.

ACF: You won't have time to enjoy Bro's material, as you will be too busy fending off the BMC battering, that's all set for this summer.

You don't think I am use to it already?

 

[L'arriviste]

However, what did people really expect. They don't have anyone as good as Cancellara, Contador or Gilbert so that took out a lot of races for them and they don't have dopers like Vino or ValvPiti so that takes out the others.

Agree. Since the team launch, I kept asking myself: they've got the money and the equipment but the roster is a bit whatever. You can't hide that with uplit poker faces and fancy haircuts.

Lots of people have also said above that the early doors PR was over the top. I agree there too: Cipo types aside, pro road cycling is modesty on two wheels, so Sky stood out like a sore thumb when the season opened.

I'm not trashing the team, but I do think they need to be put up some of that wonga in the coming silly season for transfers.

 

[BroDeal]

I'm not trashing the team, but I do think they need to be put up some of that wonga in the coming silly season for transfers.

Maybe they can steal some more riders by threatening to sue teams if the teams don't agree the let the riders break their contracts.

 

[theyoungest]

Eh, might be related to him being injured? I wouldn't say that "not being able to ride" equals to failing. In fact, he has only ridden one classic this year in healthy conditions, which was Omloop where he was 6th and his teammate won. He also had great results before that, such as beating Cancellara (and everyone else) in a TT and winning two bunch sprints.

So I wouldn't say he failed to live up to expectation, unless people expected him to continue riding and winning despite being injured.

To say that he failed to live up to expectations doesn't necessarily mean he failed. It's just that the expectations were too high. Being injured for most of the classics season doesn't help, of course.

 

[BroDeal]

ACF: You won't have time to enjoy Bro's material, as you will be too busy fending off the BMC battering, that's all set for this summer.

I think this will happen next month when we find out that Evans being forced to race well in the early season in order for his team to get GT invites is not the best preparation for the Giro.

 

[craig1985]

EBH still has three wins this season, if you include the TTT at Qatar. I'm just interested, what were people's expectations of the team thus far? To have picked up at least on major classic/monument, regular stage wins and/or overall GC at stage races (Pro Tour or otherwise)?

 

[python]

i dont get what the fuss is about ?

sky is 13th of 29 teams in the uci world ranking and 2 full notches above the most talent stuffed team in the world - rs.

after wiggins wears the pink for a weak at the giro (which im confident he will), their may 2010 world ranking will be that of astana.

where is the problem ?

 

[L'arriviste]

Maybe they can steal some more riders by threatening to sue teams if the teams don't agree the let the riders break their contracts.

That could work!

 

[L'arriviste]

after wiggins wears the pink for a weak at the giro (which im confident he will), their may 2010 world ranking will be that of astana.

Would be cool if he did win the prologue (for him anyway), but if he doesn't, he won't find any other way to get that jersey.

 

[Galic Ho]

I am going to keep most of my powder dry until Wigans fails horribly at the Tour. That is when the true comedy gold is sure to be found.

I do wonder what the mood lighting on the ol' Sky bus is set to these days. I think the color has changed from pompous peach to troubled teal.

+1000. I can't wait. I'll jump aboard the bash Sky train as well when Wigans flops. Though I have said it before. If he finishes in the back of the top 10 then that would be a good result. Fantastic in my eyes would be top 5 but I think top 10 is the best the team can hope for. Anything outside of that and most of the season will be considered a dismall failure. Sky have talked too much and need to start performing. Maybe they should ask Astana for some racing and PR advice.

 

[craig1985]

I have to say I didn't notice python had changed his avatar!

 

[auscyclefan94]

i dont get what the fuss is about ?

sky is 13th of 29 teams in the uci world ranking and 2 full notches above the most talent stuffed team in the world - rs.

after wiggins wears the pink for a weak at the giro (which im confident he will), their may 2010 world ranking will be that of astana.

where is the problem ?

I personally think that wiggo will go for a high overall at il giro. He will do very well in the prologue and also get a good lead on some favourites in the ttt. He will probably be in the lead going into the first MT stage to Monte Terminilio and i don't see him just giving it away there.

 

[craig1985]

Wigans has said he is doing the Giro for training.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Wigans has said he is doing the Giro for training.

Yes, but he may likely find himself in a good position ahead of other gc favourites going into the first MT stage. Do you think he would give up such a lead in the giro just for the tour?

 

[craig1985]

I would say yes he would. I don't think he would win the Giro anyway.

 

[joy118118]

+1000. I can't wait. I'll jump aboard the bash Sky train as well when Wigans flops. Though I have said it before. If he finishes in the back of the top 10 then that would be a good result. Fantastic in my eyes would be top 5 but I think top 10 is the best the team can hope for. Anything outside of that and most of the season will be considered a dismall failure. Sky have talked too much and need to start performing. Maybe they should ask Astana for some racing and PR advice.

Sky has not the motivation like astana

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Sky has not the motivation like astana

Motivation or 'special help'?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yes, but he may likely find himself in a good position ahead of other gc favourites going into the first MT stage. Do you think he would give up such a lead in the giro just for the tour?

Wiggins, I don't think realistically can win the Giro, and if that's the case, I think he'd defend pink until he lost it, but not be too bothered after that.

You're forgetting he's not Evans, who is very competitive and will work himself to the ground in races he didn't plan to compete for if he's in with a shout. hence, I think, even if he has one eye for the Tour, he'll end up going full steam ahead for the Giro as soon as he's in a position to compete for it. Wiggins isn't so highly strung and I think will therefore fail to be competitive at the Giro in order to be competitive at the Tour, and he won't be all that competitive at the Tour either.

 

[joy118118]

Motivation or 'special help'?

Sky has already got SPECIAL HELP from ASO and Murdoch.

 

[theswordsman]

Sky has done okay but so far has not lived up to the hype. ditto for RS.

ed rader

Bingo! And both teams initiated a lot of the hype themselves. People jumped on the bandwagon, and they got put in a good showing in the hot weather races, and I guess people expected them to keep up the results and then build to the Tour. We've had all the stories about equipment and expertise and thinking of thing that are beyond what other teams do. What was the one about having former military or some other kind of experts studying aerial photographs of the Tour route? Then you watch a race for three hours and barely see their jerseys.

I think that if they'd come in quietly, with perhaps a bit more respect for the way other teams and riders do things, then they'd be having an OK season. But declaring before they even had a team that they're going to win the Tour de France with a British rider within five years, and all the talk about the special buses that give riders advantages, etc. raised the standard by which I at least am judging. There's a lot of entitlement in the attitude as well.

A lot of what makes top cyclists special is their willingness to endure pain, suffering and discomfort. Does the bus with the special seats and lighting and iPods help with all that, or could the team be performing just as well for a lot less money?

And I'm not against all the technology and expertise at all - I respect Garmin for doing it. But results mean a lot.

 

[galaxy1]

Yes, but he may likely find himself in a good position ahead of other gc favourites going into the first MT stage. Do you think he would give up such a lead in the giro just for the tour?

i think you are perpetuating the myth (created largely by phil liggett as far as i can tell) that riding races for training means choosing to slack off during those races to let others win.

in reality when you ride a stage race to prepare for the tour, this means turning up out of form/undercooked and turning yourself inside out to keep up - i.e. it is the hardest possible sort of training.