Has Team Sky lost its mojo?

[Mellow Velo]

Re EBH and his injury.
While it is a perfectly acceptable excuse, If a potential star is unable to ride the classics, due to the aforementioned reason, is that not failing to live up to expectations?

Certainly it will be part of the equation, when it becomes the time to evaluate the season.

 

[BunneyHill]

I didn't think so that it will be but every person has its own opinion about this.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Okay so Sky comes into the peleton, talking a big game, spending a lot of £££, entering straight into the ProTour and were, in the words of one, Wiggins, Bradley, the "Manchester United" of cycling teams.

pelOton....

 

[joy118118]

maybe I am the only one who thinks EBH's jumpship is not wise

 

[Moondance]

pelOton....

Thank you, you are so kind... Luckily for me I already have an English teacher.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Sky has a very much overrated team. Wiggins is only good few weeks a year. Lovkvist has to be the most overrated rider in europe with brajkovic. Boasson Hagen is injured, flecha rode well but is no winner and the rest just isn't any good

 

[bianchigirl]

The more Sky fail, the more brilliant JV's overvalued sale of Wiggins appears

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

Sky has a very much overrated team. Wiggins is only good few weeks a year. Lovkvist has to be the most overrated rider in europe with brajkovic. Boasson Hagen is injured, flecha rode well but is no winner and the rest just isn't any good

I agree to some extent. Wiggins is simply focusing on the Tour (perhaps Giro, well find out soon if he goes for GC), which he will not win as he is not as good as climber as Contador or Schleck and will therefore not do anything sublime.
Lovkvist hasnt shown anything past two years
Flecha....well hes a great podium finisher but come on KBK was his first classic win of his career! That means something.
Sky is all for the show. When it comes to the real quality of riders Sky has nothing to offer.

 

[Jan the Man]

I agree to some extent. Wiggins is simply focusing on the Tour (perhaps Giro, well find out soon if he goes for GC), which he will not win as he is not as good as climber as Contador or Schleck and will therefore not do anything sublime.
Lovkvist hasnt shown anything past two years
Flecha....well hes a great podium finisher but come on KBK was his first classic win of his career! That means something.
Sky is all for the show. When it comes to the real quality of riders Sky has nothing to offer.

Other than EBH.

 

[bobbins]

Considering the riders they have, their season has been OK so far. It;/s always going to be tough for a new team, especially when you can only hire riders out of contract (Wiggins excepted). Give them a season or two and then make a judgement.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

This is why many teams have organized doping programs. So much pressure to deliever big results.

I agree to some extent. Wiggins is simply focusing on the Tour (perhaps Giro, well find out soon if he goes for GC), which he will not win as he is not as good as climber as Contador or Schleck and will therefore not do anything sublime.
Lovkvist hasnt shown anything past two years
Flecha....well hes a great podium finisher but come on KBK was his first classic win of his career! That means something.
Sky is all for the show. When it comes to the real quality of riders Sky has nothing to offer.

The giro -09 is easily his best showing so far in his career. He held la maglia rosa and was top 10 after nearly two weeks of racing.

 

[joy118118]

can only hire riders out of contract (Wiggins excepted).

Are you kidding?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

This is why many teams have organized doping programs. So much pressure to deliever big results.



The giro -09 is easily his best showing so far in his career. He held la maglia rosa and was top 10 after nearly two weeks of racing.

exactly lovkvist can only do well for 1 week maybe 2 at the most but he always breaks down after that. not too mention how irregular his results are.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Other than EBH.

ebh has great prospect but it's not like he's a winner of major races so far. of course he's still so young but he has everything to prove and I'm not certain for his 200k+ engine yet.

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

Alright, I'll give Sky two seasons and then judge. But simply saying that for all the publicity and parade Sky has not lived up to the expectations - of themselves and the public.

 

[Anonymous]

2010 Team Sky results do not a Manchester United make.

 

[theyoungest]

Sky has a very much overrated team. Wiggins is only good few weeks a year. Lovkvist has to be the most overrated rider in europe with brajkovic. Boasson Hagen is injured, flecha rode well but is no winner and the rest just isn't any good

You've forgotten Gerdemann.

 

[William H]

Lovkvist has been disappointing, and since they were never especially deep in the hills this has left them exposed in a good few races. Plus Boasson Hagen is their go to guys for wins and he's been injured

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.

Sky could be strong in the Team Time Trial on stage 4, and the stages before it are flat as a pancake

 

[bianchigirl]

William H - no TTT this year (think you may be looking at TdF 2009?) - for this year's route see http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html

Doesn't suit Wiggins at all - unless he has miraculously learned to climb like Charly Gaul and TT like Indurain

 

[MagnusW]

They are talking about the TTT on stage 4 of the Giro.

And I just noticed there are 3 TT in this years Giro. Should suit Wiggo, shouldn't it?

 

[Anonymous]

2010 Team Sky results do not a Manchester United make.

Man utd are second in the league, out of the fa cup and out of europe

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

ebh has great prospect but it's not like he's a winner of major races so far. of course he's still so young but he has everything to prove and I'm not certain for his 200k+ engine yet.

Fair point, his results in the longer stages of the Giro were very disappointing?

Where do these group-think opinions come from? Wishful thinking? I've heard this one so many times, but it doesn't become any less baseless. Go and look at the evidence for his apparently suspect 200K+ engine.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Did it ever have any?

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Did it ever have any?

That's what I was thinking.

They started out fast (no pun intended), with a lot of hype, and got a few podiums, but I don't think much has changed. The hype has just subsided as the season progressed. No biggie. I still expect several more podiums and a stage win (perhaps multiple) in each GT; maybe a top 10 for Wiggo at the Tour, but I think that's easier said than done considering the expected field.

 

[trompe le monde]

They are talking about the TTT on stage 4 of the Giro.

And I just noticed there are 3 TT in this years Giro. Should suit Wiggo, shouldn't it?

One of those time trials is up to the Kronplatz, where the average gradient is 8.5% and it kicks up to 20 and 24% in a few places. Unless Wiggins can somehow make a Vespa look like a Pinarello, I doubt this TT will suit Wiggins.

Plus, the Kronplatz TT, stage 16, is just after 15, where Wiggins will undoubtedly haemorrhage time as he watches others a little more fleet a foot go past him up the Zoncolan. Even if he could somehow magically take back a little time at stage 16, he will surely have lost some time on 15 and most certainly lose time on stage 19.

Maybe I am just a bit skeptical of His Hairness, but I don't think the Giro with its more savage climbs than Le Tour particularly suits Wiggins, if at all.