Should Wiggins Ride the Tour this Year?

[movingtarget]

This is the worst team decision since T-Mobile left Cadel Evans off their Tour De France team for no good reason in 2004.

There may have been a good reason as far as Evans is concerned or maybe his quirky personality did not fit into the Germanic way of doing things. Personalities once again ?

 

[richo36]

the whole reason brad is not riding is because of poor DS management. Sure there is no denying that froome can win the tour without brad there but its hedging your bets and having the best riders there to achieve the results. A good manager can make a team work well even when there are people who don't get along.

if I was the manager of sky in this current situation I would go to brad offer him a deal. The deal would be along the lines of if you get froome safely through the cobbled stages And give 100% in the mountains as either the last or second last rider in the train, we will in return support you with a return to the track for the 2016 Olympics (as he has stated is a goal). also can offer him alittle bit of extra money if you had too. If he accepts the deal, you organise a press conference with both brad and froome. get brad to make a speech about how he is going to support froome 100%. Finishing it by saying something along the lines of I look forward to repaying froome for all the work he did for me. then both of them get up and hug before leaving.

This will achieve in my opinion achieve a few things:
1. the PR of having wiggans at the tour. The tour kicks off in England. a picture of sky is more likely going to make papers if wiggans is there. otherwise it will be just a shot of the peloton riding next to huge crowds or cav winning.
2. froome has extra protection on the cobbles. or riders that could help cause damage if needed.
3.a stronger rider in the mountains.

4. If froome crashes or gets sick sky wont have to rely on porte who hasn't shown the most outstanding form this year.

5. if wiggans does break his contract/word about working for froome he will 1. lose all credibility with not only any fans but riders in the peloton. none of the bigger teams will wont him unless filling a hole in a team but will only every be seen as a part time solution(OGE) and they wont throw money at him. 2. support for a return the track might be difficult without the support of british cycling body and he would of ****ed a lot of them.
4. great pr for SKY

6. they will keep brad at sky for next couple of years. again marketing value is huge

 

[cycladianpirate]

Look at the body language at around 01:46

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsyVbWH_hWQ

Everything you need to know.

Apologies for the "music".

 

[Der Effe]

They should obviously let them ride the Tour as he could be of great help but, like some others, I secretly hope Sky doesn't pick him and he changes teams. Too good of a cyclist to stay at such a borefest of a team.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This is the end result of Wiggins' injury last year. There could have been similar issues last year but Wiggins being hurt saved them the trouble. Now it flares up again, Froome has taken the time out to develop an ego problem of his own, whereas Wiggins let success go to his head in 2012 and got to see it all crash down on him last year.

 

[ferryman]

A bit contrived but the 4 Cs say, yes, Sky need him and he should ride.

Cobbles, crosswinds, cols and Contador. Sorry

 

[gregrowlerson]

There may have been a good reason as far as Evans is concerned or maybe his quirky personality did not fit into the Germanic way of doing things. Personalities once again ?

Yes, a clinic argument possibly.

I don't know about a personality clash. Not sure that Vino would fit into any 'way of doing things' and they still liked him

Maybe Ullrich saw Evans as a threat to his team leadership? Kloden beat him in the Tour anyway, but if Jan had the fitness to compete with Lance then he knew 100% that Andreas would ride in support of him.

Vino crashing in Swiss and out of the Tour team just before it made the Evans exclusion even weirder...

 

[Red Rick]

Where is the "Yes, cause Froome won't be able to sleep at night" option

 

[Red Rick]

http://www.nusport.nl/column/3797599/hooligan-twee-wielen.html

This is absolutely hilarious

 

[Jelantik]

well, with today's Porte performance, it seems logical to bring in wiggins. Unless Porte was bluffing and he goes postal on the weekend.

 

[biokemguy]

for the cobbles

I hope they bring Wiggins to help on the cobbled stage and he then rides away leaving Froome to lose time and thus building the internal team conflict that will be the only reason to watch what would otherwise be a boring tour.

Added drama would be for Contador to lose time on the cobbles like he did last time.

 

[42x16ss]

I hope they bring Wiggins to help on the cobbled stage and he then rides away leaving Froome to lose time and thus building the internal team conflict that will be the only reason to watch what would otherwise be a boring tour.

Added drama would be for Contador to lose time on the cobbles like he did last time.

If Wigans isn't picked I want to see him come flying out from behind a bush or car Ricco style mid way through the pave stage, pace Contador up to the front group and lead him out for the stage, leaving Froome choking on his dust

 

[42x16ss]

Where is the "Yes, cause Froome won't be able to sleep at night" option

Along with the "Yes - Froome needs to STFU, put his big head where it belongs and let management make the decision because the result is more important than his fragile little ego" option.

 

[quiqui]

This is the scenario I would like to see:
Wiggins and Froome in pursuit of some other riders on the cobbles; Wiggins dropping Froome just because he can, then sitting up to wait for Froome.