Sky GT Lineup 2012

[Jamsque]

Honestly surprised that G isn't going to the Tour. I guess Dave Brailsford will have him on the track all July.

Not so sure I like Porte for the Tour either, I'm still not convinced by him. I suppose he can chase breaks with Eisel.

I will be VERY interested to see if Froome manages to make the squad. Even on top form Wiggins can't follow Andy up an Alp, but I think Froome might be able to.

 

[will10]

Didn't see Froome pulling Wiggo at the Vuelta?

A helper is needed when you are weak, when you want to make hard a climb, when you have to counter a move like Andy (and his team) at Galibier or when you want to make a move like Andy.

If Wiggo is alone with the heads of state in the last climb with 4 to go, well, pick up your pace and cut the losses, you'll lose small time. French Mountains aren't to steep so Wiggo can hold. The only weakness for him is the stage 7 and maybe the ardennes stage, here he needs his team. Of course he will be outclimbed by Andy and Contador if they are good.

But I think RadioSchleck will replicate a massive attack with Andy in one of the mountain stages so he'll need his team fresh. With only 3-4 riders Cav can't catch the breaks and build a train. Maybe Greenedge can take the rol but I think they'll play poker with Sky.

Velits and Tony Martin have been scaped from Cavendish to get a free role at least at Great Tours. For a sponsor is better to be involved in a GC battle than winning sprints and the green yersey. The audience in a "GC stage" is huge. I bet Sky won't succed at this two fronts

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Got anything to base it on or just a hunch/guess?

 

[Forunculo]

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Got anything to base it on or just a hunch/guess?

As sample, the number of post a thread of a stage have in this forum. A mountain stage thread have 2 or 3 times more post. And at this forum everybody is a cycling fan. If you take a casual audience...

 

[Catwhoorg]

Honestly surprised that G isn't going to the Tour. I guess Dave Brailsford will have him on the track all July.

G has been very constant in his comments that his Olympic abmitions are related to the track.

 

[Richeypen]

Honestly surprised that G isn't going to the Tour. I guess Dave Brailsford will have him on the track all July.

Not too fussed about him missing the Tour, missing the Cobbled Classic season is a bigger disappointment.

 

[Anonymous]

Didn't see Froome pulling Wiggo at the Vuelta?

The vuelta Espana.. One just gone.. Few months ago.. Big race, three weeks long, around Spain, that big country below france and above africa.. Froome was the bloke in a red for a while.. Wiggins the one in the white shirt with red and blue stripes just behind him..

For a sponsor is better to be involved in a GC battle than winning sprints and the green yersey. The audience in a "GC stage" is huge. I bet Sky won't succed at this two fronts

How many times was Cavendish on the front page of L'equipe last year.. how many times was Evans on the front page of L'equipe last year? And then how many times were they both on the inside pages.. Then how many times did the schleck brothers make it onto the front page..

Stage wins hit the papers every time.. the eventual winner may only hit the front page a couple of times..

 

[Tank Engine]

Not too fussed about him missing the Tour, missing the Cobbled Classic season is a bigger disappointment.

Is that official? There was nothing on his site. I didn't pick him for my CQ team due to the uncertainty of his program, but Geraint not doing the cobbled classics It's just wrong.

 

[Richeypen]

Is that official? There was nothing on his site. I didn't pick him for my CQ team due to the uncertainty of his program, but Geraint not doing the cobbled classics It's just wrong.

Dont know if its offical or just a rumor. Personally think it would be pretty good track training.

 

[MartinGT]

The vuelta Espana.. One just gone.. Few months ago.. Big race, three weeks long, around Spain, that big country below france and above africa.. Froome was the bloke in a red for a while.. Wiggins the one in the white shirt with red and blue stripes just behind him..



How many times was Cavendish on the front page of L'equipe last year.. how many times was Evans on the front page of L'equipe last year? And then how many times were they both on the inside pages.. Then how many times did the schleck brothers make it onto the front page..

Stage wins hit the papers every time.. the eventual winner may only hit the front page a couple of times..

Do you read L'equipe a lot?

 

[Anonymous]

Not too fussed about him missing the Tour, missing the Cobbled Classic season is a bigger disappointment.

Is that official? There was nothing on his site. I didn't pick him for my CQ team due to the uncertainty of his program, but Geraint not doing the cobbled classics It's just wrong.

Who said anything about Geraint not riding the Cobbled Classics?????

Geraints season will run.. Tour Down Under, Sardinia, Paris Nice, Classics, Giro and then he will move to the track for the rest of May, June and July...

not sure why youve got the idea he wont ride the classics.

 

[Richeypen]

Who said anything about Geraint not riding the Cobbled Classics?????

Geraints season will run.. Tour Down Under, Sardinia, Paris Nice, Classics, Giro and then he will move to the track for the rest of May, June and July...

not sure why youve got the idea he wont ride the classics.

It was discussed on here last year.










Might have dreamed it

 

[Anonymous]

Do you read L'equipe a lot?

granted, only about 2-3 weeks a year..

My point is, that stage winners who are winning 4-5 stages like Cavendish will get more sponsor publicity than a rider who merely "challenges" for the gc.. Seriously, how many average cycling fans can say who finished 6th, 7th, in the tour, in fact how many average cycling fans (not us) even knows or cares which way around the schlecks came on the podium.. But people do remember Cavendish, Huschovd, Boasson Hagen, Gilbert all stage winners.

Sky (the sponsor) will get much more commercial benefit in the UK from Cavendish winning four stages and green, than they will get from Wiggins "Challenging on the GC"

 

[Richeypen]

Here we go

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...year-and-Im-really-looking-forward-to-it.aspx


“I’m going to miss the Tour [de France], miss the Classics, but I’ll still have a decent programme,” he said. “The Tour Down Under, [Giro di] Sardinia, Paris-Nice, Milan-Sanremo and the Giro [d’Italia].

 

[Froome19]

Dont know if its offical or just a rumor. Personally think it would be pretty good track training.

He's commented a few times about focussing totally on olympics and peaking for them. I think he said he may do one of the classics (milan-san remo?) but they are very close to the track world champs which he will definitely do so will probably not see him much . Anyway in one of his interviews he said that training on the road and track are totally different due to development of "art of team pursuit" etc explains why guys like bobridge, durbridge, roulstoun, wiggins etc have to focus either totally on track or road before olympics not one or the other. wiggins is the only slight exception though he will probably not race on track again as he is so good on track whenever he races regardless of prior training (see manchester last year)
Edit: didn't see previous post

 

[Anonymous]

Here we go

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...year-and-Im-really-looking-forward-to-it.aspx


“I’m going to miss the Tour [de France], miss the Classics, but I’ll still have a decent programme,” he said. “The Tour Down Under, [Giro di] Sardinia, Paris-Nice, Milan-Sanremo and the Giro [d’Italia].

i missed that.. im frankly astonished that hes not doing one of flanders or roubaix.. ho hum..

 

[Swabian Lass]

Honestly surprised that G isn't going to the Tour. I guess Dave Brailsford will have him on the track all July.

Hasn't he been saying for a while that this main target this year is the Olympics and that means the track?

 

[Josef K]

Geraint's doing the Track Worlds in Oz which run from 4th-8th April so RvV and PR are out.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Got anything to base it on or just a hunch/guess?

because moutnainstages have 3x more tv viewers than sprintstages

 

[jens_attacks]

because moutnainstages have 3x more tv viewers than sprintstages

just 3x?i'd guess it's even more especially the weekends.
heard giro 2011 had shiitloads of tv audience.

 

[Geordiedave]

Froome has certainly got a lot of expectation pointed his way.

 

[MartinGT]

granted, only about 2-3 weeks a year..

My point is, that stage winners who are winning 4-5 stages like Cavendish will get more sponsor publicity than a rider who merely "challenges" for the gc.. Seriously, how many average cycling fans can say who finished 6th, 7th, in the tour, in fact how many average cycling fans (not us) even knows or cares which way around the schlecks came on the podium.. But people do remember Cavendish, Huschovd, Boasson Hagen, Gilbert all stage winners.

Sky (the sponsor) will get much more commercial benefit in the UK from Cavendish winning four stages and green, than they will get from Wiggins "Challenging on the GC"

Even when Cav wins a stage he gets very very little front or back page coverage here (UK) BUT some headlines is better than none.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

just 3x?i'd guess it's even more especially the weekends.
heard giro 2011 had shiitloads of tv audience.

the giro doesn't have so many tv audience in italy but flat stages draw very bad ratings in italy

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Not too fussed about him missing the Tour, missing the Cobbled Classic season is a bigger disappointment.

+about a million. I've said it before - I genuinely think that he can genuinely win both RVV and PR one day, and I wish he would ignore the track, but anywho...

 

[will10]

+about a million. I've said it before - I genuinely think that he can genuinely win both RVV and PR one day, and I wish he would ignore the track, but anywho...

I think he's already said he won't be riding the track again after London. A home Olympics only comes around once in a rider's career, sometimes not even that often. He has plenty of years to go for Flanders and Roubaix from 2013 onwards.

i missed that.. im frankly astonished that hes not doing one of flanders or roubaix.. ho hum..

Clashes with Track Worlds

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

I think he's already said he won't be riding the track again after London. A home Olympics only comes around once in a rider's career, sometimes not even that often. He has plenty of years to go for Flanders and Roubaix from 2013 onwards.

I know, but just a bit annoying (for me as a fan of his). As you say, he is still young and time is definitely on his side.