Sky looking to launch development squad

[MatParker117]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...am-Sky-role-at-head-of-development-squad.html

I imagine it will be similar to OPQS and race at Continental level and will contain a lot of riders from the BC academy and maybe some young Italian riders.

 

[Afrank]

Seriously?

They better find a coach who trains riders with an opposite style to the way the current pro Sky team coaches use. Because Sky is one of the worst pro teams for developing young riders.

 

[roundabout]

I am surprised that it took them this long

 

[MatParker117]

Seriously?

They better find a coach who trains riders with an opposite style to the way the current pro Sky team coaches use. Because Sky is one of the worst pro teams for developing young riders.

I imagine it will be Rod Ellingworth or Chris Newton who actually run the team and one of the reasons there starting this team is to give young riders more opportunities.

 

[David_Incognito_66]

Saxo should do the same. Because they are currently the best team. They know how to train the rider like Sky and how to "not train" with their vast experience, mainly coming from Riis.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I am surprised that it took them this long

Me too. In fact, I thought it was one of the first things they should have done, since they already at inception brought almost all the British riders at the top 2 levels together in their team. Though Endura bridged the gap to a great extent, back in 2010 there was very little between the pro team Sky and the national scene/the handful of U23 races British riders were entering, and most of the national teams weren't racing abroad much and were doing mostly one-day racing and crits, so young Britons weren't getting any stage racing experience until the pro team. What's more, the contract poaching that they started off with to get Wiggins and Swift may have made other teams more wary of picking up young British riders, knowing that Sky would be waving the cash at them as soon as they showed promise, and it was only a handful of riders like Adam Blythe that were willing to take the jump to Europe under their own steam.

A step between the Academy and the Pro team is a strong step towards actual development of riders, especially if they base it in Italy with a strong national calendar of .1 and .2 one day and short stage races.

 

[trevim]

Good idea, they've done great with the youngsters so far

 

[fowlyetti]

Needs to be Pro Continental if they want to develop riders to a good level.

 

[argyllflyer]

Needs to be Pro Continental if they want to develop riders to a good level.

Astana, Belkin and OPQS (the Czech one) all have development teams at Continental level though I think. Plus Lotto, OPQS and BMC having U23 teams. Katusha are linked with Pro-Conti level Rusvelo aren't they?

 

[Gloin22]

Seriously?

They better find a coach who trains riders with an opposite style to the way the current pro Sky team coaches use. Because Sky is one of the worst pro teams for developing young riders.

While I agree, some of it not up to them.

I mean Dombrowski is ****ed with his health, not their fault they signed a sick rider. And others, haven't been as talented, I mean Puccio, never best, got that Ronde win which hyped him, but most knew he wouldn't become a world beater.

 

[fowlyetti]

Astana, Belkin and OPQS (the Czech one) all have development teams at Continental level though I think. Plus Lotto, OPQS and BMC having U23 teams. Katusha are linked with Pro-Conti level Rusvelo aren't they?

Problem is UK based continental teams have hardly any decent races to enter

 

[MatParker117]

Problem is UK based continental teams have hardly any decent races to enter

ToB, Tour of Yorkshire. Ridelondon, VeloWales plus the Crit series and Premier Calender and I imagine as 21 Century Fox will back the team they'll race in the US and europe as well.

 

[argyllflyer]

Problem is UK based continental teams have hardly any decent races to enter

But they CAN apply to enter any .1 race in the world and any .HC race outside Europe as well as .HCs in the UK (and there seems to be a bit of flexibility just now about .HCs in Europe too for Continental teams). It just tends to be budget that prevents many doing it. Rapha Condor JLT have done a bit of globetrotting this year though. Just looking at Tom Moses' race calendar for those, three 2.1s in Asia / Oceania as well as the 2.HC USA Pro Challenge and ToB.

If Sky back the team sufficiently, they can surely have a better, fuller international calendar than one of the other home 3rd tier outfits.

With calendar reform coming, rosters are to get cut to 22 from 30 for the top level teams. A development team I guess would take up a bit of the slack as it spells the end for being able to race 3 events at once as numbers will not allow for it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Astana, Belkin and OPQS (the Czech one) all have development teams at Continental level though I think. Plus Lotto, OPQS and BMC having U23 teams. Katusha are linked with Pro-Conti level Rusvelo aren't they?

RusVelo/Katyusha link is not formal. Katyusha's formal feeder team is Itera-Katyusha, who are Continental.

Isn't Bissell the old Livestrong team and a Trek feeder? Euskadi/Orbea used to be a feeder for Euskaltel, obviously similarly the Leopard Development Team and Rabobank Continental have been orphaned from their World Tour counterparts.

 

[argyllflyer]

RusVelo/Katyusha link is not formal. Katyusha's formal feeder team is Itera-Katyusha, who are Continental.

Isn't Bissell the old Livestrong team and a Trek feeder? Euskadi/Orbea used to be a feeder for Euskaltel, obviously similarly the Leopard Development Team and Rabobank Continental have been orphaned from their World Tour counterparts.

Thanks for correction LS. Despite the orphaning from Trek, Leopard have still provided a stagiaire to them (Alex Kirsch) this season. Likewise Belkin have Martijn Tusveld from Rabbobank just now and picked up Nicky van der Lijke at the start of the year. So some link would seem to remain. And yes, Bissell have a few stagis at Trek.

 

[Afrank]

RusVelo/Katyusha link is not formal. Katyusha's formal feeder team is Itera-Katyusha, who are Continental.

Isn't Bissell the old Livestrong team and a Trek feeder? Euskadi/Orbea used to be a feeder for Euskaltel, obviously similarly the Leopard Development Team and Rabobank Continental have been orphaned from their World Tour counterparts.

It was originally intended to be a feeder into the Radioshack/Trek team. But it ended up being a bit more independent than that with a lot of their riders (some of their biggest riders) going to different teams (Boswell, Dombro, Craddock, Brown, etc.).