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Sky's classics problems

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Mar 31, 2010
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Gloin22 said:
sky1dm.jpg


Do I need to say more ? ( because I can considering results from Sky from past 2 years :p )

Sky is by far the best all round team in the peleton right now by far, and hence the best in the peleton.

....

Classic season wasn't great at all, they didn't have a top name in cobbles, and their only cobbled hope, was having a mare with crashes :p

sky have one 1 wt race so far out like 15? that isn't dominating. yes they always score good in gc's, which scores the most points in uci rules but don't win all that often either. they've also won 1 gt in past 3 years.
 
Gloin22 said:
sky1dm.jpg


Do I need to say more ? ( because I can considering results from Sky from past 2 years :p )

Sky is by far the best all round team in the peleton right now by far, and hence the best in the peleton.

....

Classic season wasn't great at all, they didn't have a top name in cobbles, and their only cobbled hope, was having a mare with crashes :p
Sky's victories this year:

5 MTF's
4 hilly stages
3 ITT's + 1 TTT
3 stage races

So that leaves us with: 0 sprints, 0 hilly classics, 0 cobbled classics. So they're only really good at stage racing, and everything that comes with it, but completely suck at everything else ;)
 
Aug 18, 2009
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The Classics are clearly secondary for Sky, they're all about the stage races. They'll just trot out EBH and the British guys until they get the hang of it. They dropped Classics guys this year and hired more climbers.
 
Mar 9, 2013
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Ryo Hazuki said:
sky have one 1 wt race so far out like 15? that isn't dominating. yes they always score good in gc's, which scores the most points in uci rules but don't win all that often either. they've also won 1 gt in past 3 years.

Yes because 1 GT is bad:rolleyes:, they have only been great for 2 years they have done brilliant in GT's they will start to dominate once other's can win Vuelta and Giro it will be a clean sweep you could not expect them too win 3 GT's last year when their best 2 stage racers rode the TDF. This year they will probably win 2 if not I could see at least a podium on each GT. I know people don't like Sky but you have to admit they control almost every stage race, may not win them all but the intent is their imo. This season they can genuinely go into each GT having a fav and if they play it right and Henao does not do the TDF then I would certainly make him a top 3 fav for the Vuelta. I really think this year we will see a changing of the guard with Purito and Valverde doing Vuelta I can see Henao or Quintana winning the Vuelta.:D
 
Ryo Hazuki said:
sky have one 1 wt race so far out like 15? that isn't dominating. yes they always score good in gc's, which scores the most points in uci rules but don't win all that often either. they've also won 1 gt in past 3 years.

They have won 1 GT but they were 1-2 in TDF2012. That is dominating. Vuelta 2011 2nd and 3rd. Giro 2012 2 in top 10. Most other teams have only one person in the top 10 of GTs. Besides which it is not always about the win. The way they dictated the pace of the peloton in TDF 2012 in the mountains was all about dominating the peloton. I would say that they are dominating in the GTs that they are prepared for.
 
Mar 9, 2013
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Ryo Hazuki said:
I'm sure cancellara doesn't want to sign with sky

Okay then if you say so, his team as never been strong imo I no he don't need a great team but Thomas and Stannard would be strong doms, probably would not happen but if he wants to still be a force for an even longer period maybe he needs a few doms because he is 32 now, surely he will slow down a bit no? or go back to Saxo.
 
Mar 31, 2010
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IndianCyclist said:
They have won 1 GT but they were 1-2 in TDF2012. That is dominating. Vuelta 2011 2nd and 3rd. Giro 2012 2 in top 10. Most other teams have only one person in the top 10 of GTs. Besides which it is not always about the win. The way they dictated the pace of the peloton in TDF 2012 in the mountains was all about dominating the peloton. I would say that they are dominating in the GTs that they are prepared for.

dominating is winning pretty much everything that you are good in. sky has won 1 wt stage race this year and 1 gt in past years, you guys clearly weren't watching when mapei(classics) and us epostal(gt's) were around
 
Ryo Hazuki said:
dominating is winning pretty much everything that you are good in. sky has won 1 wt stage race this year and 1 gt in past years, you guys clearly weren't watching when mapei(classics) and us epostal(gt's) were around
yeah we may be all over reacting a bit to Sky. Maybe it's their talk that annoys the hell out of me.
Still, I'll wait until the end of the Tour to make a call :D
 
Mar 7, 2012
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seeing as I set this dominance issue off, I guess I have right of reply...

I mentioned it mainly because of the subservient blinkered way the British press reports cycling, I.E the TdF is everything and they are interested in other races only if Wiggo, cav and Froome are likely to win or do well.

Nice stats - is this from Cycling Quotient or UCI ranking points? It would be good to quote your source.

Look at it another way Inner ring published team victories as at 22 April - Omwga Pharma Quick Step 19, Sky 15, Orica Green Edge 14, Lotto 12. hardly Sky dominance is it - if the objective is to get one of your team on the top step of the podium.

If a team was dominant they would be winning in all types of races not just Stage races. I would suggest that a lot of Skys "points" are from stage wins or high stage placings. Not really comparable with winning the Ronde is it? Particularly when your head honcho says he wants to make more of an impact in the classics.

Yes, Sky are very good stage races, and did "dominate" a lot of these last year particularly the 1 -2 and the way the rode in le Tour.As an aside compare them to La Vie Claire in '86 Lemond 1st, Hinault 2nd, Hampsten 4th, Ruttiman 7th and Bernard 12th.

Well done to Froome for winning Romandie but as he finished nowhere and made no contribution as far as i could see in LBL kinda vindicates my argument really. And note they only won one GT. Hinault could win two on his own.


Good stage racers, nowhere in the classics, therefore cannot be considered dominant
 
May 9, 2012
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Having the best and 3rd stage racer in the world, nothing but dominance in those races should be expected. Although lately the races have involved less train and more action, which can only be applauded.
 
Mar 7, 2012
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brilleaben said:
Having the best and 3rd stage racer in the world, nothing but dominance in those races should be expected. Although lately the races have involved less train and more action, which can only be applauded.

Best and third stage racer?

Current CQ sub rankings for stage races in 2013 are:
1 Froome 1597
2. Contador 1090
3. Rodriguez 1066
4, Wiggins 1018
5 Nibali 1015
6. Porte 875
7. Van Garderen 853
8. Henao 745
9.Van den Broeck784
10 Valverde 699

So no not actually 1st and 3rd, but 1, 4, 6, and 8 is pretty impressive And BTW the closeness of Wiggins and Nibali seems to point to an epic Giro battle

Did same for one day races and top sky guys are Henao 12th and Uran 16th
 
Mar 7, 2012
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eagleofditchling said:
Best and third stage racer?

Current CQ sub rankings for stage races in 2013 are:
1 Froome 1597
2. Contador 1090
3. Rodriguez 1066
4, Wiggins 1018
5 Nibali 1015
6. Porte 875
7. Van Garderen 853
8. Henao 745
9.Van den Broeck784
10 Valverde 699

So no not actually 1st and 3rd, but 1, 4, 6, and 8 is pretty impressive And BTW the closeness of Wiggins and Nibali seems to point to an epic Giro battle

Did same for one day races and top sky guys are Henao 12th and Uran 16th

OOPs missed EBH at 4th - must get some new glasses - but noted he hasnt ctually won a race
 
May 28, 2012
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Servais Knaven has said the following to Sporza:

Servais Knaven komt tot slot terug op het magere voorjaar van Sky, al relativeert hij dat meteen. "Er wonnen maar een paar jongens. Dus verloren wij niet alleen. Met onze verschillende aanpak (stage in Tenerife, red) heeft het niks te maken. Iedereen was enthousiast en het is zeker voor herhaling vatbaar."

TR: In the end Knaven talked about the disappointing spring, but he immediately puts it into perspective. ''Only a few guys won races. We weren't the only ones who lost. It has nothing to do with our alternative approach. Everyone was very exited to try it again next year.''
 
May 11, 2009
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Maybe Sky is not that interested in the classics but more interested in stage races, especially the big three.

I do not recall USPS/Radioshack being that interested in the classics (apart from Hincapie and PR).
 
Jun 18, 2009
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maltiv said:
Sky's victories this year:

5 MTF's
4 hilly stages
3 ITT's + 1 TTT
3 stage races

So that leaves us with: 0 sprints, 0 hilly classics, 0 cobbled classics. So they're only really good at stage racing, and everything that comes with it, but completely suck at everything else ;)

Exactly, that's why they need to get rid of the chubby cheeked Norwegian on nearly 2 million euros per year who keeps failing horribly time after time and replace him with someone who can win some spring classics.
 
Jan 3, 2011
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avanti said:
Maybe Sky is not that interested in the classics but more interested in stage races, especially the big three.

I do not recall USPS/Radioshack being that interested in the classics (apart from Hincapie and PR).

No after last years Tour they explicitly stated that they wanted to focus more on the classics and win one in 2013.

EDIT: Sorry, other people already made that point.
 
JRanton said:
Exactly, that's why they need to get rid of the chubby cheeked Norwegian on nearly 2 million euros per year who keeps failing horribly time after time and replace him with someone who can win some spring classics.

very nice.

Who should they get instead? Ain't many in the peloton who can deliver consistently in the cobbled classics. And the Ardennes looks like a lottery these days.
 
Pentacycle said:
Servais Knaven has said the following to Sporza:



TR: In the end Knaven talked about the disappointing spring, but he immediately puts it into perspective. ''Only a few guys won races. We weren't the only ones who lost. It has nothing to do with our alternative approach. Everyone was very exited to try it again next year.''

This will come as a surprise to Maltiv but not to me. The cobbled classics group arrived at San-Remo in good condition, with the possible exception of EBH after his food poisoning episode in Tenerife. They obviously didn't make the gains that the GC riders have made but their condition was perfectly good relative to previous years. The riders just aren't good enough to win but then only a select few in the peloton are.
 
JRanton said:
Well Cancellara is the obvious one but I don't see it happening. Maybe Vanmarcke if Blanco folds?
Vanmarcke is the most obvious pick imo. But who knows, Sky might make him ride as a domestique for G or someone else still, as they still don't seem to get the fact that a high watt output or FTP isn't the most important factor in P-R...
 

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