Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[romnom]

I tried to think this whole Sky declaration of cleanliness thing through and there are couple of things that left me confused. What do they do to people who tell in the interview that they have nothing to hide and then refuse to sign the pledge or whatever it is they call it? How does it work with their existing contracts? Don't at least riders get kicked out anyway if something shady comes up so how is this pledge any different from their normal contracts? And if it changes the terms of their original contract why would even a clean rider sign it? For staff with short contracts I can see how this might work but it would still be basically blackmail. Don't sign and no new contract, confess and you get some compensation.

Then there's the UCI/WADA. What is their role in this? I can't see how this confession business would be between Sky and their staff. At least for riders, shouldn't any sort of doping confessions be directed to the anti doping organisations? And if someone happened to confess, it's not like finding a new team would be their biggest worry. I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain that active riders can't confess anything and not get banned. Now obviously no active rider is going to confess to anything, but even as a pure PR exercise this thing is quite confusing.

 

[hfer07]

So the Zero tolerance policy is working after all..

putting together some piece of paper for riders to sign & firing people with past offenses means nothing at-they do want to divert attention elsewhere while posing as as extreme as possible-meanwhile we'll see even better performances next year from Froome, Wiggins & Co.

This new policy sounds to me exactly like LA when he said he'd stopped working with Ferrari since 04, but "the template" was running full gas behind curtains...


PS: I'm not necessarily disbelieving in Sky's new anti-doping policy-I do appreciate the effort to cut ties with the rotten apples--I'm just so fvcking frustrated with empty promises & full of doubts about every single person in Pro-cycling--that's all

 

[BroDeal]

I tried to think this whole Sky declaration of cleanliness thing through and there are couple of things that left me confused. What do they do to people who tell in the interview that they have nothing to hide and then refuse to sign the pledge or whatever it is they call it? How does it work with their existing contracts?

I asked that before but no one was interested in replying. Perhaps aside from contracts the team might even run afoul of labor laws. Maybe the golden parachutes are to satisfy existing contracts. I wonder if the payouts include an NDA.

I wonder what happens when a rider under contract tells them to sod off and if they want a new employment restriction then they can negotiate it for the next contract.

It also seems to me that a rider who was released because he did not, in effect, allow Sky to renegotiate his contract in mid stream might be able to say his reputation and future employability had been harmed.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

With Sky, the policy is "Zero tolerance" and applies to everyone.

I have a Zero Tolerance policy for Sky and any of their riders from now on.

From omerta to "no forgiveness" is not the recipe to clean up the sport.

I do guess this means that Wiggins, Rogers, and Froome are confirmed "clean" now...

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I have a Zero Tolerance policy for Sky and any of their riders from now on.

From omerta to "no forgiveness" is not the recipe to clean up the sport.

I do guess this means that Wiggins, Rogers, and Froome are confirmed "clean" now...

Dude I have read affidavits that doping in the pro peloton stopped in 2006/7 some time. Instaclean. Before the passport was even fully implemented. Just in time for the best GT performances of said no longer doping riders.

Magical cupcake pooping unicorns n all.

 

[veganrob]

Isn't Brailsford negligent for signing these people in the first place "without knowing their history", who will sack him? Who will ask him if he ever knowingly hired someone with a doping history.



The funny thing is it sounds like they are getting a nice payout .

Hush...

Negligent is a very diplomatic way to put it. Yes, if we are expected to believe all Brailsford bluster then he should have known better. He is a con. Nothing more.

 

[simo1733]

I don't fancy their chances if they go back to Brailsford calling the tactics.They tried this at the start with hopeless results,at which point they realised that they needed experience in the car.
Unfortunately expierience = links to doping.
Are there any capable and u tainted DS in the world of cycling?

 

[Ferminal]

Someone should tell JV his team is now dirtier than Sky.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Dude I have read affidavits that doping in the pro peloton stopped in 2006/7 some time. Instaclean. Before the passport was even fully implemented. Just in time for the best GT performances of said no longer doping riders.

Magical cupcake pooping unicorns n all.

I hear the sarcasm in your post, the last thing I’ll say to someone like you who doesn't believe in cycling, you cynic and sceptic: I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles...

 

[thehog]

Someone's going to get sued for wrongful dismissal soon.

Question remains. Are the sackings to protect the riders or protect the secret?

This is only going to get the sacked ones angry and talking.

Wiggins has to stand up for his team.

The whole thing is so odd. I really don't understand it.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

It's less a sacking and more of a golden parachute, I would have thought?

ETA: Keeping in mind - none of these guys are employees, they are all contractors.

 

[python]

this thread should have been titles 'sky mess'.

you can fault jv for many things, but he was right about this mess

 

[Franklin]

So, the structure of Sky 2012 is corrupt after all?

Dang, those clinic "haters" being right again and again. But they were fukcing wakners and really should not question any riders of performance.

I imagine a lot of sky fanboys going through the "memory wipe routines" and repeat the mantra "at Sky DB was so antidoping that they were monitored and couldn't use their corrupt ideas. Besides it was long ago".

 

[Franklin]

Question remains. Are the sackings to protect the riders or protect the secret?

This is only going to get the sacked ones angry and talking.

Even if Sky is clean, expect that any mention of potential adverse happenings (be it doping or other stuff) is covered extensively in an NDA/reward scheme. That only makes sense (yes, even if Sky is clean I expect them to create a firewall).

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Even if Sky is clean, expect that any mention of potential adverse happenings (be it doping or other stuff) is covered extensively in an NDA/reward scheme. That only makes sense (yes, even if Sky is clean I expect them to create a firewall).

Can I get a bitter, jealous ex-teammate clause in there somewhere?

 

[bobbins]

Dave B knew the history of some, why is he safe?

This is going to kick right off as I can't see any of their coaching staff staying.

Unless its a selective process?

 

[blackcat]

Is this just a bunch of guesses, based on what exactly?

based on the fact that they are winners, their heads have grown, and their performances are too good to be true in the androgen era

 

[armchairclimber]

I'm glad that SKY are cleaning out the old guard with doping history. PR - wise it's messy but I think it's the right thing to do. Other teams should do likewise...give some younger riders and ambitious young DS a chance. It might compromise race results for a short while but I think it's what cycling needs.

I like and admire JV but I'm not utterly convinced by the redemption path. At the end of the day, what really matters though is that the athletes are competing now without PEDs and whether it's the Garmin way or the Sky way, whichever works is fine.

So, what about the rest of the peleton? Will this put pressure on other teams to follow suit? Will sponsors look for teams that are the least likely to drag their name through the mud in 5 years time?

 

[wannab]

Question remains. Are the sackings to protect the riders or protect the secret?

This is only going to get the sacked ones angry and talking.

either they've been paid off very generously to prevent bad mouthing (or we'll hear from them soon).

or they are no so dirty as sometimes presumed here, meaning clean.

 

[blackcat]

its not cleaning out the old guard.

It is a fricken stupid PR gambit, as everyone on that team and involved in it, knows well how they got their results this year

how does Brailsford justify that he is the head of the doping pyramid on his team, the resource spigot comes through him. He knows where he invests in.

DB, just keep on checking your CQranking all day, cos no cycling quotient gonna give you an IQ.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Sky is still failing. Because Knaven was also ex-TVM, he's still there.

 

[Stueyy]

It is reassuring to know none of the current riders at Sky have ever doped. Good old cross your heart and hope to die stuff, but I think they might have their fingers crossed. Until at least one rider comes forward then this is only getting rid of the guys in the background who have at least had the balls to admit to it (or most likely have been pushed) so it won't overly hurt the PR integrity of Sky. Brailsford is the big problem not the solution if you want clean British cycling...

 

[hrotha]

When someone that wasn't already 99% proven to be doper steps down, I might believe in this policy. Everybody knew about these guys (come on, 1998 TVM?) - and so did Brailsford, who's now claiming to be a little innocent man oblivious to everything.

He should be the first to go. Then Rogers. Then I would accept this is more than PR.

 

[Benotti69]

When someone that wasn't already 99% proven to be doper steps down, I might believe in this policy. Everybody knew about these guys (come on, 1998 TVM?) - and so did Brailsford, who's now claiming to be a little innocent man oblivious to everything.

He should be the first to go. Then Rogers. Then I would accept this is more than PR.

I agree. Brailsford should've resigned!

He was there when Millar was arrested. He knew it all. He is lying about being shocked.

I hope someone gets sick of his hypocrisy and blows the lid on Sky!

 

[Captain Sensible]

I agree. Brailsford should've resigned!

He was there when Millar was arrested. He knew it all. He is lying about being shocked.

I hope someone gets sick of his hypocrisy and blows the lid on Sky!

+1 but he won't He should take a good look at his coaching staff on the track as well .