Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[ToreBear]

Well if Sky need a fall guy for their lackluster classics campaign, Geraint Thomas seems like a good candidate...

 

[thehog]

Well if Sky need a fall guy for their lackluster classics campaign, Geraint Thomas seems like a good candidate...

Don't worry. They'll turn him into a GT rider by September.

 

[BroDeal]

Don't worry. They'll turn him into a GT rider by September.

Obviously he has not learned to wash his hands correctly yet. They'll edumucate him.

 

[JRanton]

A rider he knows well. Didn't say who. Supposedly the ambiance in the team was very bad at the time

Between riders? Maybe caused by the ''zero tolerance'' policy that forced out De Jongh, Yates, Julich, Rogers etc?

EDIT: Actually thinking about it, are you referring to 2011 when he joined Garmin? That would make more sense as Sky was not a happy camp after the 2010 season.

 

[maltiv]

That's it. Hayman's numbers will be much worse than Stannard, Thomas and EBH but he's really the only Sky rider who handles the cobbles well.

Yup, Sky sacrificed him first because he had the lowest watt-output, which is what they do on mountain stages too. Completely ignoring the fact that Hayman looks incredible when he rides the cobbles - fluent, calm, efficient - whilst G and particularly EBH look horribly uncomfortable.

 

[JRanton]

Thomas is best suited to Flemish classics, but he's too light for Roubaix. Currently he's Sky's best classics talent though.

EBH can't handle cobbles and distance, Stannard can only perform in freezing temperatures, and Eisel or Hayman aren't top riders either. They have to start recruiting some real classics talent to win this. Vanmarcke?

Let's hope not...

Well, yes better suited to them than Roubaix and the Ardennes but I wouldn't say he's that well suited to them. I remember at both Omloop and E3 he was hanging on at the back of the front group on the cobbled climbs looking very uncomfortable. He finished 4th in both but it wasn't due to his ability on the cobbles, more due to his natural endurance/strength.

 

[JRanton]

They tried. Vanmarcke said a friend inside Sky told him not to even consider joining

Serge Pauwels (guessing)

 

[Ripper]

The next previewer of a classic that suggests EBH is a contender needs a good kick to the head.

They should just send Froome, Porte and Wiggo to P-R. It would be like Gewiss Ballan

 

[JimmyFingers]

They would bounce around like anyone's business. Wouldn't happen and you really think they would beat Cancellara anyway?

 

[uphillstruggle]

The next previewer of a classic that suggests EBH is a contender needs a good kick to the head.

yep. It's quite clear now that he is a super-domestique and quality stage hunter. That's it. Frankly, I feel Thomas is similar.

 

[peterst6906]

yep. It's quite clear now that he is a super-domestique and quality stage hunter. That's it. Frankly, I feel Thomas is similar.

Hmm. Maybe. I think he's more suited to the Ardennes Classic than the Flemish races.

This year he has been below expectations, but look at the last couple of years and the same can be said about a load of leading riders. Gilbert last year, Boonen 2010, etc.

Riders can have bad years, but for EBH I'd wait until after the next few weeks before saying his campaign has been super-domestique level ( if domestique, who for ).

 

[keithmcmahon]

They would bounce around like anyone's business. Wouldn't happen and you really think they would beat Cancellara anyway?

I doubt Chris Froome's infamous bike handling skills would stand up to the test.

Michelle Cound (his girlfriend) tweet yesterday indicates as much:

Quite happy @chrisfroome isn't riding #parisroubaix today, esp after hearing about his last experience (crashed into commissaires car!!)

 

[peterst6906]

I doubt Chris Froome's infamous bike handling skills would stand up to the test.

Michelle Cound (his girlfriend) tweet yesterday indicates as much:

Quite happy @chrisfroome isn't riding #parisroubaix today, esp after hearing about his last experience (crashed into commissaires car!!)

How does crashing into a Commissaires car equate to poor handling skills? 1 doesn't prove the other (it could just as easily show poor driving skills, which we've seen before on many occasions).

Also, since when with the M. Cound become the voice of cycling handling skills?

Not saying Froome has top skills, but I think you've drawn a bow so long that the string has broken.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Is it a conflict of interest? Hardly. What is my interest? It was a friendly note, clearly delivered in moderator's garb. My interest was clearly keeping the conversation civil, and respectful. theHog's sarcasm is clear to me, and most of hog's posts could be nothing BUT sarcasm, since they are so obviously contrary. However, this is not clear to everyone, and people do take exception to his posts. One option would be to delete his posts and ban theHog. I am trying to avoid that.

Is it bias? No, because we do get complaints about theHog.

Nice that whatever it is that chic's post was pointing out has been deleted. Guess we just have to umm guess what was going on.

 

[Ripper]

Hmm. Maybe. I think he's more suited to the Ardennes Classic than the Flemish races.

This year he has been below expectations, but look at the last couple of years and the same can be said about a load of leading riders. Gilbert last year, Boonen 2010, etc.

Riders can have bad years, but for EBH I'd wait until after the next few weeks before saying his campaign has been super-domestique level ( if domestique, who for ).

EBH consistently has not performed in classics, period. Quit making excuses for his performance.

 

[Ripper]

They would bounce around like anyone's business. Wouldn't happen and you really think they would beat Cancellara anyway?

It was a joke.

 

[JimmyFingers]

It was a joke.

Thought so, was just checking

 

[JRanton]

Hmm. Maybe. I think he's more suited to the Ardennes Classic than the Flemish races.

This year he has been below expectations, but look at the last couple of years and the same can be said about a load of leading riders. Gilbert last year, Boonen 2010, etc.

Riders can have bad years, but for EBH I'd wait until after the next few weeks before saying his campaign has been super-domestique level ( if domestique, who for ).

EBH isn't riding any of the Ardennes classics so waiting a few weeks isn't going to tell us very much!

 

[keithmcmahon]

I have just finished reading an interview with Wiggo in this months pro cycling about when he beat Armstrong on a climb in the 2009 giro: "that was the first time that I realised that I could really climb. No one expected it. From there I had the confidence to go on and finish fourth in the tour. Or third as it turned out. Who knows, I might be the winner of that tour now..."

Is he joking about contador and schleck junior? Or is he really making an accusation?

 

[ANCrider]

Well, one of them is a convicted dope cheat..

 

[Netserk]

Nice that whatever it is that chic's post was pointing out has been deleted. Guess we just have to umm guess what was going on.

None of chic's posts for more than a month have been deleted by a mod. What are you talking about?

 

[northstar]

I have just finished reading an interview with Wiggo in this months pro cycling about when he beat Armstrong on a climb in the 2009 giro: "that was the first time that I realised that I could really climb. No one expected it. From there I had the confidence to go on and finish fourth in the tour. Or third as it turned out. Who knows, I might be the winner of that tour now..."

Is he joking about contador and schleck junior? Or is he really making an accusation?

Britain’s wittiest celebrity strikes again. At least, I hope that’s a joke...

 

[ANCrider]

Who knows?

Maybe it his unwitting expression of a confidence in his own cleanliness and the lack of confidence in Schleck and Contador.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Britain’s wittiest celebrity strikes again. At least, I hope that’s a joke...

Agreed, but it's not very funny.

 

[Benotti69]

Who knows?

Maybe it his unwitting expression of a confidence in his own cleanliness and the lack of confidence in Schleck and Contador.

Maybe it his unwitting expression of a confidence in the UCI to keep taking the brown Sky envelopes