Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[slowup_fastdown]

Seems like a bunch of crap to me, but I'm no expert in radio interference.

I can say that power meters work fine on a local climb that has radio/broadcast equipment for the whole Los Angeles basin on top.

Can any engineers here comment on how likely is this interference?

I would hazard a guess that he is referring to (interference with) telemetry of the SRM and thus his ability to call the shots live.

 

[jilbiker]

Wiggins and "Saddle sores"

Does anyone buy this lingo from Wiggins? Whenever i hear saddlesores from a professional cyclist I am absolutely baffled. You do this for a living. You get the best equipment. Everything is checked and double checked. You have professional support staff of every aspect of cycling. I really don't buy it. There are two things that I associate with a saddle sore rant from a pro cyclist

1/ Lance and his famous use of saddle sores to get out of a positive
2/ Hamilton's book where he said saddle sore is a code word cover up for some druggie activity.

Sky coach says Wiggins never looked so good on the mountains. I think Wiggo is absolutely cooked for this Giro. He knows he has zero to negative chance in the TDF even if he was double juiced 'cos Froome uses the same magic pot. But it seems Nibali and others are also here with their juice. In the end the best juice wins right? I guess that's what lance meant by level playing field. Its now a game of chemicals....zero about talent.

 

[kingjr]

If I were you I would stop watching cycling now and do something more useful with my time.

 

[BroDeal]

Does anyone buy this lingo from Wiggins? Whenever i hear saddlesores from a professional cyclist I am absolutely baffled. You do this for a living. You get the best equipment. Everything is checked and double checked. You have professional support staff of every aspect of cycling. I really don't buy it.

The Skyboys have been so preoccupied with washing their hands that they forgot to wash their junk.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Finally, we have training. Kerrison and his swimming training practices are touted as the reason why they are so much better.

To wit:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kerrison-wiggins-has-never-been-this-good-on-the-climbs

Kerrison has masterminded the revolution in Team Sky's training methods in the last 18 months, replacing blocks of racing with intense training camps, often at altitude, and almost always gauged by SRM power metres.

intense training camps
+ training at altitude
+ with power meters
-------------------
= Revolutionary.
============

But then, in a comment on the linked article:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kerrison-wiggins-has-never-been-this-good-on-the-climbs

'd be interested to hear Kerrison on the Classics squad who are apparently not happy at the training regime. Apparently it has been too intense and has left them jaded - according to Brian Smith during a Eurosport commentary. Apparently, John Tiernan-Locke has gone back to his old coach since getting ill with the workload.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Did I say that??

Wiggins 2007->2009 is a bigger step up than Wiggins 2009->2012 IMO. If you're going to call something a 'transformation' surely the former is the better candidate...

My point is that there have been two major "transformations" in his career. When he went from back-fodder to outside contender, barely hanging on, and when he went from outside contender to invincible stage racer. As such, I think it's incorrect to suggest that he didn't transform while at Sky.

And to be pedantic, Garmin paid Wiggins in 2009, but it's clear from JV's post elsewhere that he wasn't really part of the "team" and even more pertinently, it was a Sky coach who coached Brad to his 2009 4th/3rd/2nd/1st place, in the form of Rod Ellginworth.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Seems like a bunch of crap to me, but I'm no expert in radio interference.

I can say that power meters work fine on a local climb that has radio/broadcast equipment for the whole Los Angeles basin on top.

Can any engineers here comment on how likely is this interference?

I think it's more the Ant+ protocol is operating at 2.4GHz and the TV cameras on the back of the motorbikes sending live footage of the race - if they operate on the same frequency - will interfere.

At home, your wireless router, etc, has channels, but I don't think Ant+ PMs have that function, I think they must use some other method (like an ID) to separate signals in the peloton.

So as the motorbike gets too close, passes, etc, you could potentially lose signal.

 

[MarkvW]

If I were you I would stop watching cycling now and do something more useful with my time.

Get a touring bike and see the world!

 

[martinvickers]

And to be pedantic, Garmin paid Wiggins in 2009, but it's clear from JV's post elsewhere that he wasn't really part of the "team" and even more pertinently, it was a Sky coach who coached Brad to his 2009 4th/3rd/2nd/1st place, in the form of Rod Ellginworth.

Well, to be pedantic, it was a BC coach rather than a Sky one -Sky not at that time existing.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Well, to be pedantic, it was a BC coach rather than a Sky one -Sky not at that time existing.

I disagree. Sky didn't exist on paper but they did have a meeting with ASO. And Ellingworth was going to be, and is, coaching the riders.

If Wiggins had a transformation it was before he joined Sky

Wiggins 2007->2009 is a bigger step up than Wiggins 2009->2012 IMO. If you're going to call something a 'transformation' surely the former is the better candidate...

matthgh is trying to say Wiggins' transformation didn't happen at (--> due to) Sky. Regardless of the apparent employer of the coach (Ellingworth), it wasn't a transformation at Garmin, due to Garmin, for Wiggins. IMO, Garmin had nothing to do with Wiggins transformation - it was all Sky.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

And for what it's worth, I don't think Ellingworth coached him to 4th either. Coached him, yes. But I think Wiggins had "help" to get 4th place. Help that has been refined over the years and was most evident in 2012.

 

[Ripper]

If I were you I would stop watching cycling now and do something more useful with my time.

One can have a clear perception of some of the doping practices, and yet still enjoy watching and participating in bike races.

 

[armchairclimber]

One can have a clear perception of some of the doping practices, and yet still enjoy watching and participating in bike races.

True, though after a year in the clinic I'm less clear than I was before I came in.

 

[maltiv]

Does anyone buy this lingo from Wiggins? Whenever i hear saddlesores from a professional cyclist I am absolutely baffled. You do this for a living. You get the best equipment. Everything is checked and double checked. You have professional support staff of every aspect of cycling. I really don't buy it. There are two things that I associate with a saddle sore rant from a pro cyclist

Of course they get saddle sores. As you say, they do this for a living. When your ride your bike 6 hours a day there's always a risk for getting saddle sores...

 

[JimmyFingers]

And for what it's worth, I don't think Ellingworth coached him to 4th either. Coached him, yes. But I think Wiggins had "help" to get 4th place. Help that has been refined over the years and was most evident in 2012.

I don't think anyone was under any illusions that you thought anything else

 

[Winterfold]

Of course they get saddle sores. As you say, they do this for a living. When your ride your bike 6 hours a day there's always a risk for getting saddle sores...

Rapha's bag balm may smell of lavender and be hit in the gents on Hampstead Heath but I am not convinced it is up to the job as quite a few riders seem to be suffering

If you want to protect your tackle your ar5e lard must be minty. FACT.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

i don't think anyone was under any illusions that you thought anything else

awesome.

Thanks for posting.

. .

 

[will10]

Sky should've signed Cancellara and teamed up with Assos as a kit supplier. Then they'd have no problems in the classics and their saddle sore issues would be a thing of the past.

 

[badboygolf16v]

Of course they get saddle sores. As you say, they do this for a living. When your ride your bike 6 hours a day there's always a risk for getting saddle sores...

Look up the Sean Kelly saddle sore story. It's not pleasant!

 

[Dear Wiggo]

They should have signed up a doctor who was good at dealing with saddle sores.

 

[xcleigh]

They should have signed up a doctor who was good at dealing with saddle sores.

They did. Then got rid of him. Hence....

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

Let me put it to you, seeing as I am on one side of the fence and you are perched precariously on it: if Wiggins podiumed in 2 or more GTs this year, would you say that is normal?

Giro-Tour would be unusual, given the time gap between the two is too long to hold a peak and too short to recover and re-peak with plenty of riders aiming to peak at one or the other. Exhibit A = Berto 2011.

Giro-Vuelta seems entirely plausible if a rider is good enough to podium in a GT, as there's enough time to recover and re-peak. Exhibit B = Berto 2008.

Tour-Vuelta would be similar to Giro-Tour. Exhibit C = Froome 2012.

However, this is all old ground. I've said plenty of times that I think Sky/Wiggo are suspicious. My particular point this time round was that however you try and spin it, Wiggo's opposition last year (particularly in the Tour) was weak.

If you don't believe this, draw up a list of riders who had demonstrated GT podium form in recent seasons. This seems like a decent proxy for "quality of rider" when assessing a GT field. Then see how many of them rode the Tour without the obvious handicap of a hard Giro in their legs. One list is much shorter than the other!

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Giro-Vuelta seems entirely plausible if a rider is good enough to podium in a GT, as there's enough time to recover and re-peak. Exhibit B = Berto 2008.

Let me get this straight. If Wiggins does it, it's fine, coz Alberto Contadoper did it?

 

[JimmyFingers]

. .

You've changed, you used to be quite pleasant and I had time and respect for, now you're quoting the hog at me. The smilie was an indication of the motivation for that post, guess you didn't take it in the spirit it was intended. Duly noted.

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

Let me get this straight. If Wiggins does it, it's fine, coz Alberto Contadoper did it?

The reference to Berto was because he did the Giro/Vuelta double in 2008, so it's clearly possible, whereas the Giro/Tour double was beyond him.

In doping terms, I don't think a Giro/Vuelta double would be significantly more indicative of doping than simply winning the Giro. If you're good enough to feature highly in the Giro (by whatever means) then you'll be good enough to feature highly in the Vuelta as well, so long as you retain control of your schedule and are able to recover and re-peak properly.