Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[Parker]

can we put this season's sky dominance in a historical perspective? Have there ever been teams more dominant over a whole season than sky has been this season? (honest question)

There have been individual riders more dominant than Sky this season - Merckx, Hinault, Coppi, Indurain, Roche (87), Kelly (84), for example.

 

[Benotti69]

There have been individual riders more dominant than Sky this season - Merckx, Hinault, Coppi, Indurain, Roche (87), Kelly (84), for example.

Sniper posted teams. You posted riders. You just posted some big doping names there.

 

[Benotti69]

any great clinic thinkers who can explain sky's total failure since the tour? wrong bloodbags?

It is similar to USPS, TdF is the big one. Achieve that. Leave the scraps to the rest.

 

[Parker]

Sniper posted teams. You posted riders. You just posted some big doping names there.

Those riders had teams, you know.

Sky's palmares this season would be a substandard season for Merckx.

 

[oldcrank]

can we put this season's sky dominance in a historical perspective? Have there ever been teams more dominant over a whole season than sky has been this season? (honest question)

Renault-Elf had pretty good years in 1983 and 1984.

 

[pmcg76]

Gewiss had a pretty big year in 94.

Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, Criterium International, Fleche Wallone 1-2-3, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Trentino, Giro d'Italia, 2nd in theTour + 4 stages, Tour of Lombardy. In fairness that is a better season than SKY this year but then again Gewiss were famous for???

 

[BYOP88]

Gewiss had a pretty big year in 94.

Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, Criterium International, Fleche Wallone 1-2-3, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Trentino, Giro d'Italia, 2nd in theTour + 4 stages, Tour of Lombardy. In fairness that is a better season than SKY this year but then again Gewiss were famous for???

Hmm taking their pillows with them or was it washing their hands?

 

[Netserk]

If we only count stage races, then Sky '13 > Gewiss '94.

Sky:
Oman, P-N, 2nd T-A (strongest rider), 2nd & 3rd PV (arguably the strongest rider in Porte), Romandie, 2nd Giro, Dauphine 1st & 2nd, and finally TdF.

 

[Parker]

If we only count stage races, then Sky '13 > Gewiss '94.

But if we only count the races that Gewiss did well in, instead of the ones Sky did well in, then Gewiss '94 > Sky '13

 

[red_flanders]

But if we only count the races that Gewiss did well in, instead of the ones Sky did well in, then Gewiss '94 > Sky '13

Just the fact that people are comparing speaks loudly enough for me.

 

[Parker]

Just the fact that people are comparing speaks loudly enough for me.

Only a couple of people on here. Not a place with a reputation for rational thought.

Any era has a team that is the best. Alcyon, Peugeot, Bianchi, Faema, TI-Raleigh, Renault, La Vie Claire, Banesto, Mapei, etc. You can pick which ever one its the most emotively fits your cause - but is no more valid than any of the others. The one thing they all actually had in common was money.

 

[red_flanders]

Only a couple of people on here. Not a place with a reputation for rational thought.

Any era has a team that is the best. Alcyon, Peugeot, Bianchi, Faema, TI-Raleigh, Renault, La Vie Claire, Banesto, Mapei, etc. You can pick which ever one its the most emotively fits your cause - but is no more valid than any of the others. The one thing they all actually had in common was money.

Sure, fine.

My post was more on the "memorable, watershed outrageous performances" tilt. Geweiss at Fleche in 94 (which I did not see live) and Ventoux '13. Would probably throw a Hautacam '00 in there as well.

 

[Parker]

Sure, fine.

My post was more on the "memorable, watershed outrageous performances" tilt. Geweiss at Fleche in 94 (which I did not see live) and Ventoux '13. Would probably throw a Hautacam '00 in there as well.

Gewiss at Fleche 94

1. Argentin
2. Furlan
3. Berzin
4th @ 1.14

Sky at Ventoux 13

1. Froome
15. Porte
45. Kennaugh

I'm not seeing the parallels. Every time they go up Ventoux, somebody wins. And Froome did the climb slower than they did in 2009 when everyone moaned that nobody seemed to want to race.

 

[the sceptic]

but did Gewiss have a tailwind?

 

[BroDeal]

I'm not seeing the parallels. Every time they go up Ventoux, somebody wins. And Froome did the climb slower than they did in 2009 when everyone moaned that nobody seemed to want to race.

Froome did not have to ride fast. The race was won already. All he had to do was to not fall off his bike. Stupid comparison.

It is funny that Sky is equal or better than the most doped up team of the 90's, the team that showed everyone they needed to use EPO or retire.

 

[del1962]

Sure, fine.

My post was more on the "memorable, watershed outrageous performances" tilt. Geweiss at Fleche in 94 (which I did not see live) and Ventoux '13. Would probably throw a Hautacam '00 in there as well.

In the last few years the most memorable performance in a stage race was Andy's Galibier Stage in 2011

 

[kingjr]

In the last few years the most memorable performance in a stage race was Andy's Galibier Stage in 2011

2006 Floyd Landis. That was the most memorable thing I have seen, ever, in cycling. I was sitting on a chair eyes glued to the screen for 5 1/2 hours and couldn't believe that this was happening.

 

[del1962]

2006 Floyd Landis. That was the most memorable thing I have seen, ever, in cycling. I was sitting on a chair eyes glued to the screen for 5 1/2 hours and couldn't believe that this was happening.

Yes I remember that one as well, I am guessing it must have been on a saturday, after the positive came out, I gave up watching cycling for a few years

 

[sniper]

Froome did not have to ride fast. The race was won already. All he had to do was to not fall off his bike. Stupid comparison.

It is funny that Sky is equal or better than the most doped up team of the 90's, the team that showed everyone they needed to use EPO or retire.

indeed.
in the horner thread it was suggested that horner in this form may have beaten froome in the tour, but then i think we've never seen froome reach his max in the tour.
he was never really pushed to the limit.

 

[LaFlorecita]

indeed.
in the horner thread it was suggested that horner in this form may have beaten froome in the tour, but then i think we've never seen froome reach his max in the tour.
he was never really pushed to the limit.

Indeed. Scary to think about it really.

 

[coinneach]

indeed.
in the horner thread it was suggested that horner in this form may have beaten froome in the tour, but then i think we've never seen froome reach his max in the tour.
he was never really pushed to the limit.

But, we did see Froome tire towards the end, and loose time to his competitors (who arguably had been saving themselves for week3)

Whereas Horner just seems to get stronger and stronger

What is also sad is how no one seems to have faith in the testing.
In this years Giro, the two riders with the most unbelievable performance both got popped: no one popped in the Tour...what about this Vuelta?

 

[JimmyFingers]

total failure?
you need to be in good shape to pull of what kiryenka pulled off yesterday.

can we put this season's sky dominance in a historical perspective? Have there ever been teams more dominant over a whole season than sky has been this season? (honest question)

I thought they were more dominant the year before.

 

[Netserk]

Most dominant teams in stage races:

2013 (so far): Sky
Oman, P-N, T-A 2nd, Criterium International 1st & 2nd, VaPV 2nd & 3rd, Romandie, Giro 2nd, Dauphine 1st & 2nd, Tour.

2012: Sky
Algarve 1st & 3rd, P-N, Romandie 1st, 4th &5th, Dauphine, 1st, 2nd & 4th, Tour 1st & 2nd, Vuelta 4th. Podium in: Criterium International, Pologne, Burgos & Beijing.

2011: No team was really strong that year.
Toss up between Evans and Contador, both without any team member winning any stage race of note. Evans: T-A, Romandie & Tour. Contador: Murcia, Catalunya, Giro & Tour 5th.

2010: Astana or Liquigas
Astana: Algarve, P-N, Castilla y Leon, Trentino, Dauphine 2nd, Tour. Liquigas: San Luis, Sardegna, Giro 1st & 3rd, Slovénie, Burgos 3rd & Vuelta.

2009: Astana
Cali, Algarve, T-A 3rd, Castilla y Leon 1st & 2nd, VaPV, Catalunya 3rd, Lux 2nd, Dauphine 3rd & Tour 1st, 3rd & 6th.

2008: Astana
Cali, Castilla y Leon 1st & 4th, VaPV, Romandie, Giro, Dauphine 3rd, Suisse 2nd & Vuelta 1st & 2nd.

That was the passport era. Perhaps later I will take a look at the EPO-test era.

 

[BYOP88]

So will Chief Wiggum be back on the 2012 juice for the Tour of Britain?

 

[the sceptic]

Doubt it. Hell get dropped like a stone on every hill is my guess