Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[Benotti69]

For Sky doms to sit setting tempo up mountains in GTs so other GC contenders cant get away and their riders not have a bad day is not normal.

 

[JimmyFingers]

That is true, I am trying hard, and failing, to recall a race where a sky rider was in a break.

I hope I get the right iders in the right races: Thomas at Omloop, Stannard at M-SR, Hayman and Stannard at Dwas, Thomas in E3 and Eisel in G-W

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

I hope I get the right iders in the right races: Thomas at Omloop, Stannard at M-SR, Hayman and Stannard at Dwas, Thomas in E3 and Eisel in G-W

I have not seen all the races but certainly in some cases it was more the Sky riders were in the select bunch near the end of the race rather than putting someone in an early break to relieve pressure (which is what I meant).

 

[Catwhoorg]

4 doctors employed by Team Sky but they don't know what the 1-day illness is.



And it's an illness - not a cold or something that you can race with. An actual illness.

For one day.

Does anyone have any experience with a one-day illness? 24 hour virus?

Didn't EBH have food poisoning post-Tenerife? And now Eisel is recovering from illness, but Hayman is just getting it.

Attention to detail and washing your hands properly is not working too well for these Team Sky classics riders.

I just had one, actually swept through the house.
Every one was really bad for 12-36 hours, the latter being my elderly mother.

One day after I was bag doing my routine exercising, though a little slower than otherwise.

Food poisoning, winter vomiting virus, something else who knows ? But its not necessarily suspicious.

 

[ANCrider]

For Sky doms to sit setting tempo up mountains in GTs so other GC contenders cant get away and their riders not have a bad day is not normal.

Sky doms aren't yer usual pack fodder though are they. Sky's ability to recruit top talent (£££) is considerable.

 

[JimmyFingers]

I have not seen all the races but certainly in some cases it was more the Sky riders were in the select bunch near the end of the race rather than putting someone in an early break to relieve pressure (which is what I meant).

My bad, you're right. Sky very rarely send someone up the road

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I just had one, actually swept through the house.
Every one was really bad for 12-36 hours, the latter being my elderly mother.

One day after I was bag doing my routine exercising, though a little slower than otherwise.

Food poisoning, winter vomiting virus, something else who knows ? But its not necessarily suspicious.

Yeah I think I remember something similar happening at school, but for the life of me don't remember if it was ever diagnosed.

Makes you realise a pro's life can be a ***** - at work you take a sickie and who cares. Take a sickie as a pro and the race is gone. :-/

 

[Benotti69]

Sky doms aren't yer usual pack fodder though are they. Sky's ability to recruit top talent (£££) is considerable.

Most GT talents had a bad day over 3 weeks, but the Skyborgs dont.

 

[ANCrider]

Most GT talents had a bad day over 3 weeks,

Yeah. Downside of transfusing badly stored blood. Not normal.

 

[will10]

Sky doms aren't yer usual pack fodder though are they. Sky's ability to recruit top talent (£££) is considerable.

Yeah, like David Lopez.

 

[Benotti69]

Yeah. Downside of transfusing badly stored blood. Not normal.

I was referring to the pre EPO era, but you knew that and would rather obfuscate.

 

[ANCrider]

I was referring to the pre EPO era, but you knew that and would rather obfuscate.

There was nothing in your post to indicate which era you were talking about.

 

[mattghg]

I almost wonder whether some of the Sky fans are happy when they don't win so they can say hey look not cheating and vice versa

Yeah, I wonder that too. All the time. To a large extent the way this thread is going to look for the rest of the season can probably be predicted as a result (unless something genuinely blows up).

 

[DirtyWorks]

That is true, I am trying hard, and failing, to recall a race where a sky rider was in a break.

Check the stage races already run. Stunning results after hiding out in Tenerife.

I have argued all along, there seems to be two tracks at Sky just like USPS.

My crackpot theory is Sky fulfills their obligation to do the events, but as the amount of luck needed for a podium plus the amount of resources spent to get the podium won't make sense to business people "growing" a sport. Stage racing on the other hand has more certainty and an enormous audience in July. Not perfect certainty, but much more compared to one-day events.

 

[BYOP88]

One day races are harder and more complicated than stage races. In a one day race your leader not feeling good basicly means = not winning. In a week long stage race/GT you have a bad day and you still have chance(s) to make the time back.

 

[JimmyFingers]

One day races are harder and more complicated than stage races. In a one day race your leader not feeling good basicly means = not winning. In a week long stage race/GT you have a bad day and you still have chance(s) to make the time back.

So what is your point?

 

[thehog]

So what is your point?

It's important to note that the first test when at altitude te UCI ignores.

So one test in 8 weeks means they've not been tested at all.

Tests for the passport are location specific. They account for altitude and its doesn't form part of a marker.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Check the stage races already run. Stunning results after hiding out in Tenerife.

I have argued all along, there seems to be two tracks at Sky just like USPS.

My crackpot theory is Sky fulfills their obligation to do the events, but as the amount of luck needed for a podium plus the amount of resources spent to get the podium won't make sense to business people "growing" a sport. Stage racing on the other hand has more certainty and an enormous audience in July. Not perfect certainty, but much more compared to one-day events.

Enhanced even further by the "gentleman's agreement" in place where the bunch slow for yellow or possible yellow jersey in a stage race. No such thing in a one dayer (that I am aware).

What if the entire sport is dependent on gambling? The smaller the sport the less TV time and less interest in the outcome. The bigger the sport, the larger the TV audience, the more the punters put down $$? And it doesn't even have to be direct or legit. Insurance policies are one example.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Check the stage races already run. Stunning results after hiding out in Tenerife.

I have argued all along, there seems to be two tracks at Sky just like USPS.

My crackpot theory is Sky fulfills their obligation to do the events, but as the amount of luck needed for a podium plus the amount of resources spent to get the podium won't make sense to business people "growing" a sport. Stage racing on the other hand has more certainty and an enormous audience in July. Not perfect certainty, but much more compared to one-day events.

But with all due respect, this is utter conjecture. Opinions of Sky change like the seasons, worse, they change every race. Early predictions after Oman and P-N and THAT stage at T-A and they were going to win everything going. The classics squad were hiding out at Teide, so many predicted the exact same thing was going on, that Leinders' fingers were reaching from beyond the contract non-renewal and injecting a new bunch, an new annointed to go out and destroy the infidels from the continent.

But instead they made a glorious mess of it, indicative of good athletic ability but poor tactics. But most obviously lacking the real strongman with race savvy to win these sort of events. Because there are stronger men out there. So now the classics team aren't doping any more, or the drugs don't have that much effect in these races, even though a fair few are saying the likes of Cancellara and Sagan aren't either, that their performances are 'believable'.

So where is the truth?

 

[BYOP88]

So what is your point?

Regardless of how much dope you do or don't do, you miss the key split in a one day race, bye bye victory.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Regardless of how much dope you do or don't do, you miss the key split in a one day race, bye bye victory.

I thought the Sky way to to drill at the front, so they never miss the split.

This is the problem with using performance as proof, it swings both ways. Now a few new theories need to be cooked up.

 

[maltiv]

Yeah, like David Lopez.

You should check out his palmares, he probably isn't as bad as you think...

Top 10 in P-N, CI, Pais Vasco etc - those are certainly results that indicate that he'd be a decent domestique. And he hasn't been anything more than just that, really.

 

[ebandit]

dope

Regardless of how much dope you do or don't do, you miss the key split in a one day race, bye bye victory.

but it's not as though riders missed such an obvious move..........everyone

was sure that spartacus would fly on the last climb

truth is that team sky lacked the strength to match that 'charge'

Mark L

 

[Ferminal]

You should check out his palmares, he probably isn't as bad as you think...

Top 10 in P-N, CI, Pais Vasco etc - those are certainly results that indicate that he'd be a decent domestique. And he hasn't been anything more than just that, really.

Most importantly, rode for the right team.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

But with all due respect, this is utter conjecture. Opinions of Sky change like the seasons, worse, they change every race. Early predictions after Oman and P-N and THAT stage at T-A and they were going to win everything going. The classics squad were hiding out at Teide, so many predicted the exact same thing was going on, that Leinders' fingers were reaching from beyond the contract non-renewal and injecting a new bunch, an new annointed to go out and destroy the infidels from the continent.

But instead they made a glorious mess of it, indicative of good athletic ability but poor tactics. But most obviously lacking the real strongman with race savvy to win these sort of events. Because there are stronger men out there. So now the classics team aren't doping any more, or the drugs don't have that much effect in these races, even though a fair few are saying the likes of Cancellara and Sagan aren't either, that their performances are 'believable'.

So where is the truth?

Pleaso, do take a look at the Sky Classics squad. Who do you think is able on a 260K hilly course to stay with guys like Cancellara, Boonen in good form, Ballan?

EBH is 'toast' after 200K.
Stannard was very poorly placed on the Koppenberg, it is not that his DS Knaven is a newbie in Flandres?
Thomas, he needs some years of cobblestone experience it seems.
The only one I see in their lineup would could do well in Flandres is Eisel but I dont think they will ride for him. Guess Brailsford hasnt looked up his cobblestone stats...

Their chances for Roubaix are much higher, but still, cobbles dont lie.