Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[hrotha]

But, why do you think he was a good climber. At the tour when he got the white jersey in 2010 and said he wanted to defend it as long as possible yet lost it on the Station des Rousses stages where he bombed 4 minutes even though the stage was soft pedalled and not even that hard.

I didn't say he was a good climber, I said he could climb at his current level, or close. He was 21st in the 2010 Dauphiné. That's before Leinders. He was 30th in the 2011 Tour de France.

In 2012 he focused on the track and his results were affected as would be expected.

Of course the fact that he rides for Sky makes every performance of his suspect, but I don't see him as having improved beyond what was expected of him 3 years ago. That for me puts him in the same group as EBH rather than Froome, at least for now.

 

[maltiv]

He did a pretty good ITT earlier this week. 10th, but only 50s behind Froome and closer to EBH and RP.

Let's just say one of my eyebrows went up.

He was 7th in the long ITT in Dauphine in 2011.

So unless becoming slightly worse at TT'ing is suspicious then I really don't get why your eyebrows went up by that performance.

 

[JimmyFingers]

Thomas isn't suspicious for me, except by association. He could always climb at this level, except for last year, when he focused on the track. He put on a lot of weight, and he couldn't climb at all, but he did his best ITTs ever. Which is what you'd expect, contrary to some who allegedly drop tons of weight but improve their time-trialing and even their sprint.

Good post: reasoned analysis, objective outlook, non-selective recall of events...sure you're in the right forum?

 

[hrotha]

Good post: reasoned analysis, objective outlook, non-selective recall of events...sure you're in the right forum?

You do realize that "reasoned analysis, objective outlook, non-selective recall of events" leads to my calling out Wiggins implicitly, right?

 

[JimmyFingers]

You do realize that "reasoned analysis, objective outlook, non-selective recall of events" leads to my calling out Wiggins implicitly, right?

I wouldn't expect anything less my friend

Made me laugh

 

[Froome19]

He did a pretty good ITT earlier this week. 10th, but only 50s behind Froome and closer to EBH and RP.

Let's just say one of my eyebrows went up.

Do keep in mind his role was to police Dodgers and Conti, et al. I have no doubt that if they had been bridging up, G would have been right there with them. So he could have been closer. Also keep in mind he has been a total gregario in this race - lots of grunt work, but still came in 15th overall.

Hmmmmmm

There are a lot of clueless posts in this thread, but this is surely the worse of them.

Seriously this post just oozes ignorance

 

[martinvickers]

I wouldn't have such a big problem if he had shown improvement over time but it's only 4 months since he was awful on Willunga, that day he looked like a 3km climb was beyond his capabilities. Now this. Kennaugh's transformation from a rider who couldn't get in the Giro team a few weeks ago is also puzzling. Luke Rowe will be next.

To be fair, I've heard mutterings about Kennaugh's abilities and talents for ages. We're there not even suggestions, pre Wiggins, that he would Sky's 5 year project?

Thomas has had an exception Dauphine, though. Kennaugh seems to have the frame that ought to be made for the mountains (check the olympics, he's noticably, and by some distance, the smallest of the team pursuiters) but Thomas is more a Wiggo-clone; a fair sized unit, not the greatest kick in the world up a hill, but a hell of an engine (though more than wiggo).

But if this version of Thomas improves much further for the Tour, you are going to have a selection of deisels in Kiriyenka, Stannard, Boss and Thomas, the likes of which it's hard to remember. Stick Porte and Kennaugh on top and ...sweet lord.

The question is, if by week three a clear front runner arises among the hispaniphones, will the spanish and colombians pull in behind them? It's been a while since we saw such cross-team alliances, but I always kind of liked the dynamics of making your allies on the road.

Assuming Contador takes Roman, Nico and Rogers; if he got help from Valverde and Quintana, Purito you might have a race....

 

[the sceptic]

If only the tour had a mountain stage

 

[will10]

Porte's troll face made me laugh.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/criterium-du-dauphine-2013/stage-8/photos/268973

OK, as you were.

 

[Froome19]

Kennaugh was the one touted as being the Tour de France winner in 5 year for Sky if it didn't work out for Wiggins. Since his Giro Bio ride he has been hailed by many in BC as the next big thing. Once again people's ignorance never fails to amuse.

 

[BYOP88]

Kennaugh was the one touted as being the Tour de France winner in 5 year for Sky if it didn't work out for Wiggins. Since his Giro Bio ride he has been hailed by many in BC as the next big thing. Once again people's ignorance never fails to amuse.

Nothing like home team support!

 

[Ripper]

He was 7th in the long ITT in Dauphine in 2011.

So unless becoming slightly worse at TT'ing is suspicious then I really don't get why your eyebrows went up by that performance.

Might be because I was in too much of a rush to type before heading out the door

As I noted to Hitch "It was the climbing that raised the eyebrow. The point about the TT was - TT is about the same (and where it should be), but climbing better. So, it`s beginning to look like weight loss with no loss in TT."

There are a lot of clueless posts in this thread, but this is surely the worse of them.

Seriously this post just oozes ignorance

Why? And are you referring to the poorly written first post only, or the clarification written afterwards?

 

[Ripper]

Porte's troll face made me laugh.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/criterium-du-dauphine-2013/stage-8/photos/268973

OK, as you were.

It was pretty funny. He does like to smirk while riding hard, doesn't he?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Kennaugh was the one touted as being the Tour de France winner in 5 year for Sky if it didn't work out for Wiggins. Since his Giro Bio ride he has been hailed by many in BC as the next big thing. Once again people's ignorance never fails to amuse.

I remember his being touted as the next big thing. Here we are three and a half years later and he's finally getting to do the grunt work for the A team.

Where was The Unstoppable One in the hierarchy of potential TDF winners if it didn't work out for Wiggins, Froomey?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I think the guy on the right is the motoman.

Is that, or is that not, the inside of a friggin' spaceship? I am sure I've seen Star Trek shuttle interiors that look exactly like that.

More proof of his alien-ness!!

 

[MatParker117]

Is that, or is that not, the inside of a friggin' spaceship? I am sure I've seen Star Trek shuttle interiors that look exactly like that.

More proof of his alien-ness!!

Sky do travel around in the Death Star.

 

[MatParker117]

I remember his being touted as the next big thing. Here we are three and a half years later and he's finally getting to do the grunt work for the A team.

Where was The Unstoppable One in the hierarchy of potential TDF winners if it didn't work out for Wiggins, Froomey?

He's spent a fair amount of time in the velodrome in the last three years and was one of Cav's lead out men last year.

 

[thehog]

Sky do travel around in the Death Star.

Matt can you please let Froome go full *** at the Tour.

He doesn't need to pretend anymore.

We all know he's doping so he might as well go for it.

Please?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He's spent a fair amount of time in the velodrome in the last three years and was one of Cav's lead out men last year.

I wasn't criticising Kennaugh for taking time to adapt. Everybody's different in that respect, and some teams like to molly-coddle their young talents (Abarcá, for example, and Euskaltel).

It was more about, well, I remember when Kennaugh was thought of as being Plan B, and the guy that's now demolishing every stage race he enters without breaking a sweat wasn't part of the plan at all.

 

[MatParker117]

I wasn't criticising Kennaugh for taking time to adapt. Everybody's different in that respect, and some teams like to molly-coddle their young talents (Abarcá, for example, and Euskaltel).

It was more about, well, I remember when Kennaugh was thought of as being Plan B, and the guy that's now demolishing every stage race he enters without breaking a sweat wasn't part of the plan at all.

The Following riders were considered to lead Team Sky before Wiggins signature was secured:

Cavendish
Nibali
Sastre
Contador


Cav was supposed to win green jerseys like goldfish at the funfair while a GC guy developed. Sastre was planned to act as a mentor, Contador would of had nicer steak and Nibali was the closest of the four they got to signing. Kennaugh was I believe the guy they at one point planned to learn from a Sastre/Contador.

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

The Following riders were considered to lead Team Sky before Wiggins signature was secured:

Cavendish
Nibali
Sastre
Contador


Cav was supposed to win green jerseys like goldfish at the funfair while a GC guy developed. Sastre was planned to act as a mentor, Contador would of had nicer steak and Nibali was the closest of the four they got to signing. Kennaugh was I believe the guy they at one point planned to learn from a Sastre/Contador.

From what I remember Nibali was very close to signing for Sky back when they were first starting. The 5 year plan was always for a younger rider like Kennaugh or Thomas to be developed into a GT winner and then Wiggins sort of threw a spanner in those works by finishing 4th in 2009. It made it very hard for a british team to ignore trying to sign the countries best GT finisher in 25 years when they'd stated that the aim was to win the tour within 5 years.

 

[The Hitch]

Kennaugh was the one touted as being the Tour de France winner in 5 year for Sky if it didn't work out for Wiggins. Since his Giro Bio ride he has been hailed by many in BC as the next big thing. Once again people's ignorance never fails to amuse.

Actually Kennaugh was touted before wiggins found out he had gt abilities, and not as you say, if it didnt work out.

And Kennaugh being touted to win the Tour de France in 5 years was like how the new London classic is touted to replace Paris Roubaix. A massive stretch said in the interests of PR rather than any sort of a prediction.

 

[MatParker117]

Actually Kennaugh was touted before wiggins found out he had gt abilities, and not as you say, if it didnt work out.

And Kennaugh being touted to win the Tour de France in 5 years was like how the new London classic is touted to replace Paris Roubaix. A massive stretch said in the interests of PR rather than any sort of a prediction.

Got my facts a bit turned around there. Kennaugh did win a stage and podium the Baby Giro which was why he was touted as the long term, Thomas as well winning Fleche de Sud.

 

[BYOP88]

Got my facts a bit turned around there. Kennaugh did win a stage and podium the Baby Giro which was why he was touted as the long term, Thomas as well winning Fleche de Sud.

But winning races like the Baby Giro or the Fleche de Sud don't mean you're destined to win big boy races, otherwise Marco Marzano, David Loosli, Giuseppe Muraglia, Boris Shpilevsky et all would be winning and would have won big boy races. I mean Eric Baumann won the U-23 version of Paris-Roubaix yet I don't recall him ever breaking the top 50 in the big boy race.

 

[The Hitch]

But winning races like the Baby Giro or the Fleche de Sud don't mean you're destined to win big boy races, otherwise Marco Marzano, David Loosli, Giuseppe Muraglia, Boris Shpilevsky et all would be winning and would have won big boy races. I mean Eric Baumann won the U-23 version of Paris-Roubaix yet I don't recall him ever breaking the top 50 in the big boy race.

And take a look on who was with him (ahead of him) on the podium. Ones retired, the others on the bench at cannondale.