Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[TailWindHome]

Yes, all but the evil Sky riders were "in contention".

Look Wiggins finished 9th in that race and not once whilst it was on did I think "oh Wiggins is 'in contention' to win"(I'm guessing there are others who share this view too).

There's a big gap between that and "Hanging onto top 10 while never remotely in contention with the favourites"

Wiggins was comfortable in that group, he could have rode there all day long, he could have pulled the group around France and Belgium......his problem (and Thomas's too) is that he had no turn of speed to get out of that group.

But hey, that's opinions for you.....

 

[BYOP88]

Seems a moot question because even if you finish 3rd in a sprint (i.e. Swift in MSR) you can't be in contention according to you.

Just because I think that finishing 3rd doesn't make you a contender or even put you 'in contention' for the win, although I'll admit that Swift had more of chance of winning M-SR than Wiggins did at P-R. So I'll ask again was Aldag a contender in 2003?

Some might argue that Thomas is a better sprinter than Wiggins. And why concentrate on Wiggins when you were talking about Sky as a whole?

I agree Thomas for me is a better sprinter than Wiggins. Which means that that Wiggins needed to attack the others in the group to win Paris-Roubaix as he stood no chance in a sprint finish. Therefore he wasn't in contention for the win.

Well once again Sky underperformed in the spring classics, but nothing new there.

 

[BYOP88]

There's a big gap between that and "Hanging onto top 10 while never remotely in contention with the favourites"

Wiggins was comfortable in that group, he could have rode there all day long, he could have pulled the group around France and Belgium......his problem (and Thomas's too) is that he had no turn of speed to get out of that group.

But hey, that's opinions for you.....

Hey I agree with you on the 'turn of speed' issue. So whilst Wiggns(and Thomas) were in that group they weren't "in contention" for the win for me. If one of them had gotten away with Terpstra(or solo) then for me they would've been in contention.

 

[TailWindHome]

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

So I'll ask again was Aldag a contender in 2003?

I don't remember the race well enough to comment. But then I have never said that just because you finish in the top 10 you were in contention, did I?

I agree Thomas for me is a better sprinter than Wiggins. Which means that that Wiggins needed to attack the others in the group to win Paris-Roubaix as he stood no chance in a sprint finish. Therefore he wasn't in contention for the win.

So if you extrapolate this far enough then no one is ever in contention to win apart from the actual winner.

 

[BYOP88]

I don't remember the race well enough to comment. But then I have never said that just because you finish in the top 10 you were in contention, did I?

So why in your view was Wiggins in contention?

So if you extrapolate this far enough then no one is ever in contention to win apart from the actual winner.

If you want.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

So why in your view was Wiggins in contention?

Up until the point where Terpstra jumped (and no one followed or could follow) there was the chance that Wiggins might have tried to TT his way to victory in the last few Kms.

 

[BYOP88]

Up until the point where Terpstra jumped (and no one followed or could follow) there was the chance that Wiggins might have tried to TT his way to victory in the last few Kms.

So if you extrapolate this far enough then everyone at the start of the race is in contention for the win?

Bradley White the rider who was in contention for the Paris Roubaix win in 2014(until riders started riding away from him).

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

So if you extrapolate this far enough then everyone at the start of the race is in contention for the win?

In theory, yes. See Eric the Eel.

Were Froome and Contador in contention for the Tour? I think most would say at one point they were.

Using a bit of common sense (and context) since the argument seems to stem back to were Sky ever in with a decent chance of winning a GT or a Spring monument. For the latter, given the results and the way the races panned out only at the death were they no longer in contention.

 

[BYOP88]

In theory, yes. See Eric the Eel.

Were Froome and Contador in contention for the Tour? I think most would say at one point they were.

Using a bit of common sense (and context) since the argument seems to stem back to were Sky ever in with a decent chance of winning a GT or a Spring monument. For the latter, given the results and the way the races panned out only at the death were they no longer in contention.

Having just watched Milan-San Remo again, I'll admit Swift was 'in contention' more than I thought he was. But for me and it's been said already...in my opinion Wiggins wasn't in contention for P-R.

Regarding the Tour, you could say that Dawg and Dirty Bertie were in contention before they left the race but they did leave the race when more than half of it was left. But lets just say that if they had stayed in the race there is, even if it's remote, there was a chance they end up not in contention.

Regarding the Vuelta and this isn't 'good old fashioned Dawg bashing and secret Dirty Bertie love'. But for me the only way the Dawg was winning it is if Contador abandoned the race. Dirty Bertie was a level ahead of the Dawg. For me(again my opinion) the Dawg was in a race with Piti and J-Rod not with Dirty Bertie.

 

[Hawkwood]

Regarding the Vuelta and this isn't 'good old fashioned Dawg bashing and secret Dirty Bertie love'. But for me the only way the Dawg was winning it is if Contador abandoned the race. Dirty Bertie was a level ahead of the Dawg. For me(again my opinion) the Dawg was in a race with Piti and J-Rod not with Dirty Bertie.

How much closer would it have been if there had been no time bonusses? I guess Contador benefitted more from them than Froome.

 

[the sceptic]

Horrible day for clean cycling.

 

[red_flanders]

Regarding the Vuelta and this isn't 'good old fashioned Dawg bashing and secret Dirty Bertie love'. But for me the only way the Dawg was winning it is if Contador abandoned the race. Dirty Bertie was a level ahead of the Dawg. For me(again my opinion) the Dawg was in a race with Piti and J-Rod not with Dirty Bertie.

Dirty Bertie and the final GC standings beg to differ.

 

[SeriousSam]

Bad day for clean cycling indeed.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Having just watched Milan-San Remo again, I'll admit Swift was 'in contention' more than I thought he was. But for me and it's been said already...in my opinion Wiggins wasn't in contention for P-R.

Regarding the Tour, you could say that Dawg and Dirty Bertie were in contention before they left the race but they did leave the race when more than half of it was left. But lets just say that if they had stayed in the race there is, even if it's remote, there was a chance they end up not in contention.

Regarding the Vuelta and this isn't 'good old fashioned Dawg bashing and secret Dirty Bertie love'. But for me the only way the Dawg was winning it is if Contador abandoned the race. Dirty Bertie was a level ahead of the Dawg. For me(again my opinion) the Dawg was in a race with Piti and J-Rod not with Dirty Bertie.

Fair enough. I think this one has run it's course so probably best to leave it there.

 

[BYOP88]

Dirty Bertie and the final GC standings beg to differ.

Froome was closer in time to Piti than he was Dirty Bertie, who in my view had at least 1 more gear available.

 

[the sceptic]

Feel bad for Tony Martin getting robbed by Wiggins.

Not that I think Martin is clean of course, but Wiggins is just a total joke.

 

[BYOP88]

Feel bad for Tony Martin getting robbed by Wiggins.

Not that I think Martin is clean of course, but Wiggins is just a total joke.

Good job Wiggins realized that you need to put on weight to TT. Silver lining the last Brit to win the Worlds ITT got busted for doping not long after.

 

[Benotti69]

Good job Wiggins realized that you need to put on weight to TT. Silver lining the last Brit to win the Worlds ITT got busted for doping not long after.

If Cookson needed to shake off some pro brit bias, Wiggins would be a nice lamb to the slaughter.........

Waste of a Jersey, at least Tony martin competes in races over the course of a season.

 

[gooner]

Looking forward to the Contador fans calling out Wiggins.

Horrible day for clean cycling.

Right on cue. See what I mean.

Cry me a river.

 

[the sceptic]

Looking forward to the Contador fans calling out Wiggins.



Right on cue. See what I mean.

Cry me a river.

Looking forward to the Wiggins fans calling out Wiggins.

 

[BYOP88]

Looking forward to the Contador fans calling out Wiggins.



Right on cue. See what I mean.

Cry me a river.

Seems you're the one who's crying.

 

[gooner]

Seems you're the one who's crying.

You mad?

I'm having a great chuckle to myself. That's all you can do when reading parts of the asylum these days. All reasoned discussion went out the window a long time ago.

Guys like the sceptic and their ilk were off celebrating Contador's Vuelta win into sunset as he's a nice guy and has a great riding style. That wasn't a bad day for clean cycling at all.

If it wasn't for that dirty Wiggins and Team Sky.

 

[TailWindHome]

TTer wins TT

Meltdown.

 

[BYOP88]

You mad?

I'm having a great chuckle to myself. That's all you can do when reading parts of the asylum these days. All reasoned discussion went out the window a long time ago.

Guys like the sceptic and their ilk were off celebrating Contador's Vuelta win into sunset as he's a nice guy and has a great riding style. That wasn't a bad day for clean cycling at all.

If it wasn't for that dirty Wiggins and Team Sky.

No I'm not mad, I don't get mad about internet stuff.

Just one thing people, yourself included make disparaging remarks about 'the clinic' but you all still post here. Just out of interest, why?

Regardless of who won the Vuelta it was hardly going to be a good day for clean cycling, just like today's result is not a good day for clean cycling.