Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[The Hitch]

"Be good"?

Well, after the last few years of Brailsford turning any milkman on a bike into a Tour de France phenom, I can understand why some Brit only fans may think that all you need to be a gt contender is to "be good".

In reality you need to be *** incredible, a giant amongst men. That's why its unbelievable that 3 former minimum wage riders all got turned into this by the same coach.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Re:

"Be good"?

Well, after the last few years of Brailsford turning any milkman on a bike into a Tour de France phenom, I can understand why some Brit only fans may think that all you need to be a gt contender is to "be good".

In reality you need to be **** incredible, a giant amongst men. That's why its unbelievable that 3 former minimum wage riders all got turned into this by the same coach.

It would be cool if there was any connection between Salazar and Team Brailsfraud....

Would it be surprizing? Good thing Sir Brad stopped in due time.

 

[ebandit]

Re:

"Be good"?


In reality you need to be **** incredible, a giant amongst men.

poetic words............i think of cadel a true giant amongst men / the peloton....

..........cadels every word booming at his adversaries saw them quaking in fear

Mark L

 

[the sceptic]

Re:

Cue the Luddites massing in the clinic, no way a world class bike rider with his palmares can apply himself to different disciplines. Bike riders must remember they are only allowed to be good at one thing, maybe two if they showed that ability as a junior. Or if they're not from Northern Europe

true, seems like Brentford always thought G was a pretty good talent.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2009/feb/26/cycling-great-britain-brailsford

In any given year between 10 and 15 riders start with a chance of victory, on paper, and the challenge for Brailsford is to produce a Briton who could be one of those 15 by 2013.

That is a big call but there is a group of potential candidates. Daniel Martin – Irish by racing licence, British through his father – is probably the most likely at present, if his progression can be maintained, and he is out of contract at the end of this year. Geraint Thomas has a colossal engine and infinite ability to suffer, can clearly get through a major Tour with his physical resources intact and he too can improve. Whether that will take him towards the Tour or the Classics remains to be seen.

Peter Kennaugh has the road racer's winning instinct and huge potential but cannot yet be judged. The same has to be said of Ben Swift. Going further into left field, Chris Froome can clearly climb on his day but is untested over three weeks. There is another possible, Liam Killeen. If Cadel Evans and others can make the leap from mountain biking, why should he not? If that seems a slender hope, think where Evans might have got to with the right support earlier in his road racing career.

 

[Saint Unix]

Geraint was always good according to "The Graph". Second only to Edvald Boasson Hagen of the young guys in the team, and well above the expected curve.

But as Froome has showed us, having talent is overrated.

 

[Benotti69]

Re:

Geraint was always good according to "The Graph". Second only to Edvald Boasson Hagen of the young guys in the team, and well above the expected curve.

But as Froome has showed us, having talent is overrated.

Yes, what a rider truly needs is, as JV puts it, 'crazy adaptive physiology' or in other words the best PED responder.

 

[Lyon]

Poor EBH lacks CAP. Not AS enough.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Cue the Luddites massing in the clinic, no way a world class bike rider with his palmares can apply himself to different disciplines. Bike riders must remember they are only allowed to be good at one thing, maybe two if they showed that ability as a junior. Or if they're not from Northern Europe

Huh? Cycling history is littered with riders who are good at more than one discipline, as long as they aren't entirely incompatible.
Guess what?

There is a reason Hinault and Lemond were the last two GT winners with excellent results at Roubaix, that Anquetil was the last individual pursuit medallist to win the TdF until Wigans and that Sean Kelly was the last GT winner to win Milan-San Remo.

But obviously some are unable to recognise specialisation for what is...

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

chris froome & david brailsford

congratulations after a great 1st week

chris looking lean
the emperor has new clothes

 

[meat puppet]

Re: Re:

"Chris Froome can clearly climb on his day but is untested over three weeks."

quoted for truth. man, how did they know he'll have a pass?

 

[keeponrollin]

Re:

..........think positive.............act positive....................win!

it's easy.... we could all do it once we banish our inner chimp

Mark L

and with the help of the UCI, never test positive !

 

[the sceptic]

I wonder how many pages of this thread were used to discuss the accuracy of vetoo and vayer? skyfans seemed to think there would be too many variables, but now it appears the pseudo-scientists were spot on.

 

[S2Sturges]

Re: Re:

good news everyone. The campervan is still providing marginal gains!

The much-discussed motorhome of Team Sky remains a factor in the endless quest for marginal gains with the British team. Director sportif Servais Knaven explained to Cyclingnews that the team is now using it for meetings and when possible to provide riders with the comfort of a single room.

Team Sky is still making the best of its motorhome at this Tour de France, however, although it’s unclear whether there are one or two vehicles in use. The team appears to be using them for meetings, as breakfast and dining room and as dorms for their staff, freeing up space that allows some riders to have their own rooms.

Breakfast and dinner by the motorhomes, reminds me of a family vacation in Canada, great stuff!

Seriously though, in what way is a private room beneficial to a rider? I mean, more privacy, sure, but surely it won't influence their shape and performance unless their roomie snores like a bear curious to see how Walsh and Brailsfraud will spin this one.

Actually, according to L'Equipe, Sky has 3 motorhomes in the entourage of 30 (!) vehicles that clog up the hotel car parks and have the other teams complaining, rightly so... one is a basically restaurant on wheels, Sir Dave dosses in another and the third is the home away from home for the team, I understand.. Curtains drawn... away from prying eyes.... I wouldn't doubt that the upper echelon team members for get to leave after the ping pong and movie...

 

[infeXio]

So when do we expect Geraint Thomas to win the tour?

 

[Saint Unix]

Nibali, Peraud, Bardet, Uran and Rodriguez have been dropped. Geraint Thomas leads from the front with ease.


Cleans.

 

[The Hitch]

Contador has 1 man left -Majka, a top 10 in Giro, 2 time MTF winner in tour + TDF KOM
Quintana has 1 man left Valverde - a GT winner and like 5 time podium finisher.
TJ has no one.
Nibz is dropped himself.
Murito dropped
1 or 2 other stragglers here and there
But at the front is G Thomas, Porte, Froome and 1 other (Stannard?)

 

[BigMac]

As expected. Shameless, the said files and data didn't affect them one bit.

 

[Saint Unix]

Thomas, Porte, Froome and Poels, I think.

 

[The Hitch]

How can anyone watch G Thomas fly the Sky train up the mountain and not think immediately of George Hincapie?

 

[Red Lobster]

Re:

How can anyone watch G Thomas fly the Sky train up the mountain and not think immediately of George Hincapie?

Unavoidable for anyone who has seen this show before.

 

[Saint Unix]

Froome just won the Tour. Half the Sky team could podium this race if they had the backing. Absolute farce of a team.

 

[BigMac]

First MTF of the Tour, no better AX3D déjàvu. Just need to wait for Porte finish now.

 

[The Chicken]

rofl 6.5K of Full Alien.

 

[Red Rick]

If Porte doesn't get 2nd now I'll be disappointed

 

[infeXio]

Such a farce