Team Ineos (Formerly the Sky thread)

[the delgados]

@Seldon71
I've always been curious to know how riders are selected to Sky, then disregarded.
I know how in the early days they selected international riders with "clean" reputations.
But I'm referring specifically to riders like the American Joe Dombrovski (sp?).
He was a young rider who was tearing it up at the u23 level, but only lasted a couple years at Sky.
I guess this a question for anyone in the know:
Aside from the nationalistic aspect, is someone like, say, Joe's doping program tailored to what he's done in the past?
Also, if a young rider who has been signed says he never did anything, is he then left alone to flounder for a year or two before being told he just can't make it at this level?
I realize I'm probably being naive, but I was curious why we never heard of Joe after he signed with Sky.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Joe is with Connondale-Garmin this year.
4th in Tour of Cali.
2nd in the US national RR

I expect he is targeting the tour of Utah and US pro-cycling challange

 

[Benotti69]

Re:

https://twitter.com/bdejaguar/status/621309040950427648

Sky and Brailsford lie.....what's new?

 

[BYOP88]

Re: Re:

https://twitter.com/bdejaguar/status/621309040950427648

Sky and Brailsford lie.....what's new?

No journalist will say anything about it.

 

[seldon71]

Re:

But I'm referring specifically to riders like the American Joe Dombrovski (sp?).

Well, with Joe there is a clear medical explanation : http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/08/news/dombrowski-surgery-leg-artery-looks-future_340064

He is now with Cannondale-Garmin, still only 24, already finished 4th overall in this year's Tour of California and will surely be heard more of...

In 2013 he was working as a domestique in numerous one-week stage races (sensible use of then 22-year-old kid) and 2014 he was simply ill.

But Thomas Löfkvist nose-dived after joing Sky (in what should've been his prime years), Gerrans suffered a 2-year win drought, Nicolas Roche's results are not comparable as he captain'ed quite a bit in AG2R and has been a domestique since (Saxo&Sky). Still, you can argue that he is also clearly weaker rider than in his prime. MIkel Nieve? Disappeared from radar...

And at the same time Sky is line-producing Brits who go fast on all terrains...

If this was only about captainship, I could buy the reasoning of giving leadership role to riders who are economically most important ones. However, too many of "foreigners" are hardly even quality domestiques anymore after joining Sky. Makes you really wonder whether they are kept out of "loop"...? ...and if they are, it makes no sense that Sky would be calling shots but makes a lot of sense if it is British Cycling & National Cycling Centre.

 

[The Death Merchant]

Re: Sky

You guys should go to /r/peloton in reddit.

The amount of sky fanboys and "believers" there are toxic

Sounds like most of Reddit these days. Full of clueless people who haven't sniffed the real world or overused memes... r/peloton looks like it is 95% the former.

I don't visit reddit, nor have I any interest in exploring these other forums, but from my experience on here and on twitter, the vast majority of Sky's defenders seem to come from the otherside of the spectrum, middle to old age men, all extremely nationalistic , for whom wiggos and now froomes victories "on behalf" of Great Britain, represent something far more emotional than just a guy winning a sports event and for that reason feel strongly compelled to defend it, against al logic.

Most of the younger posters, even those who support Froome, ultimately succumb to the logic.

Nationalism is right there with religion, two delusions that poison the world. How many wars have been fought because of those two? How many atrocities committed? I absolutely loath nationalism. It's as disgusting as it is stupid.

 

[Enrico Gimondi]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

 

[Benotti69]

Froome had Doc Leinders, Yates, Mick Barry, Steve De Jongh, Mick Rogers, and now works with Servais Knaven and little Richie Porte former Riis rider at CSC and he thinks it is ok to call out Armstrong for riding a charity bike ride?

Part of the doping ended with Armstrong mantra!

 

[doperhopper]

Funny how SkyBorgs stick to their Magic Marginal Motorhome, as if it had some mystical powers:

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.

 

[The Death Merchant]

Ross Tucker to chat on Off The Ball in 19.45 Dublin time at newstalk.com, in case you didn't notice his twitter post and are interested.

https://twitter.com/Scienceofsport/status/621376716183724032

 

[BYOP88]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

Has anyone got that video from the 2010 TDU where Ben Swift and Thomas "interview" Armstrong and fawn all over him.

 

[Benotti69]

Re: Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

Has anyone got that video from the 2010 TDU where Ben Swift and Thomas "interview" Armstrong and fawn all over him.

That video would be very 'pertinent' now

Geraint Thomas has said that he and his fellow Tour de France riders are still “paying the price” for Lance Armstrong’s crimes as his Team Sky leader, Chris Froome, was again put on the defensive with the release of new video material on Wednesday.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/15/chris-froome-lance-armstrong-geraint-thomas-tour-de-france

 

[DFA123]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

I wouldn't mind at all if Lance completely disappeared from cycling and was never heard from again; I hate the circus around him that still exists.

He does, however, still have a lot of influence and gravitas; potentially enough to take on Sky. If you're reading this Lance; you will go up massively in my estimation (and I'm sure that of many others) if you attempt to and succeed in bringing down this Sky freak show.

 

[BYOP88]

Re: Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

Has anyone got that video from the 2010 TDU where Ben Swift and Thomas "interview" Armstrong and fawn all over him.

That video would be very 'pertinent' now

Geraint Thomas has said that he and his fellow Tour de France riders are still “paying the price” for Lance Armstrong’s crimes as his Team Sky leader, Chris Froome, was again put on the defensive with the release of new video material on Wednesday.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/15/chris-froome-lance-armstrong-geraint-thomas-tour-de-france

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/cycling/geraint-thomas-brushing-shoulders-lance-1858584

Not the video, but Thomas does use the words 'Legend', 'Great man'.

 

[the delgados]

Re: Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

I wouldn't mind at all if Lance completely disappeared from cycling and was never heard from again; I hate the circus around him that still exists.

He does, however, still have a lot of influence and gravitas; potentially enough to take on Sky. If you're reading this Lance; you will go up massively in my estimation (and I'm sure that of many others) if you attempt to and succeed in bringing down this Sky freak show.

How and why would Lance do such a thing? First, he knows about as much as you and I about Sky's doping practices; second, if he ever tried to do such a thing it would only open up more questions about his return to the sport, when he said he did it dope-free.

 

[Mr.38%]

Re: Sky

Steven de jongh ‏@stevendejongh 16 Min.Vor 16 Minuten

Thanks @Latexco @innergetic for the mattresses and pillows , @tinkoff_saxo team sleeps very well.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

I wouldn't mind at all if Lance completely disappeared from cycling and was never heard from again; I hate the circus around him that still exists.

He does, however, still have a lot of influence and gravitas; potentially enough to take on Sky. If you're reading this Lance; you will go up massively in my estimation (and I'm sure that of many others) if you attempt to and succeed in bringing down this Sky freak show.

How and why would Lance do such a thing? First, he knows about as much as you and I about Sky's doping practices; second, if he ever tried to do such a thing it would only open up more questions about his return to the sport, when he said he did it dope-free.

He would do it because he has a massive ego; Sky have been sniping at him and Armstrong can't and won't back down from a confrontation. How? He has contacts in the sport and has probably heard far more than you and me, and he was the most successful doper of all time - if he calls Sky out as dopers I think it would turn a few heads.

 

[Benotti69]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-3162936/Team-Sky-face-grilling-having-staff-member-former-links-dope-cheat-Lance-Armstrong.html

DailFail taking a dig at sky......

 

[SeriousSam]

What I actually like about Lance's reaction is that there was clearly pressure on him to revise his tweet into "I didn't mean to suggest the Dawg is doping. There is no evidence he is!"

But he insisted that he doesn't know. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't.

What the Sky PR team and their cheerleaders in the media would like is for everyone except perhaps total cracks pots and pseudo scientists to say that Froome is clean, or that there is no reason to believe he isn't. Armstrong refused to say that.

 

[Benotti69]

Re:

What I actually like about Lance's reaction is that there was clearly pressure on him to revise his tweet into "I didn't mean to suggest the Dawg is doping. There is no evidence he is!"

But he insisted that he doesn't know. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't.

What the Sky PR team and their cheerleaders in the media would like is for everyone except perhaps total cracks pots and pseudo scientists to say that Froome is clean, or that there is no reason to believe he isn't. Armstrong refused to say that.

Armstrong enjoying the power of the yay or nay, like an old roman emperor......bit late, like 4 years.....

 

[neineinei]

Matt Dickinson ‏@DickinsonTimes
Story in Times tmrw - Sky defend employment of former US Postal soigneur. Another quiet day at this quiet Tour...
https://twitter.com/DickinsonTimes/status/621426251249664000

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/11742721/Tour-de-France-2015-Team-Sky-face-questions-over-employing-Lance-Armstrongs-old-assistant.html

 

[Benotti69]

Sky attracting the same type of blind loyalty as USPS..........another nail in the coffin........

 

[The Hitch]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-dismisses-lance-armstrongs-return-to-france-for-charity-ride-thomas-more-critical/

Team Sky is not a fan of having Lance around. This could get interesting. Lance already made a comment yesterday. More comments from Sky like this could start a nice little war.

Rule number 1 in cycling.

Never put any trust in Lance. Never ever. He will always disappoint you.

 

[The Hitch]

Froome’s team-mate Geraint Thomas said: “He [Armstrong] has done enough harm and we are paying the price for what he has done anyway. But whatever, we are just in our own little world here having a laugh and doing what we’re doing and Lance and all them can do what they want.”

From the guy who back in 2012 was complaining that USADA should leave lance alone.

 

[hfer07]

LOL

UK Postal getting the inside Knowledge from US Postal

.....and yet people get mad when SKY is "unfairly" compared to US Postal after the facts are irrefutably pointing out how BOTH teams structures are based on massive/systematic doping practices to obtain results.

do we really need another 10 years of waiting and a SKY whistle blower to accept that is so evident? Oprah might not be around for a disclosure interview......