Team Sky, the future of their squad.

[issoisso]

Brailsford has said that all riders will ride at least one GT next year. That sounds like they have pretty much all teams for the three GTs mostly figured out already. I wonder how soon we might know who will ride what.

Wiggins will ride both GTs, that's pretty much as far as I know. I'd expect Henderson, being a sprinter, to ride two as well.

Another thing is that given what the rooster is like it's unlikely that they will be able to support a GC rider in any real way for more than one GT.

Their climbing support isn't really much. Possoni and Cioni are riding the Giro so I doubt they'll be there for the Tour. Augustyn is too raw. it's Lovkvist and that's it.

(Small note: it's "roster". a rooster is a male chicken. I don't mean to be rude, but I've noticed you say it a lot, so just a friendly tip )

 

[ingsve]

(Small note: it's "roster". a rooster is a male chicken. I don't mean to be rude, but I've noticed you say it a lot, so just a friendly tip )

Thanks for noticing. I know the diffrence but sometimes when writing words in a diffrent language you don't notice that it looks wrong.

 

[Anonymous]

Brailsford has said that all riders will ride at least one GT next year. That sounds like they have pretty much all teams for the three GTs mostly figured out already. I wonder how soon we might know who will ride what. .

what is known so far is here
http://www.teamskyfans.com/riderstats.html

cioni is leading the giro, wiggins going along as tour prep and to try and win pink, loftvist allegedly going along as tour prep, and possoni

tour so far, wiggins, loftvist, calzati, EbH, Flecha, Henderson

Veulta - kennaugh

with brad and loftvist doubling up (personally i think loftkvist will only do the tour and henderson will do the giro and tour) that leaves one spot for every other rider (assuming ben swift does not sign) so educated guesses as to which races each rider will be riding.. im guessing vigano and downing will be going to the vuelta as the sprinters (in the hope that a few sprinters are skipping the veulta to prepare for the worlds), i can see that being a very young squad..

This is of course all assuming riders stay fit all season and there are no dropouts..

I think you will find a lot more out on monday from the riders themselves...

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

im guessing vigano and downing will be going to the vuelta as the sprinters (in the hope that a few sprinters are skipping the veulta to prepare for the worlds), i can see that being a very young squad..

Except that the Vuelta is likely to be a must for all sprinters as preparation for the Worlds. e.g. Cavendish looks set to ride his first Vuelta this year (skipping the Giro)

I do hope Russ Downing gets to ride a Grand Tour though, he deserves a chance to

 

[Anonymous]

Except that the Vuelta is likely to be a must for all sprinters as preparation for the Worlds. e.g. Cavendish looks set to ride his first Vuelta this year (skipping the Giro)

I do hope Russ Downing gets to ride a Grand Tour though, he deserves a chance to

im not convinced.. i see a load of sprinters doing it, and then mysteriously quitting during the second week..

I am not sure how Russ is going to go.. its going to be great to see him get that opportunity, but i dont know if he can cut it.. we are certainly going to find out.. i really hope he does ok.. Ive still got a crazy hope he will win the cancer classic on his and the teams debut

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

im not convinced.. i see a load of sprinters doing it, and then mysteriously quitting during the second week..

I am not sure how Russ is going to go.. its going to be great to see him get that opportunity, but i dont know if he can cut it.. we are certainly going to find out.. i really hope he does ok.. Ive still got a crazy hope he will win the cancer classic on his and the teams debut

True, a lot of them may quit the Vuelta before the conclusion - but there is the extra week between the end of the Vuelta and the Worlds this year, is there not, which may convince them to stay longer.

Im not so sure about Downing doing well in Australia - with Sky likely to work for Sutton - but I can see him being given more of a chance in smaller races, and would not be surprised to see him take at least 1 win in a ProTour race - winning the sprint in a successful breakaway perhaps. Just so long as the management arent too sceptical, as they were for a long time before finally signing him, and give him the opportunity to thrive - his performance in Ireland this year cant surely be a one off

 

[mr. tibbs]

When was the last time any of those riders won a one day event?

Perhaps you should drop the patriotism. If they'd have ridden the world champs they'd have been spanked and they knew it. That is why they didn't turn up.

I don't know if this has been addressed yet. I didn't see it anywhere, but I could have just missed it.

Anyway, the poster was saying Leipheimer, VDV, and Armstrong are all much stronger riders than Hincapie and could have beaten him in the US championship, not the Worlds.

 

[Anonymous]

Im not so sure about Downing doing well in Australia - with Sky likely to work for Sutton - but I can see him being given more of a chance in smaller races, and would not be surprised to see him take at least 1 win in a ProTour race - winning the sprint in a successful breakaway perhaps. Just so long as the management arent too sceptical, as they were for a long time before finally signing him, and give him the opportunity to thrive - his performance in Ireland this year cant surely be a one off

I dont think he will be allowed to do anything in the TdU proper, thats obviously set up for sutton although henderson is allegedly team leader.. but the cancer classic two days before may suit him and he may be given more of a free role, hes got decent circuit experience and rode a pretty solid tour series last year in the uk, that sort of racing will suit him, and with some of the more seasoned sprinters not hitting form yet, it could be a good opportunity for him. TdU, no, but the crit, i think hes got a shot.

 

[Sneekes]

tour so far, wiggins, loftvist, calzati, EbH, Flecha, Henderson

The tour is the one that the British casual cycling fan will be watching (none of my family watch any other races, but I know at least 4 who watch the tour), so I really think Team Sky will want to go with more than one Brit amongst the 9.
I'd be surprised if Steve Cummings wasn't in the 9, the rider we saw in 2008 was strong enough to provide support for Brad. His poor 2009 sounds like mismanagement from Barloworld.
Froome could provide some support on all but the hardest mountains, may even go OK in the young rider competition if he can maintain his strength for 3 weeks.

Final spot then down to one of Arvesen and Gerrans to go looking for stage wins.

Who's going to be the GC guy in the Vuelta? Pauwels? Stage wins only?

 

[sadfitty]

I'm pretty sure they will pick Arvesen for the Tour. He had a safe spot at Saxo, there is no reason why he shouldn't be on the Sky team. Gerrans get's left out again...
I think the tour team will be:
Wiggo
Lövkvist
Calzati
EbH
Flecha
Henderson
Arvesen
Froome
Augustyn/Cummings

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

Im kinda surprised that Flecha would ride the Tour though, he wouldnt be one of my 9 picks

Arvesen will ride the Tour most likely, while youd have thought that Gerrans could have it as a part of his contract - an incentive to leave Cervelo after missing the 09 tour.

To only have 2 Brits in Skys TDF line up would be dissapointing for a British team, but it seems like the most likely outcome right now

 

[Anonymous]

I think cummings will probably ride the Giro, in fact i can see him being in italy a fair bit this year, think he wants to make up for last season...
Geraint is making a lot of mumblings about the tour, but im sure froome and lee augustyn will be well ahead of him, that doesnt really leave much room for the guy..

 

[Anonymous]

The tour is the one that the British casual cycling fan will be watching (none of my family watch any other races, but I know at least 4 who watch the tour), so I really think Team Sky will want to go with more than one Brit amongst the 9.

thats one of the challenges team sky, and sky as a media organisation have ahead of them.. making the general british public understand that cycling does go on for more than three weeks in july..

It will be very interesting to see what their tour down under coverage is like this year.

 

[craig1985]

For those in Melbourne/Geelong area, have you been down to the Jayco Bay Classic, Hayman, Henderson, Sutton are all racing, are they wearing the SKY kits, or the kit of their team they are riding for? Surprised that there would be no photos of them on the first stage of the race today.

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

For those in Melbourne/Geelong area, have you been down to the Jayco Bay Classic, Hayman, Henderson, Sutton are all racing, are they wearing the SKY kits, or the kit of their team they are riding for? Surprised that there would be no photos of them on the first stage of the race today.

I think if they were in Sky kit, there would have been pictures. And I cant see that Sky would allow them to wear the kit yet anyway, since they plan to publically announce it in their team presentation, this monday.

 

[Anonymous]

Most of the riders have had their kit for about a month, but are contractually banned from wearing it before the 4th..

henderson and hayman are riding for mazda anyway

 

[swuzzlebubble]

For those in Melbourne/Geelong area, have you been down to the Jayco Bay Classic, Hayman, Henderson, Sutton are all racing, are they wearing the SKY kits, or the kit of their team they are riding for? Surprised that there would be no photos of them on the first stage of the race today.

We rode past Gerro this morning on Beach Rd and he had his Cervelo kit on.

 

[Anonymous]

We rode past Gerro this morning on Beach Rd and he had his Cervelo kit on.

They may have the new kits for the final race, maybe, depends if sky make them all wait for the first race proper.. Gerro needs to update his website as well.. its very out of date..

Its weird they are all riding for teams out there but are still wearing their normal kits.. must be a bit confusing for the fans watching..

 

[craig1985]

Most of the riders have had their kit for about a month, but are contractually banned from wearing it before the 4th..

henderson and hayman are riding for mazda anyway

So is McEwen, and he is wearing his Katusha kit.

 

[Anonymous]

So is McEwen, and he is wearing his Katusha kit.

i know, its really odd.. must be a right old mumbo for the fans, and the sponsors arent really getting much for their money... i coudlnt see greg/matty in any of the photos to see what kit he was wearing

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

Gotta love the chaos of a NE event - the riders could probably get away with wearing whatever they wanted!

In a sense though, it is probably easier for fans to see the main riders, riding in the kit they usually ride in, as opposed to a different kit for a one-off race

 

[Anonymous]

will be very interesting to see what the Sky riders wear for stage 4, (stage 3 will possibly still be pre-launch), if they do wear the new shirts, henderson and hayman are meant to be supporting robbie, or sutton at skilled, but the tempation for a win in a sky jersey may be too much

 

[Tugboat]

i know, its really odd.. must be a right old mumbo for the fans, and the sponsors arent really getting much for their money... i coudlnt see greg/matty in any of the photos to see what kit he was wearing

This photo looks like Henderson behind McEwen wearing the Mazda jersey and last year's Colombia helmet.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/jayco-bay-cycling-classic-ne/stage-1/photos/99691

 

[Anonymous]

This photo looks like Henderson behind McEwen wearing the Mazda jersey and last year's Colombia helmet.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/jayco-bay-cycling-classic-ne/stage-1/photos/99691

good spot.. i hadnt seen that photo..amazing that they are not even allowed team sky helmets.. im surprised they are not wearing neutral unbranded helmets rather than those of a team they dont ride for..

 

[kease7]

I saw Ian Stannard on his Dogma in milton keynes still wearing his ISD kit on the 27th Dec. the bikes looks the nuts