Team Sky wishlist.

[180mmCrank]

When you have too many cook's...

I'll show myself out.

You can't make any omlets with out mixing a few metaphors with your eggs - or is it the chicken that comes first - as long as it is not in a bush with the other bird - the one that's up early to catch the worm that is...

I'll get your coat for you

 

[Anonymous]

the egg came first...

 

[Jarvis]

curious why I didn't see Baden Cooke mentioned for Sky, If he be crazy enough to go to Rock i would think he be pursuing Sky.

Because he's crap? He may well pursue Sky, but they won't be pursuing him.

Cunego wouldn't surprise me. A lot of people on this thread are just looking at making lists like 180Cranks says, most are missing the emphasis that Sky have placed on their intention to do things differently to how most/all pro teams run at present.

The general knowledge of the team seems to be:
1) Yes they'd like Cavendish, but he's not available for a few years yet and he doesn't fit the initial plans
2) They want a British Tour winner in 5 years - but they aren' going to label any one rider with that tag yet
3) No-one currently contracted beyond 2009 will be riding for Sky next year
4) No-one is going to know much until September anyway. So we might as well all get back to doping bingo*

*not that anyone will ever get called now.

 

[Bala Verde]

Add Laurens ten Dam (Garmin also interested in him) and Karsten Kroon to that list (according to dutch newspaper). ten Dam, at one point, mentioned that he wants to see what his maximum attainable results can be, as a GC contender in (shorter?) stage races. I wonder if he will be able to muster that kind of support while at Rabobank, with Menchov and Gesink as their main men. That's why he said 'either with Rabobank or another team'.

Team Sky'd better compose a good team, the way cervelo did, instead of turning it into some sort of Real 'Galacticos' Madrid of cycling. Too many egos get in each others way, or too many promises must have been made to get them on board, which subsequently can't be upheld.

See what happened to Katushia, with all their money, transfers and 'leaked' desired riders... Sastre declined a more then generous offer, and it seems he chose the right team.

And cross out Cavendish, because he told the Guardian that he doesn't want to leave Team Columbia, out of loyalty it seems.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

I can't see why anyone would leave a succesful team like Columbia, unless they want to ride for their own chances - and find their options limitied at Columbia. And to me it seems that most riders in the team get their chances anyway.

As they are so succesful, I doubt they will have trouble finding sponsors - which again probably leaves them in a good financial situation.

 

[jaylew]

Cervelo did do a very good job of signing the right riders, or so it looks like it so far. Just comparing it to the Russian super pricey Team Katusha who has more wins

Katusha does. The only Pro Tour team with more wins is Columbia. Maybe not as many big wins as some other teams but they have a bunch of sprinters so they win a bunch of races.

 

[Aapjes]

Add Laurens ten Dam (Garmin also interested in him) and Karsten Kroon to that list (according to dutch newspaper). ten Dam, at one point, mentioned that he wants to see what his maximum attainable results can be, as a GC contender in (shorter?) stage races. I wonder if he will be able to muster that kind of support while at Rabobank, with Menchov and Gesink as their main men. That's why he said 'either with Rabobank or another team'.

The interviews on the Rabobank site make it very clear that Ten Dam was allowed to ride for the GC until Menchov got the maglia rosa. I suspect that the same thing will happen at the Tour. So it seems to me that Rabobank is trying very hard to make Ten Dam happy and I don't expect him to leave.

PS. Gesink is only 22. He won't be a serious GC contender for quite some time, most likely.

 

[franciep10]

the egg came first...

So who made the egg

 

[BigBoat]

none of those riders joining sky would surprise me..

They are going to be a huge team, money galore, and the are going to expect success.. when dave brailsford says winning the tour de france is an aim, he means it..



my other guy is cunego.. dunno why.. just something tells me he might be..

but, where is he going to get his grand tour contenders, where will the two big names come from.. they financially are in the position to big bid...

contador?

I dont see anybody on that list that could win the Tour. Contador should stay with Lances team if he wants to keep winning. But you have a point, with enough money involved >> you can get anything done.

 

[El Loto]

So who made the egg

Michele Ferrari?

 

[suipedali]

Arguably STILL the best BRITISH climber. Jamie Burrow. Discuss.

 

[Anonymous]

So who made the egg

whatever the chicken was before just before it was a chicken..

probably a chicken like creature with 1% lizard or something..

but technically, the egg came first..

 

[analo69]

Brian Holm

Team Sky approached Brina Holm directeur sportif on Team Columbia with a generous paycheck. But he refused as he was very satisfied with his current job.

There was an interwiev with him on national danish television tonight.

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

Arguably STILL the best BRITISH climber. Jamie Burrow. Discuss.

Yes, but where is he now?

 

[SimonC]

I've seen a quote saying they think Chris Froome will be the next big thing and that he could be a genuine tour contender. I fully expect to see him riding for Sky.
As for Swift, Belis, Stannard they may sign but there under contract till 2010. I've also heard the Nibali rumour, talk is he is very interested he is under contract till 2011, so a big buy out fee would be needed.
Once the tour is underway we shoudl see some definite movement.

As for Cav joining not a prayer!

 

[Parcours]

From what I have read the past few days the latest rumours are; Vincenzo Nibali, Karsten Kroon, Laurens Ten Dam and Juan Antonion Flecha. Thats 4 very pretty strong riders and seems to set a tone for the teams future if of course its all true. If you then add Thomas, Cummings and Froome you have the basis of a strong team.

I imagine they will also look to add a sprinter, gc rider and a number of time triallers to create a team where they are always winning races similar to columbia.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

From what I could read out of the interview with Shane Sutton in Pro Cycling, the team will also start out with eight young british riders from the youth system.

I also read that they will be aiming to build a team in a different way to what's normal in pro cycling - what I read out of it was that the riders will have less freedom to train on their own, and would probably have to live in britain? Maybe my interpretation is wrong though.

 

[ingsve]

I also read that they will be aiming to build a team in a different way to what's normal in pro cycling - what I read out of it was that the riders will have less freedom to train on their own, and would probably have to live in britain? Maybe my interpretation is wrong though.

Is that a track thing perhaps? Do track cyclists train together as a team and live in the same place? I'm guessing there might be a chance of that because of access to velodromes etc but I have no clue.

I don't know if the idea would be a good thing or a bad thing. It might bring troubles down the line if a criteria for riding for them is moving to britain.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

His excact words were; "We're not going to follow the normal model. Training camps won't be about going out and riding 30 hours together with a team meeting in the evening. If we try to model ourselves on any other team, we will fail. I'm not interested in other teams. Everything's going to be different."

Could mean anything...

 

[Bala Verde]

what I read out of it was that the riders will have less freedom to train on their own, and would probably have to live in britain? Maybe my interpretation is wrong though.

Haha, that's a recipe for becoming the joke of the cycling world then. With all that rain in the UK, they won't be able to put in more then 12 hrs of cycling per week. Unless you want a team that has done all of its drills on the rollers, or you want them to be really, really good in wet conditions...

Team Sky, opens up

His excact words were; "We're not going to follow the normal model. Training camps won't be about going out and riding 30 hours together with a team meeting in the evening. If we try to model ourselves on any other team, we will fail. I'm not interested in other teams. Everything's going to be different."

Don't Columbia or Garmin (Girona), and Skill already have these extensive joint training camps, whereby the whole/most of the team resides in one location and works out together, under the supervision of physiologists/sports doctors?

 

[Anonymous]

Haha, that's a recipe for becoming the joke of the cycling world then. With all that rain in the UK, they won't be able to put in more then 12 hrs of cycling per week. Unless you want a team that has done all of its drills on the rollers, or you want them to be really, really good in wet conditions...

it doesnt rain here that much... i know.. ive had to water the garden every day bar about two in the last two months...

anyway.. why does rain mean you cant train more than 12 hours a week.. never used to stop me...

wussy dry weather americans..

 

[Sneekes]

... and would probably have to live in britain?...

I very much doubt that. The British Under 23 academy is based in Northern Italy so I don't think British cycling has a problem with where Team Sky cyclists are based

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Ok, I see. Maybe I took my interpretation a bit too far

 

[Addict]

I believe that Garmin has signed on through 2010 but I could be wrong and certainly that hasn't stopped title sponsors from pulling out before. I was at the team presentation in Boulder last November and JV's mantra was all about it being time to win. Certainly this hasn't come to pass so I gotta believe they are putting everything on the tour which is insane considering that hardly anyone pays attention to cycling in the States until to July.


Agreed. I wonder want Riis and the Saxo Bank intersantum is thinking now.

curious why I didn't see Baden Cooke mentioned for Sky, If he be crazy enough to go to Rock i would think he be pursuing Sky.

I was at the Giro finish in Rome and heard a couple of riders talking about Australian Scott Sunderland. Apparently he was the man who picked the right riders for the Cervelo Test team. Sunderland left the team shortly after to join Team Sky. With him on board surely the new team Sky is going to look good!

 

[TRDean]

Bala Verde...The only team that I know that has extensive "team location" for training and analysis is Skil. This is a new technique...it gives the riders ready access to team coaches and directors, while allowing specific rider development. I believe that Kenny van Hummel is a prime example of a rider who has benefitted from this system. His comments about a new power training system with the team coach making him feel that he has more jump in the finale is proven with the results. You can also see the Asian riders from Skil making more progress this season under this system.

Funny thing...I would think more teams would do this. Why invest so heavily in these riders only to allow them to prepare without team direction? If I were a director of a team this would be a no brainer.

Any thoughts that van Hummel could be the young sprinter type that Sky would be interested in? Just curious.