What should Sky do next?

[ingsve]

So is G - from a sprinting experience position - point of view the best person to lead him out... I dunno, EbH has an atwful lot to learn and im not sure the biggest race of the year is the best place to learn where to and not to sprint from. I think he should race wherever griepel goes right now, would be good to see those to go against each other, do them both some good.;

In this Tour G is certainly the best option but not in other races of course. I think they have done the right thing in not focusing on having specific support for sprinting while still managing with what they still have.

If they want EBH to be a future sprint in the Tour the this is certainly the place to be. Sprinting in the Tour is a very different animal than other sprints because of the intensity and number of high quality sprinters. EBH is also the best option they could possibly have for winning a stage through a break away so his place in the Tour is without question in my opinion. The unfortunate thing is that the sprinter teams aren't interested in letting big breaks go unchallenged anymore even after they hit the mountains. Inprevious years lots of top sprinters would abandon so teams would be content with letting breaks win but now Columbia usually won't let that happen.

 

[hrotha]

The guy's a 23-year-old TdF debutant. Have some patience?

If this thread is any indication, that might be the problem with Sky. Everything involving them seems to be too hasty.

 

[riobonito92]

In my opinion the team should pull Thomas soon, possibly at the end of today, praising him for a job well done.

 

[Anonymous]

The guy's a 23-year-old TdF debutant. Have some patience?

If this thread is any indication, that might be the problem with Sky. Everything involving them seems to be too hasty.

its not impatience, quite the opposite. I dont think ebh should have gone to the tour as i dont think his fitness was back. If anything i think the team have been impatient. I thing some smaller stages races and then the vuelta would have suited ebh better.

In my opinion the team should pull Thomas soon, possibly at the end of today, praising him for a job well done.

what.. why...? Geraint will want to take the national champs jersey into paris. I cant see any way on earth that that would happen.

 

[riobonito92]

what.. why...? Geraint will want to take the national champs jersey into paris. I cant see any way on earth that that would happen.

And wreck the rest of his season.

 

[Anonymous]

And wreck the rest of his season.

the rest of his season? Showing the jersey off at the Tour of Britain and then the worlds. Geraints had a pretty solid schedule, picardie, dauphine, tour, i think his rest month is due.

I also think from a publicity for sky point of view in the UK, brad, steve and geraint finishing in paris will be very important.

Besides, my wife has just messaged him telling him he better not dare cos she has bought him a funky hat for paris

 

[Thee_chisa]

brad did well today, finishing with basso 31 secs off conta, i think he could still get a top 5 if he has a good pyrenees, a lot of people in front of him are bad TTers

 

[BroDeal]

brad did well today, finishing with basso 31 secs off conta, i think he could still get a top 5 if he has a good pyrenees, a lot of people in front of him are bad TTers

Every time the road goes up hill, Wigans loses time. He will be lucky to finish in the top ten.

 

[SaftyCyclist]

Remember that Thomas has ridden the Tour before and finished, when he was 2 years younger, he shouldn't get pulled out, he's the most active rider on Sky right now, towing riders to the front, he was doing this on the lower slopes of the last climb today, seemingly will Pawels on his wheel, were they setting him up for a win today?

 

[El Imbatido]

Every time the road goes up hill, Wigans loses time. He will be lucky to finish in the top ten.

I agree. He'll lose time on the Phailheres (if they light it up early enough - as middle section av. 9% for 4km and 3km from top it is 10%) and may not get back on before Ax3-Domaines on stage 14.

15 - Should probably be able to stay with the big boys

16 - Depends if they light it up on the Aubisque. But even if they do it is 60km from the top of the Aubisque to the finish so he should get back on even if he is dropped on the Aubisque. (Brutal day though, well atleast the first half - Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, Aubisque)

17 - I definitely see him losing time on the MTF Tourmalet. Alot to Conta and Schleck but maybe a min or so to Menchov, Sanchez, Gesink, Basso et al.

 

[Straßenrennen]

Well wiggins dropped another 5minutes nearly today and was 2minutes+ behind his "helper" lovquist, or is wiggins now playing helper and lovquist the team captain?

 

[hrotha]

I'm now officially a Wiggins fan.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

brad did well today, finishing with basso 31 secs off conta, i think he could still get a top 5 if he has a good pyrenees, a lot of people in front of him are bad TTers

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Presuming that this was a joke.

 

[Benotti69]

i doubt Wiggins will TT well at this tour.

 

[theyoungest]

i doubt Wiggins will TT well at this tour.

He's been saving himself in the mountains, so he'll be alright

 

[lucybears]

Every time the road goes up hill, Wigans loses time. He will be lucky to finish in the top ten.

Do you work for L'Equipe ?
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...y-wiggins-tour-rest-day-press-conference.html