Wiggins Climbing for Team Sky at The Tour?

[180mmCrank]

It's not just the weight or build of the riders that is relevant here it is the type of event and training for the event - and their adapted physiology.

Most track events are about dumping all your effort into an output that lasts a matter of minutes (and in some events even less!) The training for this is all geared around that kind of effort. The hard thing for these guys to do is to switch their physiology around to being suited to being in the saddle for 4-6 hours. And tougher still to be able make a sustained effort - 40 min plus - to get over a decent mountain (and then repeat as required).

Happy to discuss

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I think everyone is getting a little overexcited about Brad Wiggins turning into a climber, last time I checked he had lost over 5 minutes in just one week. From what I have seen, they havent even started throwing out the big stuff yet, there have been groups of about 40 guys or so together close to the finishes, hardly what you expect in the mountians.

I think this is the first time Wiggins has focused on trying to compete in the mountains, having watched many GTs and been to a few, its pretty obvious that a lot of guys who know they arent going to be up there in GC dont bother in the mountians and just ride up in the gruppetto, saving their strength for other stages.

For many guys 30th or 130th on GC is all the same. Wiggins most definitely fell into this category in the past. This time I think he is actually seeing how far he can go in the mountians and GC. Dont think he is gonna turn into a GT contender, he is only in Top 30 and lets wait to see if he is still there after 3 weeks.

I totally agree.
Just looking at the first mointaintopfinishs profile for example one really shoudln't wonder to much about some guy's being close to top climbers that one wouldn't expect there at all.

Already people are coming with the D angle but Wiggins has always had a firm stance on doping in the past so hard to believe things have changed now, perhaps we should be looking at Garmin teamate Tom Danielson and asking why aint he riding now like he did at Discovery Channel.

Well,
I guess riding for Columbia in the past,and being part of an incredibly dominant British Track team doesn't make you look like someone unlikely to be doped does it?
Also as for the TD argument, didn'twasn't the poor guy get injured like everytime he tried to get a good form over the last few years?
Also less performance in your new team doesn't have nececereally to mean that you are clean. Talking former T-Mobile and Telekom again, Savoldelli and Botero never even came close to what they promised for example.

 

[karlboss]

Individual events

On a flat course absolute power pretty much determines the winner.

A track sprinter could hold his breath the entire effort 200m, it is purely anaerobic.
A pursuit rider's effort last 4+ minutes. It has an anaerobic and aerobic element.
A time triallist on the roads event lasts 30 minutes to an hour, which is closer to being a purely aerobic event.
If we compare these type of riders, its rare we see more than a little cross over, just as we rarely see runners or swimmers move out of their distances. (swimmers, the lucky *******s, will always have potential for more gold medals at the olympics because of this)
These efforts require different styles of training, but there is some cross over especially for a pursuit rider to TT. So with specialised training and weight loss wiggins going up hills ok is not surprising. If he was winning it might be, but he's not really close.
For a track sprinter to beomce a road sprinter it is much harder as there isn't the cross over in training, granted with the right training it could be done with some success especially if the change is made at a young age...I guarantee noone could come from the road and win a track sprint.

 

[R.0.t.O]

Wiggins has clearly dropped a bit of mass this season, and is obviously focusing on the road much more. In fact, he wasn't too far off the pace at Paris-Roubaix in the spring. But I would read his performances last week as being much more about motivation: nobody knows what to expect on Thursday in that killer ITT and it's plausible that BW will put a lot of time into some of the climbers and move towards the top-10. That would be pretty good going for Brad in a GC, and even the last week isn't crazy difficult so maybe he holds on close to top 10 at the finish.

Normally he would have got into the bus on stages 4 and 5 and lost a heap of time which would have allowed him to try for a breakaway in a transitional stage. If it doesn't work out for him on Thursday then I would expect to see him lose time maybe at Bologna or Faenza and then go looking for a breakaway in the last week.

 

[vala-vala]

Who riders are linked with the new team for 2010?

 

[jaylew]

Lost 12:34 today.

 

[pmcg76]

Wiggins is super super jacked right now. Garmin has a very good medical program. If I was Wiggins, I would stay with Garmin and not go anywhere.

Woah, top finisher Brad Wiggins 88th over 12 mins down, 5 guys in the last gruppetto over 35 mins down, 2 more 26 mins down. Really performing like they are super jacked, maybe they have some special product that only works in TTs or something, perhaps BB can explain that one. If I was looking for a team to dope with, I think I would be looking for a team with a much better medical program than Garmin.

 

[Delicato]

I guess he is just saving himself for thursday's stage.

 

[BroDeal]

I guess he is just saving himself for thursday's stage.

Good bet there. He should be dogging all the climbs. It is not like he has any chance for GC. Garmin does not even have a GC contender, so why waste the energy?

 

[Delicato]

Good bet there. He should be dogging all the climbs. It is not like he has any chance for GC. Garmin does not even have a GC contender, so why waste the energy?

Read the article on cyclingweekly.co.uk for confirmation. He is aiming Top-5 or Top-3 and a stage win later.

Cancellara was pretty anonymous for like...5 months or so? Does he have any chances in time trial?

 

[BroDeal]

Read the article on cyclingweekly.co.uk for confirmation. He is aiming Top-5 or Top-3 and a stage win later.

Top 5 or 3? LOL. Good luck with that, Wiggins.

 

[lookkg386]

Read the article on cyclingweekly.co.uk for confirmation. He is aiming Top-5 or Top-3 and a stage win later.

Cancellara was pretty anonymous for like...5 months or so? Does he have any chances in time trial?

That's going to have to be some ITT!!!

 

[Anonymous]

That's going to have to be some ITT!!!

im starting to wonder if there is a link between brads recent form, and the garmin boys stopping stuffing there faces with all those ruddy chipotle burritos?

no wonder hes lost 6lb this winter..

 

[vala-vala]

I have a question, Trek will be the sponsor bike of team Sky... it is a rumour or a certain? because I supouse that some italian manufacturer is interested on this team the business of Sky Broadcasting in Italy.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a question, Trek will be the sponsor bike of team Sky... it is a rumour or a certain? because I supouse that some italian manufacturer is interested on this team the business of Sky Broadcasting in Italy.

i would be amazed if sky are using trek..

 

[LugHugger]

I have a question, Trek will be the sponsor bike of team Sky... it is a rumour or a certain? because I supouse that some italian manufacturer is interested on this team the business of Sky Broadcasting in Italy.

er, ref my post on first page of this thread!!!!