Wiggins could miss TDF due to chest infection, knee injury

[Archibald]

He would probably get along famously with Andy Schleck. The two could trade excuses.

maybe as a replacement for Spartacus as RS's TT rider?
he'll think he can take leadership from schleck(s) and the leader soap opera can continue...

 

[Miburo]

The excuses begin. Well if he doesn't win the tour we already know why

 

[Jelantik]

The excuses begin. Well if he doesn't win the tour we already know why

Interesting. Wiggins has talked so high about Giro/tour double. Ow wait, he didn't even finish the Giro! And now, he won't be at the Tour? Maybe he should open his big mouth and tell the world that he'll do Giro/Tour DNS in the first place .

btw won't it be affecting the relationship with the organizer though? He is the defending champion. And for godshake last year ASO was all over him. I'm sure they want wiggins to start? Maybe that's why sky PR start sending narration about wiggin's health.. bla, bla, bla??

 

[Ripper]

And in other news, who the f@ck cares?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Gotta say lost just about all interest in the Froome-Wiggins show after the Giro debacle. The gas went out of that balloon some time ago.

Instead Wiggins should show up at Tour of Poland and fight Nibali.

 

[BroDeal]

Instead Wiggins should show up at Tour of Poland and fight Nibali.

Sky might want to get the long range weather forecast before making that decision.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I hope he'll be there. I don't really care for the Wiggins-Froome infight, but the defending champion should be at the start. And he's one of the three best GC riders in the world, so why would anyone not want him there?

 

[Cimber]

I hope he will be there. I am not a big fan but the former champ should be there.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Sky might want to get the long range weather forecast before making that decision.

so next race will be the flat TT at the worlds?

I hope he'll be there. I don't really care for the Wiggins-Froome infight, but the defending champion should be at the start. And he's one of the three best GC riders in the world, so why would anyone not want him there?

yep, it would be nice, but the context doesn't feel right (to me). If Wiggins starts, does anybody really think he will fight for the win at this point. Being relegated to train duties will just make it look even worse imo.

 

[Miburo]

I hope he'll be there. I don't really care for the Wiggins-Froome infight, but the defending champion should be at the start. And he's one of the three best GC riders in the world, so why would anyone not want him there?

I'm assuming you've Contador and Froome on that list. You better hope no nibali-fan sees this

 

[Froome19]

Is Niemiec doing the tour? If so to what end. They got no one to work for and hell be too tired to do anything himself unless he just wants to live the experience. Better off going for Vuelta and Worlds (try for top 10 or something) unless he just wants to experience riding the tdf, which i think he can do next year anyway.

Cunego apparently, Niemec will probably have a bit of a free role after his Giro though.. Poor Lampre, they really need to hope Ulissi develops fast.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Wow, i'd be feeling pretty smug if I'd seen this coming all along.

Best outcome for all parties involved, just needs a sufficient cover story to let it happen without loss of face.

 

[Miburo]

Cunego apparently, Niemec will probably have a bit of a free role after his Giro though.. Poor Lampre, they really need to hope Ulissi develops fast.

Cunego should go for stage wins.

 

[Cimber]

Wow, i'd be feeling pretty smug if I'd seen this coming all along.

Best outcome for all parties involved, just needs a sufficient cover story to let it happen without loss of face.

Ye that came to my mind too.

 

[Swabian Lass]

Now not to be too cynical, but I think that the two real ailments are bruised ego and cowardice, because at the Giro Wiggins lost his nerve; once Froome attacks on a mountain without his earpiece telling him to stop and pull Wiggo allong, he will have lost his physical edge as well.

I think that this is probably right. It's a shame though. I feel that the defending champion should start, barring injury or serious illness.

 

[Swabian Lass]

Oh mierda. You've just made me realise we're in for a carbon copy of the 2009 Tour, the worst Grand Tour known to man. All the ingredients are in place:

- favourite in super strong team
- former hero in same team who rode the Giro pretending he wasn't aiming at the Tour
- totally garbage second week
- Ventoux finish
- Team Time Trial in stage 4
- mostly neutered or token Pyrenean stages
- mountaintop finish on the penultimate stage
- will he-won't he tug of love about leadership of strongest team
- Le-Grand-Bornand finish late in the race
- hilly TT in the Alps

Pity I like Hushovd more than Sagan. Looking forward to one of the French teams getting in yellow for week 2 and then Sky letting the break go for a week and soft-pedalling, and also poor Egoi Martínez getting outsprinted by somebody from the upper echelons of the Giro GC at the top of every mountain from the breakaway.

Oh dear! Now I look, I think you're probably right here, too.

 

[Contadoraus Schlecks]

Sky will miss Wiggins in the TTT?

He could probably also still get at least a stage win (TT), even if he does get dropped badly in the mountains

 

[masking_agent]

I think he had his year and its now over. He's rapidly slipping into oblivion, or rapidly becoming an "also ran" similar to Gesink, and Hesjedal.

 

[simoni]

Sky will miss Wiggins in the TTT?

He could probably also still get at least a stage win (TT), even if he does get dropped badly in the mountains

I've always been fairly sure that he'd ride for that reason alone. Unless he's really seriously injured and out of form i'm pretty sure we'll see him there. I think that Sky have managed all this poorly this year though and turned it into a soap opera that shouldn't have been necessary.

Additionally though, the lack of respect for Wiggins on here is astounding. Particularly the guy who said that no team would want him as their GC rider. Seriously, WTF? What sport are you watching? How many other riders are there about who've podiumed in three GTs?

FWIW, I wouldn't be surprised if he retires at the end of this season.

 

[argyllflyer]

Wiggins' colossal ego won't allow him to super domestique for Froome, and while the TTT does need big engines, are they going to lose enough time to other teams to make it worthwhile having a disruptive, surly non-team player on board? The best position for Wiggo, to use football parlance, is Left Back (in Chorley).

 

[JRanton]

Wow, i'd be feeling pretty smug if I'd seen this coming all along.

Best outcome for all parties involved, just needs a sufficient cover story to let it happen without loss of face.

What do you think will happen with Wiggins in 2014?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

What do you think will happen with Wiggins in 2014?

Hard to say. I doubt he's that enthusiastic to keep going (but I may be very wrong there), but if he did want to retire, it will be difficult to save face with an injury excuse this Summer and then full on retire a few months later without it all looking a bit weak.

A lot will depend on if he pulls it back together for the Vuelta this year.

Wouldn't be shocked if they devise a quirky calendar (centred on giro or vuelta) for him next year and then he heads back to the track in 2015 to prep for a final Olympic gold.

 

[Afrank]

I've always been fairly sure that he'd ride for that reason alone. Unless he's really seriously injured and out of form i'm pretty sure we'll see him there. I think that Sky have managed all this poorly this year though and turned it into a soap opera that shouldn't have been necessary.

Additionally though, the lack of respect for Wiggins on here is astounding. Particularly the guy who said that no team would want him as their GC rider. Seriously, WTF? What sport are you watching? How many other riders are there about who've podiumed in three GTs?

FWIW, I wouldn't be surprised if he retires at the end of this season.

What's wrong with that? Given the way he acts with the media, his all for me approach to races, his results so far this year, and his seemingly lack of any motivation at the Giro, it wouldn't be that surprising to me at least if not too many teams wanted him as their GC rider just so they wouldn't have to deal with all that.

 

[Carols]

How many other riders are there about who've podiumed in three GTs?

FWIW, I wouldn't be surprised if he retires at the end of this season.

A few, but Wiggins is Not one of them unless I missed that Giro....

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

A few, but Wiggins is Not one of them unless I missed that Giro....

The 2013 Giro was a GT, and so was the 2012 Giro...