Wiggins Discussion thread.

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Ripper

Ripper

Sep 14, 2009
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karlboss said:
I watched the coverage start to finish, and you're definitely overstating it. Wiggins and Thomas are easy to spot with the union flags on their sleeves and were often not together. The one time he may have really helped was after the big crash there was a lone sky rider aiding the chase to bring the favourites back, but I couldn't tell you if it was Wiggins or not because we didn't get a close up. I'd assume it was.
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Bingo. One big notable pull for a teammate. Better than absolutely nothing. But given the palmares, not really impressive in the least.

For all the others that think this was a good showing and that Wiggo is OK for the cobbles, let's just hope for his sake it stays dry for next weekend.
 
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karlboss

Mar 13, 2009
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Ripper said:
Bingo. One big notable pull for a teammate. Better than absolutely nothing. But given the palmares, not really impressive in the least.

For all the others that think this was a good showing and that Wiggo is OK for the cobbles, let's just hope for his sake it stays dry for next weekend.
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I was wrong, that was Thomas himself and Wiggins' pull occured after Thomas crash before coverage started.
 
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JRanton

Apr 2, 2010
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greenedge said:
EBH rode quite well though :)
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Until 20km to go, like always.

EDIT - I'm not suggesting Sky has a better option, it's just that with EBH as your leader for Roubaix you might as well not bother to turn up.
 
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JRanton

Apr 2, 2010
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hatcher said:
You're missing the fact it's a Tour de France winner who based the front of his season around Paris-Roubaix. That is not a common occurrence, and this was the first test of his form. The fact that he was with the front group the final time up the Kwaremont is noteworthy. Especially as he was riding for someone else, and wasn't even in the team until a few days ago.
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Shows how far he's fallen that's he's built the first half of his season around a race where he won't even be team leader.
 
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arvc40

Jul 1, 2013
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movingtarget said:
Not a bad ride by Wiggo. Pretty encouraging.
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This makes me laugh. Its the sort of comment you would expect for a Junior rider from his Nan. We are talking about a Tdf winner, with millions in the bank and the support of one or the best Team in the world.

The other aspect of his and Sky's peformance is that if your tactic is to just follow the fella with Trek on his jersey all day, not take the initiative and use the likes of Wiggins to some affect on segments that suit him, then Wigg is just going to slip backwards bit by bit having done no job at all.
 
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VO2 Max

Jan 12, 2012
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Just wtf with Sky's team selections though? Wiggins talks about Roubaix as a target but wouldn't even have started RVV if Stannard were fit; and didn't start Het N, E3, Dwars or G-W either. Because these northern classics are so straight forward to read you can just pitch up and have a go :rolleyes:
 
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Gloin22

Apr 10, 2011
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There's a vast difference between Belgian classics and Roubaix. And Wiggins rode Roubaix few times already to know it decently well.
 
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movingtarget

Aug 5, 2009
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arvc40 said:
This makes me laugh. Its the sort of comment you would expect for a Junior rider from his Nan. We are talking about a Tdf winner, with millions in the bank and the support of one or the best Team in the world.

The other aspect of his and Sky's peformance is that if your tactic is to just follow the fella with Trek on his jersey all day, not take the initiative and use the likes of Wiggins to some affect on segments that suit him, then Wigg is just going to slip backwards bit by bit having done no job at all.
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How many recent Tour winners have done well at Flanders ? Most riders are just following as that's the best they can do. Cancellara does incredibly well in GTs. Since when does millions in the bank mean anything in a bike race. Andy Schleck, Gilbert ? I take it Wiggo is not on your Christmas card list. Geraint Thomas was the team leader not Wiggo. My nan is dead and she was a realist.
 
Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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movingtarget said:
How many recent Tour winners have done well at Flanders ? Most riders are just following as that's the best they can do. Cancellara does incredibly well in GTs. Since when does millions in the bank mean anything in a bike race. Andy Schleck, Gilbert ? I take it Wiggo is not on your Christmas card list. Geraint Thomas was the team leader not Wiggo. My nan is dead and she was a realist.
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If by well you mean a performance similar to Wiggins', then it'd be Armstrong. Quite fitting, no? :)
 
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timmers

Sep 20, 2009
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Netserk said:
If by well you mean a performance similar to Wiggins', then it'd be Armstrong. Quite fitting, no? :)
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Well no as Armstrong basically has no results post the reasoned decision especially in Flanders and Roubaix. But that requires an understanding of cycling.

So why wouldn't the mgt of Team Sky try and motivate a rider who is going badly by making him a leader for a race that realistically they will do poorly in without Stannard. Boasson hasn't ever shown the goods while Thomas I would think is too light so what harm is done.

The good news for Team Sky is at least they are not Orica Greenedge!
 
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movingtarget

Aug 5, 2009
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Netserk said:
If by well you mean a performance similar to Wiggins', then it'd be Armstrong. Quite fitting, no? :)
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Yes I thought of that but the fact is most GC riders don't ride the cobbles presumably because they don't have to, they are too light in many cases and they want to minimise injuries. Lemond, Hinault and Roche always did but that was another era and Merckx just rode everything even Six Day Races in the Winter. An utter cannibal ! Wiggo I think is not far off retirement. He seems to be trying different things but is far from his 2012 form. Sacrifices he is no longer willing to make ? Maybe one more year on the road if that.
 
Ripper

Ripper

Sep 14, 2009
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movingtarget said:
Yes I thought of that but the fact is most GC riders don't ride the cobbles presumably because they don't have to, they are too light in many cases and they want to minimise injuries. Lemond, Hinault and Roche always did but that was another era and Merckx just rode everything even Six Day Races in the Winter. An utter cannibal ! Wiggo I think is not far off retirement. He seems to be trying different things but is far from his 2012 form. Sacrifices he is no longer willing to make ? Maybe one more year on the road if that.
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I think you have pretty much nailed it. The head is there, but the heart is not, so to speak.

I also think you are correct as to why GT riders don't bother - it is not something that really fits with what they are training towards. E.g. lightweight and cobbles don't mix that well and the risk of injury when building to the #1 goals of the year are too great.
 
Ripper

Ripper

Sep 14, 2009
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timmers said:
Well no as Armstrong basically has no results post the reasoned decision especially in Flanders and Roubaix. But that requires an understanding of cycling.
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That's not quite a fair comment. Sure, Pharmstrong's been stripped of results, but the facts are the facts in this case - he actually is one of the last folks who was a 'GT rider' to have placed in the top half of Flanders. I think it takes a deeper understanding of cycling to understand what occurred when folks don't see the names on the history books.
 
The Hitch

The Hitch

Jun 14, 2010
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Yep Armstrong is the answer in Flanders itself. But contador also did very well when eneco visited the cobbles, I think 3rd over the top of the kappelmuur. Valverde (not a tdf winner but a gt one anyway) in dwars not bad either.
 
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arvc40

Jul 1, 2013
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movingtarget said:
How many recent Tour winners have done well at Flanders ? Most riders are just following as that's the best they can do. Cancellara does incredibly well in GTs. Since when does millions in the bank mean anything in a bike race. Andy Schleck, Gilbert ? I take it Wiggo is not on your Christmas card list. Geraint Thomas was the team leader not Wiggo. My nan is dead and she was a realist.
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Ok I take it all back, you win. You have destroyed my points of view.
 
Ripper

Ripper

Sep 14, 2009
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The Hitch said:
Yep Armstrong is the answer in Flanders itself. But contador also did very well when eneco visited the cobbles, I think 3rd over the top of the kappelmuur. Valverde (not a tdf winner but a gt one anyway) in dwars not bad either.
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Good points ... forgot to note those.
 
R

RownhamHill

Jul 1, 2011
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I know at times he's a bit of a ****, and that he's someone very easy to laugh at, but it's interviews like this that give me a soft spot for el Wiggo - a bit of self-deprecating modesty, but quite a lot of ambition as well.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-serious-about-paris-roubaix-ambitions

Realistically I don't think he's got any chance at Paris Roubaix, and it would be so much easier for him to give a bland, sandbagging, 'just happy to be there' type answer, but you know, elite sportsmen who are happy to admit they want to win? I'm all for it
 
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MonkeyFace

Nov 7, 2013
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Good job by Bradley. 9th is very respectable for his first time at it. Considering how terrible on riding on wet roads in the mountains, I would never have guessed he would have did this well at PR.
 
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