Wiggins Discussion thread.

[MartinGT]

Great racing yesterday, however its laughable watching Twitter as it unfolds.

"Wiggins with his track experience will smash them in the velodrom"
"I bet Cancellara isnt laughing now about Wiggins riding Roubaix"
etc

Yawn, Yawn, Yawn.

Track experience means knack all after the bashing they had. Spartacus will just go home and look at his other cobbles he has won and the recent RvV trophy, he will also look to see him finished well above Wiggins despite his lack of track experience.

One other thing that gets my goat. Its the Sir thing that the British media especially bang on about! They dont say Mr. Fabian Cancellara, or Mr Peter Sagan!

If Wiggins is going to do track next season. Will he have capacity to do P-R next season?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

If Sky had third man in that last mix yesterday they could have done same what Terpstra did but not with two men. Not enough sprint power for the line so same recipe only solution but not this time..

That rider should have been EBH.
Sir Wiggo was the "Stannard card"

 

[martinvickers]

Well, perhaps we can forget to whole GT thing ever occurred. Somewhat like forgetting certain movies ever took place (Exorcist II anyone?)

The whole significant weight loss, improving on power/aerodynamics (for short and long TT performance), year long winning at a high level while, even though unnaturally thin for his body type, not getting sick or injured. I'd prefer to think of it like a bad dream.

I could see Wiggs as a classics guy. And with enough practice, even cobbles in the rain would not be a death knell. I'm pretty disappointed to hear G is now focusing on GTs.

You don't get in the final selection of a Roubaix, or pull back a Cancellara group in the final 20k without serious chops. I think very sensible questions can be asked about the GC years in "another place", but I think the decent last minute flanders, and then this, realistically has to put to bed the notion that Wiggins is just a donkey.

Still a t***er though.

 

[martinvickers]

Great racing yesterday, however its laughable watching Twitter as it unfolds.

"Wiggins with his track experience will smash them in the velodrom"
"I bet Cancellara isnt laughing now about Wiggins riding Roubaix"
etc

Yawn, Yawn, Yawn.

Track experience means knack all after the bashing they had. Spartacus will just go home and look at his other cobbles he has won and the recent RvV trophy, he will also look to see him finished well above Wiggins despite his lack of track experience.

One other thing that gets my goat. Its the Sir thing that the British media especially bang on about! They dont say Mr. Fabian Cancellara, or Mr Peter Sagan!

If Wiggins is going to do track next season. Will he have capacity to do P-R next season?

You can dislike the man as much as you like, many of us do - but, actually, I'd say its pretty cose to the truth that Cancellara wasn't laughing now - not only did wiggins make the final selection, more to the point he dragged a handful of other riders, swelling the numbers at the front uncomfortably.

Of course the idea of Wiggins winning some kind of track sprint was laughable.

 

[Kwibus]

Great ride from Wiggins and he was in the back all the time. Only until L'Arbre we didn't see him ride and he rode hard there!
If he starts to learn how to position himself he might actually become a contender.

I'm really glad that I was one of the few nonSky-fanboys who actually said that it wouldn't surprise me if he did well

 

[Netserk]

You don't get in the final selection of a Roubaix, or pull back a Cancellara group in the final 20k without serious chops. I think very sensible questions can be asked about the GC years in "another place", but I think the decent last minute flanders, and then this, realistically has to put to bed the notion that Wiggins is just a donkey.

Still a t***er though.

Lol, Wiggo didn't 'pull back a Cancellara group in the final 20k'. That is so disingenuous.

 

[Arnout]

Great racing yesterday, however its laughable watching Twitter as it unfolds.

"Wiggins with his track experience will smash them in the velodrom"
"I bet Cancellara isnt laughing now about Wiggins riding Roubaix"
etc

Yawn, Yawn, Yawn.

Track experience means knack all after the bashing they had. Spartacus will just go home and look at his other cobbles he has won and the recent RvV trophy, he will also look to see him finished well above Wiggins despite his lack of track experience.

One other thing that gets my goat. Its the Sir thing that the British media especially bang on about! They dont say Mr. Fabian Cancellara, or Mr Peter Sagan!

If Wiggins is going to do track next season. Will he have capacity to do P-R next season?

I think the whole sir thing is ridiculous, especially considering you're sort of expected to call him sir in Britain (certainly in public). Calling someone sir because they won a bike race is not even elitism, it's just stupidity.

 

[arvc40]

I think the whole sir thing is ridiculous, especially considering you're sort of expected to call him sir in Britain (certainly in public). Calling someone sir because they won a bike race is not even elitism, it's just stupidity.

Whole honours system is a ****ing joke. It will be Sir David Beckham and lady Victoria soon enough.

Kirby's commentary during the race was a cringe worthy, repeatedly calling Wiggins a night of the round table.

Just let me know when he wins a race as the strongest rider.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Good to see credit where credit is due being offered by so many here.
Especially since the guy is not easy to appreciate.
Of course, for a small minority, even faint praise is a step too far.
A pity for those few, because it was a fine race, in which Wiggins played a key role in its outcome.

 

[Arnout]

Good to see credit where credit is due being offered by so many here.
Especially since the guy is not easy to appreciate.
Of course, for a small minority, even faint praise is a step too far.
A pity for those few, because it was a fine race, in which Wiggins played a key role in its outcome.

Wait, tell me about the key role Wiggins played? I mean, I think he raced well, better than expected, but key role?

 

[perico]

I hope Sir Wiggins doesn't decide to change his focus again next year. He won me over today and hopefully he'll give this style of racing his full attention next year.

 

[Netserk]

There were at least 9 riders with a more important role than Wiggins, so hardly a key role he had. Terpstra, Boonen, Vanmarcke, Cancellara, Sagan, Thomas, Stybar, Degenkolb & Hushovd
Just goes to show how biased some are...

 

[willbick]

Why do people say wiggins wasnt strongest rider in 2012 tour? Doesnt time trialling count?

 

[martinvickers]

Lol, Wiggo didn't 'pull back a Cancellara group in the final 20k'. That is so disingenuous.

Be careful of the accusations, Netserk. You're entitled to your opinion on what Wiggins' did during the race, but it has no special merit, and it doesn't entitle you to a personal dig at me.

 

[Netserk]

Be careful of the accusations, Netserk. You're entitled to your opinion on what Wiggins' did during the race, but it has no special merit, and it doesn't entitle you to a personal dig at me.

What Wiggins did during the race is not an opinion. He didn't pull that group back. He was part of a group that caught the front group after both Canc and Vanmarcke sat up. Drop the BS.

 

[Afrank]

Why do people say wiggins wasnt strongest rider in 2012 tour? Doesnt time trialling count?

Because Froome made him look like a sprinter on the climbs and still wasn't too far back from him in the TT's iirc.

 

[red_flanders]

Hell of a good ride by Wiggins in PR. Did more than I'd have expected. Showed me something by doing that race and doing it well.

 

[Non Grimpeur]

Thomas was Sky's man of the match. He is turning in to a very good rider. I wonder if he can climb mountains in the front group? Would be nice to see.

Very good ride by Wiggins in Paris Roubaix. I think he is in a good place mentally and can ride well for the rest of the year. Sadly, I fear we will not see him in the Tour this year. A recent interview of Froome in The Guardian suggests he would prefer for Wiggins not to be there.

When talking about the cobbled stage in this year's Tour, Froome is quoted:

"Who will be the key team-mates for this stage – Bradley Wiggins has stated his ambition to do well at Paris-Roubaix: if he rides it this year will he be a key superdomestique at the Tour? Froome is cagey: "The team selection will obviously be made closer to the Tour, but I'd hope to have someone like Yogi (Ian Stannard) with me."


http://www.theguardian.com/sport/10...hell-north-paris-roubaix-cobbles-cycling-race


Shane Sutton has said that Wiggins won't make the cut on current form, probably to spur him on. Let's see if Wiggins rides the Dauphine with Froome. If he loses the extra weight he has put on for the classics and rides well there I don't see how he can be left out.

Sky in particular know that the publicity value of Wiggins in a Tour starting in Britain is massive.

 

[red_flanders]

What a bizarre situation. A guy who won the Tour for a team being potentially kept out. Just a strange turn of events.

 

[happychappy]

Spartacus will just go home and look at his other cobbles he has won and the recent RvV trophy,

I suppose Wiggins can always go home and look at this trophy:

 

[martinvickers]

What a bizarre situation. A guy who won the Tour for a team being potentially kept out. Just a strange turn of events.

Wiggins will get in the team as soon as he proves...

a) he can be useful
b) he will be loyal

Hence California/Dauphine.

Neither a, nor b, is a given.

That's the nature of Sky. Use, roll up, toss in bin.

 

[Afrank]

What a bizarre situation. A guy who won the Tour for a team being potentially kept out. Just a strange turn of events.

It's not really that bizarre when you look at Wiggins history with GT racing since he won the Tour.

-Said he didn't enjoy winning.
-decided to focus on Giro, left early after some setbacks.
-no motivation to train for the GT's anymore, new focus on worlds TT.
-said he may be finished with GT's in general.
-new focus on one days and track in Rio Olympics.

Since he won the Tour he hasn't really shown anything in stage racing that would make him deserving of a spot on the Tour squad. Plus his history with Froome and history of wanting to be the sole leader in races puts how much he would do for Froome in question.

I expect he'll probably end up on the Tour squad if he really want to race the Tour. But he may have to show that he is willing to work for Froome and that he can handle and do a good job in a stage race first.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

What a bizarre situation. A guy who won the Tour for a team being potentially kept out. Just a strange turn of events.

The main issue for Sky is Wiggo's popularity in UK (England?). If Froome was very popular, the team would have thrown Wiggo out already imo.

Ah the balance of sporting results versus popularity. Delicate, but I think Froome can solve the problem with a perfect run in to the tour.

 

[shalgo]

Since he won the Tour he hasn't really shown anything in stage racing that would make him deserving of a spot on the Tour squad.

Everything you say is true, except that it is worth remembering that he rode pretty well at Catalunya and Trentino last year--he was fifth in both races, and neither of them had a TT.

I still think he would be a strange pick for the Tour team, if only because of his poor relationship with Froome.

Wiggins and the team need to come up with a plan and a schedule for him. It feels like they are just making it up as they go along.

 

[del1962]

To be fair he will be auseful for Froome on the flat and cobble stages if he maintains his P-R form, with them not really competing for the GC spot, I think they can get on fine