Wiggins Discussion thread.

[bassplayer88]

I actually think that Froome might get some serious stick in Yorkshire if he manages to have Wiggins excluded from the party.

+ 1 don't think it will be pretty at all

 

[christopherrowe]

I actually think that Froome might get some serious stick in Yorkshire if he manages to have Wiggins excluded from the party.

This post made me wonder about local loyalties Yorkshire fans might have, so I looked up some biographical material on the top three British riders. Interesting that none of them were born in England. Wiggins was born in Ghent, Froome in Ethiopia, and Cavendish on the Isle of Man. Gotta love cycling, even the "domestic" pelotons are international!

 

[Pricey_sky]

This post made me wonder about local loyalties Yorkshire fans might have, so I looked up some biographical material on the top three British riders. Interesting that none of them were born in England. Wiggins was born in Ghent, Froome in Ethiopia, and Cavendish on the Isle of Man. Gotta love cycling, even the "domestic" pelotons are international!

Cav and Wiggins are still British despite where they were born, last time I looked Isle of Man was part of GB? Wiggins parents were both British citizens and he has lived here most of his life. Froome is not British he just chose the British cycling system as he would have had no chance staying in Kenya.

 

[christopherrowe]

Cav and Wiggins are still British despite where they were born, last time I looked Isle of Man was part of GB? Wiggins parents were both British citizens and he has lived here most of his life. Froome is not British he just chose the British cycling system as he would have had no chance staying in Kenya.

Oh, I know they're British (and Kenyan). I was making a distinction between England and Great Britain in pointing out birthplaces.

 

[Winterfold]

Yeah I read that, came as a suprise to me.

JV: Wiggo dont leave us!
BW: I love you JV but the offer is mental
DB: Hi JV here is 2 million quid from Murdoch
JV: I will be in my wine cellar - love you Brad xx
BW: see you soon JV

etc

 

[Winterfold]

But selfishly I'd like it even better if for whatever reason the team leadership came into question during the race, even as soon as after the cobbles stage.
Its been a bit dull and predictable on the Tour lately, time for some rock and roll.

This.

(Cav and BW are a bit like brothers - so they can fall out but they still love each other, Cav is the fat kid brother obv, Froome on the other hand is just a total ar$e as far as I can tell)

 

[Catwhoorg]

This post made me wonder about local loyalties Yorkshire fans might have, so I looked up some biographical material on the top three British riders. Interesting that none of them were born in England. Wiggins was born in Ghent, Froome in Ethiopia, and Cavendish on the Isle of Man. Gotta love cycling, even the "domestic" pelotons are international!

Geraint - Welsh
Kennaugh - IOM
Rowe - Welsh
Stannard - English (Essex IIRC)
Josh Edmundson - A yorkie lad born in Leeds
Swift - Yorkie boen in Rotherham

Of 8 'active' British Riders on Sky, just 3 are English by place of birth.

Going to be fun at the Commonwealth games thats for sure. Some intrasquad rivalries to settle.

 

[MatParker117]

Geraint - Welsh
Kennaugh - IOM
Rowe - Welsh
Stannard - English (Essex IIRC)
Josh Edmundson - A yorkie lad born in Leeds
Swift - Yorkie boen in Rotherham

Of 8 'active' British Riders on Sky, just 3 are English by place of birth.

Going to be fun at the Commonwealth games thats for sure. Some intrasquad rivalries to settle.

I wonder if Froome or Dowsett will take the second Team England spot in the TT.

 

[Catwhoorg]

I hope Dowsett.

He deserves it as the specialist.

 

[bigcog]

This.

(Cav and BW are a bit like brothers - so they can fall out but they still love each other, Cav is the fat kid brother obv, Froome on the other hand is just a total ar$e as far as I can tell)

From what I can make out it's the opposite as regards who is the total ar$e. Froome just doesn't need the aggro of him on the tdf team. Listen to this it may be help:

http://audioboo.fm/channel/thecyclingpodcast - SKY's dilemma

This forum has a lot of interesting stuff about it: (http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12970459&start=240#p18901570)

 

[Pricey_sky]

I've always thought that it was Wiggins who was more of an 'ar$e' out of the pair, I don't think Froome has done anything wrong really. I still believe it will be DB who decides the Tour team and I still believe Wiggins will be in that 9.

In my opinion Froome has every right to be a little annoyed after both Vuelta 11 and Tour 12 titles could have been his.

 

[Arnout]

I think its a case of Wiggins being an **** and Froome being a whiner. It then logically follows that both don't have respect for each other.

 

[armchairclimber]

This post made me wonder about local loyalties Yorkshire fans might have, so I looked up some biographical material on the top three British riders. Interesting that none of them were born in England. Wiggins was born in Ghent, Froome in Ethiopia, and Cavendish on the Isle of Man. Gotta love cycling, even the "domestic" pelotons are international!

It's not so much about the nationality of the riders...they are notional at best these days. It's more about the fact that, in Yorkshire, this is building up to be our party that we are paying for. If the main VIP guest is kept away by someone who looks more like a chancer by the day, then you might find that Yorkshire folk are parochial and ... er free with their opinions.

 

[bigcog]

If the main VIP guest is kept away by someone who looks more like a chancer by the day, then you might find that Yorkshire folk are parochial and ... er free with their opinions.

Eh ? A chancer, plainly I've been hallucinating the last 3 years. I thought it was about winning the TDF, not whether you can swoon over Wiggins.

 

[armchairclimber]

Eh ? A chancer, plainly I've been hallucinating the last 3 years. I thought it was about winning the TDF, not whether you can swoon over Wiggins.

A good portion of the crowd that turns up for Stages 1 & 2 won't follow the tour at all subsequently. Many of them won't even know who Froome is. They will all know who Wiggo is.
I'm not talking about my own feelings mind. I'd be happy for Tommy V to break clear on Stage 2 and take yellow, regardless of what goes on behind.

 

[Poursuivant]

Not a chance in hell Froome will get a bad reception

 

[willbick]

Not a chance in hell Froome will get a bad reception

+1

He might given a similar situation in belgium, spain or italy but I cant see the average British cycling fan getting worked up enough to start shouting things at him from the roadside. Probably get escorted away by 'security' anyway lol

 

[Winterfold]

I hope Dowsett.

He deserves it as the specialist.

Dowsett has just DESTROYED the Uk record for a 10 mile TT - 17'20" took over 20s off it.

 

[Winterfold]

In my opinion Froome has every right to be a little annoyed after both Vuelta 11 and Tour 12 titles could have been his.

He was employed to do a job then decided he didnt want to do it.

 

[Pricey_sky]

He was employed to do a job then decided he didnt want to do it.

He did do the job though, although doing his job in the first instance (Vuelta) cost him and the team their first GT. Maybe they wanted Wiggo to win the first

 

[Angliru]

He was employed to do a job then decided he didnt want to do it.

That is dependent upon what agreement he had with Brailsford when he signed his contract. Froome seems to believe that promises were made or implied and then rescinded once the Tour (2012) came around. It seems to me that they tended to cater to Wiggins fragile personality until Froome delivered the goods at the Tour last year. Wiggins has since been discarded like an old toy by a child. He's not shiny any more and Froome is.

 

[armchairclimber]

That is dependent upon what agreement he had with Brailsford when he signed his contract. Froome seems to believe that promises were made or implied and then rescinded once the Tour (2012) came around. It seems to me that they tended to cater to Wiggins fragile personality until Froome delivered the goods at the Tour last year. Wiggins has since been discarded like an old toy by a child. He's not shiny any more and Froome is.

True, but one of them is a clean winner.

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

Cav and Wiggins are still British despite where they were born, last time I looked Isle of Man was part of GB? Wiggins parents were both British citizens and he has lived here most of his life. Froome is not British he just chose the British cycling system as he would have had no chance staying in Kenya.

IOM is not part of GB, its not even part of the UK.

I agree about Froome, the only reason he is "British" is because Sky are the richest team in the peloton. He attracts only a tiny fraction of the public support that Wiggins enjoys in Britain and if Wiggo isn't riding the tour there will be a lot of puzzled casual fans especially as he's in good nick and from a sporting perspective is worth a spot in the team.

If Wiggins goes to the papers with an axe to grind the public sympathy will be 100% with him. You only have to look at the lukewarm attitude from GB fans in other sports to passport tourists to see what will happen. Henman and Bruno were far more popular than Rusedski and Lewis in Tennis and Boxing, Zola Budd was never popular even without a home rival for the public affection. I'm not sure that will translate into outright hositility, but those Yorkies can be a law unto themselves at times especially if they think they've been snubbed, just ask my first wife.

Froome not helping himself here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/27722064
I sensed mental weakness in Sir Bradley Wiggins

 

[RownhamHill]

That is dependent upon what agreement he had with Brailsford when he signed his contract. Froome seems to believe that promises were made or implied and then rescinded once the Tour (2012) came around. It seems to me that they tended to cater to Wiggins fragile personality until Froome delivered the goods at the Tour last year. Wiggins has since been discarded like an old toy by a child. He's not shiny any more and Froome is.

I don't doubt this is all true, but thinking about this whole Wiggins Froome bad blood, it seems a bit odd that Froome seems to be so down on Wiggins, when it's the management that has been playing them off against each other. Is it really Wiggins' fault that Brailsford promised Froome something and then didn't deliver? Whatever, it's a fascinating soap opera in any case!

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

That is dependent upon what agreement he had with Brailsford when he signed his contract. Froome seems to believe that promises were made or implied and then rescinded once the Tour (2012) came around. It seems to me that they tended to cater to Wiggins fragile personality until Froome delivered the goods at the Tour last year. Wiggins has since been discarded like an old toy by a child. He's not shiny any more and Froome is.

100% they supported Wiggins, you only have to look at the marketing in 2011 it was all Wiggo, and 2012 it was Wiggo + Cav. Chris who?