Wiggins Discussion thread.

[pastronef]

I'm not familiar with the group dynamics inside the Sky team and I don't think anyone else will be hit by Froome's power display. And that's the most accurate description of the matter, as far as I'm concerned. Froome intervened, put veto, or however you want to call it, just to show who's the boss.
But, you know, there are still four weeks till the Tour, and they're Englishmen not shy of mind games, so...

the problem should've been obvious when pictures of Tenerife tarining camp came out, and there was no sign of Wiggo. he was not called by Sky team to Tenerife

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Sky must be very confident to have the luxury of leaving Wiggins at home - not so much in what he would give them on the team but knowing the likely media reaction if Froome wasn't to deliver.

I'm expecting another procession

 

[Akuryo]

Best case scenario:
Oleg Tinkov ‏@olegtinkov 1h
How can Bradley Wiggins to end up being in yellow jersey? Sign with @tinkoff_saxo and wear all year long

Got to love Tinkoff. Makes me laugh everytime I read something about him.

 

[penzos]

the problem should've been obvious when pictures of Tenerife tarining camp came out, and there was no sign of Wiggo. he was not called by Sky team to Tenerife

Certainly.
But the sporting criteria can't be the explanation. Obviously Froome has a strong say.

 

[JRanton]

Probably a veto right in the contract he renewed at the end of last year...

@JRanton - ok, so the 2kg has to be a rough estimate too...It would make sense to spend dome time on the Velodrome. I really wouldn't draw any drastic conclusions for the TDS based on that "sighting".

Porte is only "Plan B" if something happens to Froome after the race has started. If it's before, Wiggo is "in", he said so much on the BBC.

Yes, he'd be in as Plan B with Porte as Plan A in that scenario.

 

[RownhamHill]

It does appear that Froome has vetoed him for sure, and I think I've now moved from being a bit 'meh' about Froome to actively disliking him - this just looks petty and weak. I might some take some chalk along to the London stage and write 'Froome go home' in big letters on the road!

 

[webvan]

Yes, he'd be in as Plan B with Porte as Plan A in that scenario.

Possibly but only if he were to show good form at the Dauphine and it would be much more "balanced" than a Froome/Wiggins or Froome/Porte scenario. Anyway let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Chris Froome has dropped in my reckoning after this, and Brailsford for giving way.
Even if BW had gone rogue The Dawg could have seen him off in the mountains and proven himself a worthy champion by not losing too much in the ITT. But making sure he was DNS was sneaky and cowardly. Hope Alberto is in blistering form next month.

This is more of a PR move by Brad, to try to force his way into the reckoning.

Its actually pretty petulant in my mind of him to be doing this in the media, and not behind closed doors or on the road.

 

[pastronef]

Wiggins on non-Tour selection on BBC: "I'm gutted. Trained hard. I feel I'm in the form of 2012 but at the end of a day it's a team sport."

I hope he wins TdSuisse, to see what DB and the top brass at BSkyB will say

 

[CycloAndy]

This is more of a PR move by Brad, to try to force his way into the reckoning.

Its actually pretty petulant in my mind of him to be doing this in the media, and not behind closed doors or on the road.

How could telling everyone he hasn't got picked be considered a PR move? Sky now can let this sink in and die down a bit before the Tour starts, so have even less reason to pick him now.

 

[willbick]

You guys are really overlooking what Wiggins himself said in the interview. Having 2 guys who are both Tdf winners and 'strong personalities' who arent exactly best of mates on the same team, in the same bus, in the same hotel for a month of tough and stressful racing is a recipe for disaster. All you see is them on the bikes, you dont see everything behind the scenes which can be just as important to the end result.

Sky won last years race easily with Froome as leader and no Wiggins in the team. Why would they change that with all the potential for acrimony with Wiggins in the team? And there's no way Wiggins would be a major GC contender with only 1 TT. Beating Rohan Dennis by a few secs in ToC is not TdF winning form.

Having said all that I kind of expected SKY TV to demand Wiggins be there for the PR!!

 

[armchairclimber]

I did say that he's not the type to STFU. He's being quite clever, covering several bases. He is being passive aggressive... he looks the magnanimous wronged party and it makes Froome appear to be weak/afraid/petty and unsporting. He's also getting the story out plenty early enough for it to gather momentum before the Grand Depart.

He would need to go and win in Switzerland now though to give his push more weight.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

This is more of a PR move by Brad, to try to force his way into the reckoning.

Its actually pretty petulant in my mind of him to be doing this in the media, and not behind closed doors or on the road.

You mean over and above Wiggo's performances in PR and Cali?

Clearly Cound and Froome saw these more as a threat than something which could strengthen the team.

 

[willbick]

P.s. for all those people who slag off Wiggins and call him arrogant and blah blah, I'd like to see you give as reserved and diplomatic interview as Wiggins did considering how he must feel about it.

 

[Flamin]

Very tough call for Chris. Either take Wiggins and risk a tensed atmosphere in the group or leave him out and have everyone around you that you wish for but face an immense pressure from the outside to win the race.

Meanwhile at Contador's house:

 

[willbick]

Its so funny how you guys try to read conspiracy theories and underhand tactics into everything wiggins says and does!

 

[VO2 Max]

I think the reason for Wiggins' dismissal is due to the cobbled stage, Froome is probably worried Wiggins will put a minute or so into him and lose his leadership. Then all Wiggins would have to do is limit his losses in the mountains to around two minutes and he'd win the race in the TT... If there weren't any cobbles I bet he wouldn't have been dismissed... That's my take on it anyway

Exactly it's this. Wiggins will have been dreaming of the same scenario as Armstrong tried to play in 2009: incidents in the first week putting him ahead of the rightful team leader, could be an outside chance of yellow jersey if he's in the front split on stage 5 and climbs well in the Vosges, which restricts Froome's attacking options. Maybe the team would normally take the risk of this playing out and be confident that one of them would win, but Contador looks pretty good just now - you'd want your whole team working together to beat him.

 

[Gaul 58]

After Wiggins descended like a wuss in the Giro that's it for him being Grand Tour material as he's going to get attacked from now on. What does he bring to the party after singling out Froome and not paying him after the 2012 Tour.

 

[Catwhoorg]

How could telling everyone he hasn't got picked be considered a PR move? Sky now can let this sink in and die down a bit before the Tour starts, so have even less reason to pick him now.

He is clearly trying to force DB into publicly saying he is still in the picture.

One thing is clear to me. He is gone from SKY by the end of the year.
This sort of thing will not sit well with the powers that be.

He needs to be thankful that DB isn't in charge of the Olympic selection anymore.
Then he could be putting his Rio selection in jeopardy.

 

[rainman]

I did say that he's not the type to STFU. He's being quite clever, covering several bases. He is being passive aggressive... he looks the magnanimous wronged party and it makes Froome appear to be weak/afraid/petty and unsporting. He's also getting the story out plenty early enough for it to gather momentum before the Grand Depart.

He would need to go and win in Switzerland now though to give his push more weight.

Yes the newsman (probably knowing his past form) was trying to draw him into a more robust statement, but he kept it very diplomatic.
I thought maybe he was trying to maybe impress Dawg/Brailsford being so mild mannered, a last ditch attempt to prove he would be no threat if picked.

 

[Catwhoorg]

You mean over and above Wiggo's performances in PR and Cali?

Clearly Cound and Froome saw these more as a threat than something which could strengthen the team.

he should have been repeating that at Suisse.
Then talk with his long term friend DB, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.


I actually rather like Wiggo as a rider, but this is another in his long line of media mess-ups.

 

[Gregory]

It's not I think about Dawg's fear about Bradley taking leadership from him. It's more about atmosphere on the team. It's very important to have a team around that you have 100% confidence in, in their loyalty. Having Wiggins, means going to the Tour with someone rather unfriendly, someone you have to be constantly alert to. That's not what Froome wants, for sure

 

[Dazed and Confused]

he should have been repeating that at Suisse.
Then talk with his long term friend DB, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.


I actually rather like Wiggo as a rider, but this is another in his long line of media mess-ups.

Brailsford is clearly not in charge at team Sky when it comes to these matters. It would be stupid not to use the media in this case.

 

[richo36]

I cant believe this decision. it makes no sense. every where im reading people are saying that brad wouldn't work 100% for froome, but I don't think he had to. Really would you be using wiggins as a waterboy or making him ride kms on the front. no you wouldn't. you would have him as a "second" GC possibility. Porte isn't quite there yet so really, now they are throwing all there eggs in the one basket. froome crashes first week in the tour they are screwed. tour over.

But most importantly there is a cobbled stage in this tour. last time there was a cobbled stage in a tour, the team with an experienced cobbled rider rode away with there gc rider on there wheel. Obviously wiggins is no fabian but still but he has proven that he can ride cobbles and rode the group with Thomas, boonen and someone else back to the front of the race. that could be vital for froome.

pros of taking wiggins:
1. cobbled stage
2. super domestique in the mountains
3. second GC option

cons of taking wiggins:
1. rivalry between him and froome
2. extra water boy


I know who I would take. I hated wiggins after the tour win plus his 2013 year but I love him now. his ride at flanders and PR were amazing.

 

[Miburo]

Froome is a coward. Contador handled LA in his team while everyone was against AC.

Just shows the difference in class.

I feel sorry for Wiggins, he doesn't really deserve this. He honestly didn't do anything wrong 2 years ago. If someone is to blaim it's Brailsford or Froome.