Wiggins Discussion thread.

[webvan]

The hatin' continues, eh! He'll be fine, Eneco was. 13.2km barely more than a prologue.

 

[willbick]

Wiggo makes a rod for his own back. I can't see him making the podium in the worlds. All this talk of extra weight, unless its muscle, which it doesn't appear to be, will be of no help at all.

Eneco was a huge embarrassment.

U seriously think he's just put on a stone of fat?!

 

[SpokeyDokeyBlog]

I've got a theory he's got double objectives, Worlds TT & Hour record a few weeks afterwards, with Hour the prime objective, put my thoughts down in blog. Would explain the apparent weight gain if it's muscle, otherwise it's not really going to help him in road TT's much.
http://spokeydokeyblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/199-laps/

 

[maxmartin]

Why are you quoting yourself? especially when your comment has no basis in anything said or reported?

you know the purpose of forum?BTW saying the same thing by myself twice in two different places is not called quoting, D... A..

 

[Morbius]

you know the purpose of forum?BTW saying the same thing by myself twice in two different places is not called quoting, D... A..

It is when you post a link to yourself saying it

 

[Angliru]

I've got a theory he's got double objectives, Worlds TT & Hour record a few weeks afterwards, with Hour the prime objective, put my thoughts down in blog. Would explain the apparent weight gain if it's muscle, otherwise it's not really going to help him in road TT's much.
http://spokeydokeyblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/199-laps/

From what I've read from the champions of the past that took a stab at the hour record, the preparation and the act itself was one of the most difficult endeavors of their sporting careers. Since Wiggins has decided that he's not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to return to his form of 2012, I have doubts that he's willing do the same (make the sacrifices) for an attempt at the hour record. At least not in the immediate future.

 

[PeteTheSpinner]

Wiggo's recent goal shifting is just a dignified way out of the sport.
He's been there where he's coming back now, he's done it (except for the hour record). That can't be a new motivation. Just a way out.

 

[maxmartin]

It is when you post a link to yourself saying it

Everyone knows the link is CN article, you do have a way to pick up a needle in a haystack

 

[TourdeClare]

My view is that whatever happens with him, whether he continues road racing or not, he's still achieved lots in his time and for that he should be congratulated. Thanks to the likes of Brad, Cav and Sir Chris Hoy, there are so many people in Britain who have been inspired to get on a bike and get healthier - me included!

I actually think he will win the Worlds ITT. The Eneco Tour TT course wasn't favourable to him, whereas I think the longer course in Italy at the Worlds is more his thing and better suits his TT "engine".

 

[PeteTheSpinner]

I wonder if there's some truth in Paris - Roubaix rumors.
It certainly is the race he'd like to win, but it's a long way from wish to realization.

 

[Morbius]

I wonder if there's some truth in Paris - Roubaix rumors.
It certainly is the race he'd like to win, but it's a long way from wish to realization.

It would be great to see him give it a serious go, but hard to see him having sufficient race-craft.
A lot will depend on his degree of motivation. As his family gets older I can imagine him being prepared to do the work to succceed in TTs and classics while staying in UK / Mallorca, but not being prepared to spend weeks / months in Teneriffe in order to keep his climbing levels up to GT standards.

 

[PeteTheSpinner]

It would be great to see him give it a serious go, but hard to see him having sufficient race-craft.
A lot will depend on his degree of motivation. As his family gets older I can imagine him being prepared to do the work to succceed in TTs and classics while staying in UK / Mallorca, but not being prepared to spend weeks / months in Teneriffe in order to keep his climbing levels up to GT standards.

From everything we could read lately, it's obvious that his GT days have passed.
A Paris - Roubaix attempt would be exciting, but the race-craft is the main concern, as you've noted. And that's exactly what I'm thinking of... Does he have enough time to keep the form and routinize on the cobbles?
I don't see him succeeding already next season.
If he decides to target the race at all.

 

[Dedelou]

I wonder if there's some truth in Paris - Roubaix rumors.
It certainly is the race he'd like to win, but it's a long way from wish to realization.

I am hearing rumors he might think of team pursuit at the Olympics.. Any truth to that?

 

[PeteTheSpinner]

I am hearing rumors he might think of team pursuit at the Olympics.. Any truth to that?

I don't follow track cycling. Only if some news from the track is related to the road.
Although this is that kind of a case, everything I've heard was that he's planning to hit the track again.
The team pursuit in Rio would be convenient and nice way to end career, so it makes sense.

 

[Pricey_sky]

According to cycling weekly Wiggins will have 1 final year on the road before turning his attention to the track and more gold in Rio.

What will his schedule be then next year? PR followed by one final Tour which starts in England of course in support of Froome? They may even throw in a nice long and flat TT to get him a final Tour stage win!

 

[King Boonen]

According to cycling weekly Wiggins will have 1 final year on the road before turning his attention to the track and more gold in Rio.

What will his schedule be then next year? PR followed by one final Tour which starts in England of course in support of Froome? They may even throw in a nice long and flat TT to get him a final Tour stage win!

Reported on CN now.

I'm guessing heavily reduced programme, Tour very dependent on parcours but a place in the Classics team if he wants it.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Can't blame him really. He's won the Tour. He's not going to have much motivation to keep himself at that sort of weight so he can get bottles for his successor.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Wiggins interview with ITV cycling:

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/news/wiggins-targets-rio-gold-after-another-tour-tilt/

"He has age on his side, he has no kids. That's fine. If Chris wants to, he could potentially win five Tours now. So if I want to win another Tour, I'd probably have to leave the team.

"I love this team. This is my home. I'm not going to go: 'I want to be leader so I'm off'."

Reading between the lines it sounds as though he is coming to terms with being a Froome domestique next year.

 

[darwin553]

Bit harsh by Wiggins to bring in the kids angle to explain why Sky are favouring Froome. Also, it may be seen to be an excuse as to why Wiggins doesn't want to put in the hard yards anymore for the grand tours.

 

[movingtarget]

Bit harsh by Wiggins to bring in the kids angle to explain why Sky are favouring Froome. Also, it may be seen to be an excuse as to why Wiggins doesn't want to put in the hard yards anymore for the grand tours.

I think Wiggins is only being honest. Many people say it's difficult to leave young kids behind to travel for work and sport etc......It's quality time for families. I'm sure Froome can understand that. Wiggins was never going to be a multiple Tour winner. But he must be bitter about the Giro debacle but that's sport.

 

[RownhamHill]

Bit harsh by Wiggins to bring in the kids angle to explain why Sky are favouring Froome. Also, it may be seen to be an excuse as to why Wiggins doesn't want to put in the hard yards anymore for the grand tours.

Surely it's not an excuse, but a reason he's accepting he's not going to ride for GC anymore? I don't think he's bringing his kids in to portray himself as a victim - he's saying Sky are rightly going to favour Froome because Froome is more willing than Wiggins is to hole himself up on a volcano for months on end and do the hard yards in training. Seems a fair enough decision whichever way you look at it from.

 

[karlboss]

I think Wiggins is a true champion, he rose to the top and another competitior is challenging him and like all true champions he is admitting he can't beat him and is backing down, chapeau.

 

[Angliru]

Bit harsh by Wiggins to bring in the kids angle to explain why Sky are favouring Froome. Also, it may be seen to be an excuse as to why Wiggins doesn't want to put in the hard yards anymore for the grand tours.

The kids angle is a reason, in his opinion, that Froome will be able to train to maintain the levels that they both exhibited, Wiggins in 2012 and Froome in 2013. What I don't completely understand is his flip-flopping on wanting to pursue new goals after winning the Tour. He implied last year that the Giro was a goal, that is until it appeared the team was going to give complete support to Froome at the Tour. He then altered his stance to include the Giro/Tour double as his objective. It's rather difficult to figure what he'll say next in terms of his future goals in the sport.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The kids angle is a reason, in his opinion, that Froome will be able to train to maintain the levels that they both exhibited, Wiggins in 2012 and Froome in 2013. What I don't completely understand is his flip-flopping on wanting to pursue new goals after winning the Tour. He implied last year that the Giro was a goal, that is until it appeared the team was going to give complete support to Froome at the Tour. He then altered his stance to include the Giro/Tour double as his objective. It's rather difficult to figure what he'll say next in terms of his future goals in the sport.

I suspect that the Giro was indeed a goal, but that having adopted it as such, he wasn't able to find the necessary motivation and knows now that he won't be able to do so again. It's probably been a bit of a learning process, finding out what he is and isn't able to voluntarily put himself through now that the biggest win is behind him and isn't going to be repeated.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Wiggins may attempt the world hour record at some point next year:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/15355/Wiggins-says-he-may-aim-for-world-hour-record.aspx#post-comments