The most difficult thing for Sky is to decide when to let Froome become leader. He's clearly the better bet long term for GC and grand tour placings. Bradley needs a tour more suited to his skills, and has been very lucky to come across Froome who will be there in the mountains all the way. A massive down side between Garmin and Sky was that Vande Velde was pretty much always there at the toughest points; apart from the final part of the Ventoux in 2009, but having said that they had a lot more excellent all rounders to help him. Only this year has Sky got the right GC ability riders in their tour team, last year they had too many engines for the flat.
Barring a poor winter Brad is bound to be team leader next season. It's not like the rivalry between Hinault and Lemond, but no doubt it will have similar outcomes whereby Froome is held back, and like in the Vuelta hampered in some stages losing time to a rider like Contador. I can not see Froome being team leader next year, it would be interesting to see if he could lead at the Giro with Uran, and then support in the Tour for Brad. If the winter training numbers stack up Brad will be team leader, regardless that the route probably won't suit him.
Chris Froome has time on his side, is part of the best remunerated team in cycling and is paying his dues as Wiggins's domestique. He knows that Wiggins will win this year (barring disaster) and that next year and after will be his. Perhaps Sky in compensation will base the Vuelta team around him and rest Wiggins? The Vuelta should be a strong race this year, stronger than the Tour de France - Albert Contador's suspension ends next month and he's said to be aiming at the Vuelta, Andy Schleck should have recovered from his broken collar bone and Thor Hushovd from his virus, if they are all fit they will offer serious competition over the mountain stages. Sky should not take the race lightly and if Wiggins is knackered after the Tour de France and the Olympics it could be wisest to let him finish the season with a fewer lower key but well paid events.
People have been saying Froome is the stronger but today Wiggins did a lot of work leading the team and his surge at the end of the last climb to try and set up Boasson Hagen for the stage win was phenomenal. He just flew past everyone and unfortunately Boasson Hagen couldn't keep up. Whether Froome couldn't or just didn't keep up we don't know. Wiggins is also the best in the World at TT's, and with an even longer TT still to come can pull away further.
Expect Froome to be the team leader in the next year or two if Sky think that gives them the best chance of winning. I can't see them just blindly staying with Brad if they don't think he's the best. It's about winning and at the moment Brad has the mix of strength, TT ability and experience that makes him the leader.
The most worrying thing of today was the way Cav was spat out of a quick moving peloton on the Cat 3 hill at the end, if you're the Australians, Spanish or Italians, you'll just know that you'll need to whack the speed up on the final approach to the Box Hill and you might drop Cav off
two great things of today, Brad neutralising the race when Cadel got tacked, and Cav showing he can climb by leading Sky up a Cat 1 climb, all good for Box Hill that
What idiot puts nails on the road. Ruined the decent of the last mountain completely as Sky did the right thing and neutralised the race completely. If Wiggins can get through The 2 stages on Tuesday and Wednesday he will be almost home and dry.
Also it was a great ride from Millar to win on stage 12 and another win for a GB rider. Good times for GB cycling.
What idiot puts nails on the road. Ruined the decent of the last mountain completely as Sky did the right thing and neutralised the race completely.
There certainly are some strange people about. The tw*ts with the lighted flares were pushing their luck, burning a few riders on the way through. Very difficult to police, I'd hate to see the mountains empty of fans, as that's all part of the race.
I liked Cav's handover of Wiggo's rain jacket. More power to your legs Cav, and hope he has the chance to take off up the Champs Elysees on Sunday.
two great things of today, Brad neutralising the race when Cadel got tacked, and Cav showing he can climb by leading Sky up a Cat 1 climb, all good for Box Hill that
Franck Schleck done for taking a diaretic on 14th July....asked to leave the tour.
Massive helm.
If the sports best keep doing doping cycling is going to lose its credibility. Unbelievable idiot.
Also this made me laugh off twitter:
Huw @NeathFan If I were Frank Shleck, given my form at #TdF I'd be looking for a refund on my performance enhancing substance #missold #tradingstandards
Diuretic what? Shame the brothers were never caught when they followed the Shcleck's dad's car all those years ago. And a double shame that unlike the Italian Olympic Committee Luxembourg did sod all to properly investigate the Puerto allegations.
Team CSC/Saxo bank really have a reprehensible history for rider choices. It's time for Ris and the rest of the old T Mobile team to tell even something near to thecomplete truth of their days in the peloton. Really cycling needs a truth commission, that if anyone doesn't own up to the errors they suffer heavier punishments: as long as WADA could accept this. Much as I like Aldag and Zabel, the historical big epo doping teams from PDM onwards need to be open about their pursuit of dodging the testers and the system.
I regard the tour de France as the toughest sporting event in the world. Hope this country gives Bradley the recognition he deserves for his efforts.
This moron country would honour a consistant loser in Andy Murray and ignore a winner like Wiggo.
I hope not. Wiggo is a winner but is a genuine bloke. He says it like it is in an articulate way. Also he is able to compete as an individual and as part of a team.
I've always played and enjoyed team sports far more than individual sports (apart from darts and snooker).
Liquigas did Sky a big favour by chucking Evans out of contention. I can only see Wiggo winning now as Froome is putting himself on the line for him and Nabali doesn't seem to be good enough to get a big enough time gap on either of them. I don't want to say it but it may be the 1st time in 99 years that a Briton is 1st in le tour. Just don't crash Wiggins!!!!!!!!
He deserves a whole paper to himself for winning le tour as it is the toughest and hardest sporting event in the world.
As long as Wiggo keeps Nibali at bay tomorrow, he should have the yellow jersey in the bag. Was surprised Nibali left his attack so late today but obviously done Wiggo a huge favour by doing so.
I regard the tour de France as the toughest sporting event in the world. Hope this country gives Bradley the recognition he deserves for his efforts.
This moron country would honour a consistant loser in Andy Murray and ignore a winner like Wiggo.
Sadly, we've already seen some of that during the tour. Wiggo gets his first yellow jersey and the BBC decided their main headline was going to be Mark Webber was going to sign a new contract with Red Bull. WTF? Woo pee doo. A British Rider, yes BRITISH gets the yellow jersey yet the main british broadcaster highlights a story involving an Aussie. I ask you.
The TdF is the toughest sporting event on the planet. Nothing comes close. Until the average Joe gets on a road bike and attempts to ride for just a couple of minutes on the flat let alone any gentle climbs, they will never realise how hard it is, when they do that for 130-140 miles a day almost every day for 3 weeks with only a couple of rest days thrown in and the odd TT to physically take them to the absolute limit. Simple as that. If Wiggo does pull it off with TeamSky, he (and the team) deserves huge praise and recognition. It was great that Cav won the Green jersey last year but the Yellow is the ultimate of sporting achievements.
Sadly, we've already seen some of that during the tour. Wiggo gets his first yellow jersey and the BBC decided their main headline was going to be Mark Webber was going to sign a new contract with Red Bull. WTF? Woo pee doo. A British Rider, yes BRITISH gets the yellow jersey yet the main british broadcaster highlights a story involving an Aussie. I ask you.
A cynic might say the BBC were publicising a sport they cover.
A Grand Slam Finalist is not a loser by any stretch of the imagination
Well he didnt win a Grand Slam, so that makes him a loser in my book.
Also its taken 99 years for Britain to get an out and out favourite to win le tour and well Wiggins has actually delivered so far. Who knows how long it'll take before we have another (Froome next year probably).
Comments
Barring a poor winter Brad is bound to be team leader next season. It's not like the rivalry between Hinault and Lemond, but no doubt it will have similar outcomes whereby Froome is held back, and like in the Vuelta hampered in some stages losing time to a rider like Contador. I can not see Froome being team leader next year, it would be interesting to see if he could lead at the Giro with Uran, and then support in the Tour for Brad. If the winter training numbers stack up Brad will be team leader, regardless that the route probably won't suit him.
Expect Froome to be the team leader in the next year or two if Sky think that gives them the best chance of winning. I can't see them just blindly staying with Brad if they don't think he's the best. It's about winning and at the moment Brad has the mix of strength, TT ability and experience that makes him the leader.
Also it was a great ride from Millar to win on stage 12 and another win for a GB rider. Good times for GB cycling.
Now that is funny, he looks like Wiggy as well...
I liked Cav's handover of Wiggo's rain jacket. More power to your legs Cav, and hope he has the chance to take off up the Champs Elysees on Sunday.
Didi Senft. Covered this tonight on ITV4. He's recovering from a brain operation.
Massive helm.
One hell of a test for Cavendish.
Also this made me laugh off twitter:
Huw @NeathFan
If I were Frank Shleck, given my form at #TdF I'd be looking for a refund on my performance enhancing substance #missold #tradingstandards
Team CSC/Saxo bank really have a reprehensible history for rider choices. It's time for Ris and the rest of the old T Mobile team to tell even something near to thecomplete truth of their days in the peloton. Really cycling needs a truth commission, that if anyone doesn't own up to the errors they suffer heavier punishments: as long as WADA could accept this. Much as I like Aldag and Zabel, the historical big epo doping teams from PDM onwards need to be open about their pursuit of dodging the testers and the system.
sounds a bit like euro-trance err whatever......anyone???
Thx
Looks like a straight shoot out between Nibali and Wiggo now.
(unless Froome mounts a mutiny of his own!)
Hope this country gives Bradley the recognition he deserves for his efforts.
I've always played and enjoyed team sports far more than individual sports (apart from darts and snooker).
He deserves a whole paper to himself for winning le tour as it is the toughest and hardest sporting event in the world.
Was surprised Nibali left his attack so late today but obviously done Wiggo a huge favour by doing so. Sadly, we've already seen some of that during the tour. Wiggo gets his first yellow jersey and the BBC decided their main headline was going to be Mark Webber was going to sign a new contract with Red Bull. WTF? Woo pee doo. A British Rider, yes BRITISH gets the yellow jersey yet the main british broadcaster highlights a story involving an Aussie. I ask you.
The TdF is the toughest sporting event on the planet. Nothing comes close. Until the average Joe gets on a road bike and attempts to ride for just a couple of minutes on the flat let alone any gentle climbs, they will never realise how hard it is, when they do that for 130-140 miles a day almost every day for 3 weeks with only a couple of rest days thrown in and the odd TT to physically take them to the absolute limit. Simple as that. If Wiggo does pull it off with TeamSky, he (and the team) deserves huge praise and recognition. It was great that Cav won the Green jersey last year but the Yellow is the ultimate of sporting achievements.
TT's are Wed 1st August.