Brailsford interview in the Scotsman

[thom]

Interesting read with "soon to be Sir" Brailsford.
Mentions a wide variety of issues, from Hoy to Armstrong.

Dunno that media reports always merit individual threads - would it make sense to create a thread for slightly random but interesting pro cycling articles, possibly a new thread per month ?

Ideally there wouldn't be too much comment/interpretation/debate, it would be more of a brief highlights thing.

 

[laurence]

cheers for that, very good read.

 

[DogTired]

Thom, thanks, another great article. Interesting to hear about Wiggins/Froome that there were definitely issues and not just faulty radios...

 

[raindog]

I was going to suggest some months ago that we have a thread called "General Racing News" or whatever, for snippets of info, or interesting links, that don't warrant creating a new thread. Maybe it could even be a sticky, so it doesn't drop out of sight?

 

[Booyaa]

Thanks for the article, interesting that there was indeed more to the Froome/Wiggins spat and it is being talked about. Thankfully it never impacted on the result (unless you still use the Froome could have won yellow argument) and these kind of things happen constantly in any cycling team with good riders on it.

 

[ColinJ]

It was clear to me that Froome was disgruntled in the TdF and I wasn't impressed with his "look how fast I could go if you weren't holding me back!" antics ahead of Wiggins.

I have to say that I was more impressed with how he behaved on the Vuelta, and thought he was gracious in defeat.

 

[DogTired]

I was going to suggest some months ago that we have a thread called "General Racing News" or whatever, for snippets of info, or interesting links, that don't warrant creating a new thread. Maybe it could even be a sticky, so it doesn't drop out of sight?

A good idea, the only issue would if 2 threads came alive following them might be a pest and also from the main page you dont know if someone's posted a new bit of news or a follow-up.

I quite like the individual thread thing as there's not so many that they'd disappear - if there were 10 new ones a day that might change!

 

[DogTired]

It was clear to me that Froome was disgruntled in the TdF and I wasn't impressed with his "look how fast I could go if you weren't holding me back!" antics ahead of Wiggins.

Yep but he tried that on the Vuelta shooting ahead (stage 9ish??) and then died on his bottom before the end of the stage (I think it was Bertie and Rodriquez then caught him up). 2nd in the TdF and silver in the Olympic TT - immense - and then giving it beans in the Vuelta!

 

[oldroadman]

What the boss says goes. In pro racing, team orders are just that, and if you do what's asked, then a chance will come along. It did for CF at the Vuelta, and he was unlucky that one Sr Contador had just returned and was very fresh and highly motivated. Plus he has obvously trained and prepared well during his suspension. The 2013 TdF may be the one for CF, to show if he can actually deliver a grand tour win, and for Bradley the Giro looks a better bet. Team orders will prevail, of course, and who can say that there was anything wrong with that when the 2012 results are reviewed.
Then, of course, a happy ship is very nice, but dealing with the strong (and weaker) characters in any team of riders sometimes there has to be a hardness, they are getting paid to do a job and it needs to be delivered to their maximum potential. Anything else is not acceptable. If you can't live with that then there is a door marked "second level competition or retirement" that can be opened.
Signing Cav was always a gamble, and has not completely worked out, although he has had a good numer of wins and proved (to himself as well as everyone else) that a train is not always needed, but will be happier, I think, reunited with old team mates. Maybe with Mark Renshaw at Rabobank, who have had a pretty unstellar season, no real GC options, and look like a stage wins only team in the grand tours. He'll be a highly paid rider, and wherever he goes there will be a ton of pressure to get results fast.

 

[thom]

Plus he has obvously trained and prepared well during his suspension.

I don't think you were intending to cast aspersions but for me the words "prepared well" will forever mean something sinister. One of the downsides of reading dopers' confessional books.

 

[oldroadman]

Correct in your first assumption. Proper preparation has nothing to do with illegal chemicals. That would be improper preparation. Sad that it's been used as a euphemism for certain activities by some people.

 

[DogTired]

Correct in your first assumption. Proper preparation has nothing to do with illegal chemicals.

Before I read David Millar's book I thought proper preparation meant taking a mars-bar and 10p to call your Dad if your bike broke.

 

[Buddfox]

I thought the Sky documentary painted a somewhat more positive light on the Froome / Wiggins thing in the Tour? It acknowledged the 'stern' team talk after La Toussuire but that on the Peyragudes stage it was Wiggins saying to Froome he was free to try and win the stage and Sean Yates getting on the radio and asking Froome WTF he was doing. I've not yet seen the programme to confirm - this was the verdict of a friend who's been watching it.

 

[thom]

It acknowledged the 'stern' team talk after La Toussuire but that on the Peyragudes stage it was Wiggins saying to Froome he was free to try and win the stage and Sean Yates getting on the radio and asking Froome WTF he was doing.

Yeah that's what I heard about the Pyreneen mountain top finish, partly from Wiggo.

 

[tigger]

Interesting read thanks Thom. The 'Road to Glory' series was pretty good I think, and there was a little more insight into the tensions between Froome and Wiggins than I expected. The Froome attack on La Toussuire was definitely unexpected and the reactions of the coaching staff proved it. It showed Brailsford clearly laying down who the team leader was before Peyragudes. Interesting how far apart Wiggins and Froome sat on the bus too. On the last climb it seemed Brad told Froome to go win the stage but Yates, under Brailsford's insistence, called him back.

There were some snippets of Cav's unhappiness even early on in the season. At a meeting with the coaches Ellingworth told Brailsford that Cav was frustrated with the management.

The series was clearly dumbed down a little but there were / are some tensions on that team for sure. Would recommend viewing it if you have Sky and you go can still catch the latter episodes on Sky Go I think.