After alledged corruption in British Cycling and the Sky team, it has see the sponsors are pulling out at the end of 2019.
More headlines for negative reasons than wining loads of TdFs and other major races.
After alledged corruption in British Cycling and the Sky team, it has see the sponsors are pulling out at the end of 2019.
More headlines for negative reasons than wining loads of TdFs and other major races.
Perhaps it is time for Eifion Weinzweig to resurrect his We Are Wales (WAW) professional cycling team led by Geraint Thomas!
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
I see McLaren have also partnered with Bahrain Merida this season with long term aspirations for their own team. Having previously worked with Team GB it would be easy to see them filling the void left when Sky bow out.
By the end with Team Sky, what had begun as a happy love affair for most Britons had divided its followers into three implacable factions: those who still adored them unconditionally, those convinced that they were malevolence personified and those who liked much of what they achieved but not necessarily all they did in its pursuit.
Yes saw that article earlier and agree with its sentiments.
I think it is right for Sky to bow out now. They have achieved so much and so much more than any British cycling fan could believe possible before their sponsorship. Not to detract from G and his magnificent TDF win, but now other teams have caught up so to speak, they have resorted to an ever increasing wage bill of hoovering up all of the best talent in the peleton. This is not asustainable model, though the input of McLaren will be interesting and I read the Uci are to consider relaxing some regulations on bike specs so interesting times ahead. What gains that are left to be made now must be surely so marginal that rider abilities would still be the prevalent factor anyway?
What pro cycling needs is a completely new team that has lots of money behind it and claims to be clean. Then all the pro cycling fans can get really excited when they win everything and everyone is happy. Then in another 5 years when everyone learns it was a complete facade, we can do the same again - it's a model that's worked for the last 15 years and I don't see it changing.
There are plenty who say it's "broke" - including me. But as an industry it's going from strength to strength.
The Daily Telegraph has a longish piece reporting that Dr Richard Freeman (ex-SKY) is to be formally accused of attempting to dope a rider with testosterone, by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.
What is interesting in the report is that there appears to be a "paper trail" for 30 sachets of Testogel from Oldham company Fit4Sport on May 16th 2011.
It was in 2011 that Bradley "Jiffy Bag" Wiggins won the Criterium du Dauphine.
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 15-01-2019 at 01:50 PM.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".