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Tea Stop

Wiggins, career over part 2

by Jonomc
Sat, Jun 01, 2013 23:12
7

Just want the nay sayers to note I called this 1st!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/10093717/Sir-Bradle...

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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7 comments

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SideBurn | 11 years ago
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I am not sure that it is wise to believe the official reason for leaving a tour; but can he not have just had a cold? As a tall thin rider he is likely to be significantly affected by the cold and wet. S**t happens; there is always the Vuelta.....

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bashthebox | 11 years ago
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Historically, being a proven winner goes a very long way. Sky don't leave much room for emotion when they make the decision about who's going to be the leader, but I'd still wager that Wiggo will lead Sky, and perform extremely well, at another Grand Tour. It ain't over yet!
Would a healthy Wiggo have beaten Uran? I think he probably would have, mostly due to Wiggo's TT strength. There's always younger riders coming up, and the encouragement of a clean rider like Wiggo proving you can win will have given them a lot of incentive to perform to their very best. But there's still a good while left for Wiggo to entertain us / grind out more slightly not exciting victories.

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crikey | 11 years ago
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Didn't Wiggins sign a 4 year contract with Sky?

I thought at the time that he was demonstrating a conservative approach, and that a shorter contract would have allowed an upwards negotiation following any success, but e appears to have done the right thing

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chrisdstripes | 11 years ago
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Can he challenge the Panzerwagon for the World TT this year? Hardly a Grand Tour I know, but might be his new target for the season?

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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*bites tongue and walks away from keyboard* 26

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bashthebox | 11 years ago
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Or for a fuller, better reasoned article on it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jun/01/bradley-wiggins-shane-sutton

Obviously this is a hard time in Wiggo's career - he's injured, he can't defend the TdF. But riders have come back from far, far worse and been champions again.
Fignon.
Hinault.
LeMond.
Merckx.

Sure, Wiggo doesn't quite deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as those, but he's still a damn fine champion. He's 33 so time's running out if he wants another Grand Tour, but you'd be an idiot to write him off yet. An idiot, I say.

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Gkam84 replied to bashthebox | 11 years ago
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bashthebox wrote:

He's 33 so time's running out if he wants another Grand Tour, but you'd be an idiot to write him off yet. An idiot, I say.

I'm not an idiot, I wouldn't write him off. But I don't really believe its age that's againist him. Its the new generation of riders that are coming through...

Look at the likes of Uran, Heano, De Gendt, Sagan, Spilak, Betancur, Dumoulin (Tom), Kangert, Phinney, Amador, van Garderen, Frank, Capecchi, The Izagirre's, Pinot, Quintana, Talansky, Dennis, Haas, Kreder (Raymond), Moser, De Clercq, Kelderman , Kruijswijk, Majka, Ligthart, Dombrowski

They are just off the top of my head, but I think there would be many more. I think most of them are 26 or below. Then of course Froome is only 28....

Its not really an age question firstly. I think he's age is just right for winning another GT. But if you look at just the list of names above, factor in that many of them just now don't have the chances they need because of the older generation at their team....

Next year, I expect more of these guys to come through and get a shot at the bigger tours and maybe even the GT's.

So its not about if he's the right age, its about the challenge he'll face from the up and coming guys 3

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