justcycling.myfastforum.org

Ralphnorman · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 3962 Location: Dundee

Unless there is a parcours which really suits Wiggins, then I doubt we'll see him so high up ever again. In 5 years I think there will be a new Brit up there and Brad will go back to being a brilliant TT 'ist but no GC man

_________________
www.stirlingbikeclub.org.uk

Biosphere · Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Posts: 1787 Location: Midlands, UK

Ralphnorman · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 3962 Location: Dundee

Dont Sky sponsor the GB team? That pic might be from the Worlds.
_________________
www.stirlingbikeclub.org.uk

Spoo · Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 286 Location: Oxford

He had a Union Jack back disk at the Worlds didn't he? (Training pic?)
_________________
It is better to try to the utmost, fail and be visible rather than wait and hope

Biosphere · Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Posts: 1787 Location: Midlands, UK

Spoo · Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 286 Location: Oxford

Given what happened maybe he should have, he might have caught the gear/brake problem before it was too late!

Hindsights a wonderful thing Rolling Eyes

_________________
It is better to try to the utmost, fail and be visible rather than wait and hope

Wulfram · Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 14

Maybe it's after the mechanical? Didn't he switch bikes?

Superbagneres · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 1393 Location: Isle of Man

grrr · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 1210 Location: Guildford, UK

Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

Would it be fair to say that there have always been minor conflicts between the interests of national teams and the commercial teams. But that as time has gone on, the border between "commercial" (capitalist advertising) and non-commercial is getting seriously blurred.

I seem to notice that instead of the plain jerseys with maybe the name of the country on it, more and more national teams have sponsors with advertising on the maillot and elsewhere. In other words, Sky might be the most brutal example of sponsorship of national and non-national teams, but it is a line that increasingly less obvious. Maybe the Latvian jersey does not have any sponsors on it, but several others already do. I remember when only the shorts could have the logo of the commercial team. Now its on the jersey as well. The line is very fluid, in fact, I am not sure what "conflict of interest" might actually explain or predict.

I don't even know how much Sky puts into Team GB vs how much the Lottery puts in or even who else does the financing. I looked at a couple of Italian jerseys, well I looked at "Skoda jerseys", and then found that they were from Italy. Its a bit like trying to figure out that AIG is Man United. The AIG logo is way more prominent. Its all just space for sale on the jersey.

bianchigirl · Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 4063

Basso to Astana? Contador wants him and he seems to be getting what he wants.
_________________
I'm just looking for one divine hammer

HuwB · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:59 pm Post subject:

Slapshot 3 · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:03 pm Post subject:

That'd be an interesting signing....double up on the old boy!!
_________________
It's just my opinion, if you don't like it....TOUGH
Look, I keep telling you I'm in shape...Round is a shape

Superbagneres · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 1393 Location: Isle of Man

FF, what I mean by a conflict of interest is that, for example, in the World Championships there will be a GB Team car with Rod Ellingworth or Shane Sutton or another member of the Sky management team in it. If Edvald Boasson Hagen is away and looking good for the win will they want to give orders to jeopardise a likely win for an outside chance of a win for a non-Sky British rider? If in London 2012 they choose a British Sky rider to be the protected team leader ahead of a British non-Sky rider will it be seen as a straight decision? It may well be that they can ignore the commercial colours of a rider in making these decisions, but any lawyer will tell you that the appearance of bias is as dangerous as bias itself.

Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

I would say that if we examined the riders in each team over the years, we would find some totally blatant conflicts of interest. Bike history is full of them, as I am sure you and I both know. No way to get rid of them. I do agree with you that Shane Sutton, who works for Sky and works for The British and is Australian, and for all I know, has a few personal favourites even on other teams, will have complex decisions to make in every race. I accept your argument that there will be conflicts of interest (although I would call it complexity, not conflicts of interest), but what I would say is this is not new, nor is it anything that can be done away with. Bike racing is not the legal system, although they do interact of course. Commercial is not national, but they too interact. It all gets fuzzier and fuzzier. Harder to invent or apply "rules of justice and fairness" when money creeps in and contaminates everything.

And then just as Shane figures it out, down come orders of one kind or another. What does he do? I think we agree completely, but I am not sure the language of "conflicts of interests" and the supposed possibility of "being without interests" is the language appropriate for bike racing. but then I might just be a quibbling intellectual, which I am.

Biosphere · Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Posts: 1787 Location: Midlands, UK

Rasmussen to Sky? Wink

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rasmussen-poised-to-reveal-new-team

Slapshot 3 · Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 3:13 pm Post subject:

bianchigirl · Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 4063

The Basso rumour? cyclismag, who are generally pretty reliable. But it is a rumour Wink

_________________
I'm just looking for one divine hammer

redster73 · Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 1349 Location: by the sea

HuwB · Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:32 pm Post subject:

Hondo to Lampre
This, after 4 positives.

Next, we will see The Chicken joining Footon......

Nicked from elsewhere.