Froome plus, Contador minus, Kreuzinger out of TDF

[1centaur]

2011 and 2012 (pre-Saxo) biological passport abnormalities that K's doctors say are normal and the UCI says are not. K won't ride for Tinkoff but won't be suspended.

At the very least, the wheels of justice turn WAY too slowly.

[pbarry]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kreuziger-denies-blood-passport-abnormalities-pulled-from-tour-de-france-squad

[ultraman6970]

That is sort off a good news for Sky, besides that things do not change that much because Rodgers is climbing right now as much as K... So i don't think Sky is getting like a super help with this news anyways, IMO team sky is weak as hell this year add to that the fact that Contador messed up their heads last race, I would say the race in general will be less monotone.

What would be a good news for Sky would be maybe contador or that half of Valverde's team is gone. I bet Valverde is climbing par with Froome now.

[kramnnim]

Hmm... Wonder who will replace Kreuziger. Contador still has Rogers and Roche. Froome lost EBH last week...but I reckon losing Kreuziger is more like if Froome lost Porte.

[gianni]

Wiggo to Saxo Tinkov. Wouldn't that be the best?:banana:

[Climb01742]

for me the mistake sky made by not including BW is that now, AC can just mark CF's wheel and then if and when he can, out-climb him. regardless of how strong or weak his team is, if AC only has to mark one rider, his job is far easier. if sky played two hands, BW and CF, then AC would need a team to cover both. now it's one on one.

and as far as a clash of egos between BW and CF, isn't that what a manager is for? phil jackson got kobe and shaq to play together when they hated each other. that's what managers do. if they aren't wusses.;)

[soulspinner]

for me the mistake sky made by not including BW is that now, AC can just mark CF's wheel and then if and when he can, out-climb him. regardless of how strong or weak his team is, if AC only has to mark one rider, his job is far easier. if sky played two hands, BW and CF, then AC would need a team to cover both. now it's one on one.

and as far as a clash of egos between BW and CF, isn't that what a manager is for? phil jackson got kobe and shaq to play together when they hated each other. that's what managers do. if they aren't wusses.;)

As usual, i agree. Also, what if something happens to Froomage like in the Dauphine, where he crashed? Wiggo coulda stepped right in.

[Climb01742]

what if something happens to Froomage like in the Dauphine, where he crashed? Wiggo coulda stepped right in.

exactly! i would have thought that the dauphine would have sealed wiggo's spot on the team. cycling is just too unpredictable with crashes, especially in the tour's first week, to go with all eggs-one basket strategy.

[kramnnim]

Sure does take them a long time...

The rider received notice from the UCI that CAFD regarded his data as suspect by a letter dated 28 June 2013. The notice provided him with the opportunity of explaining the alleged irregularities in his passport to CAFD and UCI.

He offered the explanation, based on two medical expert opinions independently of each other, that the fluctuations in his blood passport profile were not abnormalities and did not indicate anti-doping violations, which was submitted to the UCI by 3 October 2013.

The rider had no further contact with the UCI until receiving a letter of 30 May 2014.

[tiretrax]

I think Sky take tbings for granted, especially the way the last two TdF's unfolded. The Dauphine showed us that's the case. No knighthoods this year.

[atrexler]

As usual, i agree. Also, what if something happens to Froomage like in the Dauphine, where he crashed? Wiggo coulda stepped right in.

Has the "two captains" strategy ever actually worked though? Theoretically its a great, logical idea. But isn't the idea that if you have somebody like Wiggins riding for Froome, then he's sacrificing himself to save Froomedog's energy and keep him in good position. Wiggo would be attacking early, covering moves, chasing breaks, whatever. He'd be well down on the GC, and consequently he wouldn't be able to "step right in". Step right in from 20th place...at that point, for Sky, who cares.

In reality, Wiggo is going to be thinking that he doesn't want to sacrifice himself and his GC positin, in the event that something happens to Froome. So he isn't going to be a very good lieutenant for Froome; he's going to ride for himself. Which is exactly how its gone down in the past. Or with other notable examples of "super domestiques" or co-captains or whatever. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and AC in the "comeback tour" springs to mind.

[pbarry]

Has the "two captains" strategy ever actually worked though?

Yes. Lemond and Hinault in '86.

[Climb01742]

I'd also say it worked in 2008. Team CSC had three options, Andy and Frank and Carlos, and it wasn't until the Alpe that Carlos proved he had the legs to win. Remember, who was in yellow at the start of the Alpe d'Huez stage? Frank. And in the final TT no one knew if Frank was going to go all out and retake yellow.

Why couldn't Sky have done the same? Multiple options can work.

[rounder]

I would rather see Bradley win than chris. IMO, wiggo sets his sights at all kinds of efforts and wins them. Chris, (no slouch) seems to be more focused on certain races and wins them. If they were going one on one, I do not know who would win, but I would root for wiggo.

[Charles M]

I dont think wiggins has it in him...

I think now that he's "sir" Bradley, there's no way in hell he will be "trained" the same way as he was when Sky mystically had the 3 strongest riders in the tour and also had enough horse power to lead out Cavendish...

Those days are gone for Wiggins.

They're not gone for Froom and he will have a blue train that will again remind you of Postal (except Postal never lead out sprints too...)

[pinoymamba]

exactly! i would have thought that the dauphine would have sealed wiggo's spot on the team. cycling is just too unpredictable with crashes, especially in the tour's first week, to go with all eggs-one basket strategy.

valverde and quintana?

[dekindy]

It appears that NBCSP is going to broadcast the Tour this year. Channel 549 on Insight.