Bradley Wiggins - Can he win it ?

[Doggy Styles]

I like wiggins, he's a good honest, man, and a great cyclist to boot. However, this was the only year he'd win it, to be frank. Contador and Shleck are far better on the tour. Contador, next year, I would bank the house on winning it.

Would this be the Contador and Schleck with or without their drugs?

[doodab]

Poor Cavendish - imagine any other world champ being a domestic and getting no support on the sprints. Anybody else think he's doing it just for the cash. Perhaps a new team will form and take him on for next year, I don't think Team Sky is the place for him.

There is a quid pro quo there. Wiggins did a job to help Cav win the world championship and he'll be doing another one to help him win the Olympic road race, and before that the final stage on the champs elysees. I think there is an element of Wiggins owing Cav a shot at an Olympic gold after 2008 as well.

Big stage today for both king of the mountains (there is 3 points in it) and the GC. I reckon Nibali will go for the stage win today. Wiggins and Froome will counter and one of them will take it

[Mich the Tester]

Isn't it naive to suggest that?

Yes. I don't like having to repeat this, but Cavendish is a professional sportsman (a consummate professional indeed) contracted to a team who pay him to do what they want him to do. He knows the score, so do they; it's sometimes difficult for spectators and amateurs to understand, but at that level, sport is a business and the relationship of sportsperson to team is a business relationship, not some cheerful informal game of 'oh you go and have a go too if you think you can win it'. Once that business relationship ceases to benefit both parties, it either ends or the terms are renegotiated.

[doodab]

Anyway, I don't know whether Cavendish could have beaten Sagan in the points race; I have a feeling Sagan is going to be the biggest name in cycling for quite a long time. He's absolutely gifted.

He's class isn't he. I think he'll be a contender for the overall in the grand tours in a few years.

Have you seen Tweeter Sagan (TweeterSagan) on Twitter ? it's twitter but it's quite amusing.

[DaveB]

I like wiggins, he's a good honest, man, and a great cyclist to boot. However, this was the only year he'd win it, to be frank. Contador and Shleck are far better on the tour. Contador, next year, I would bank the house on winning it.

I'll celebrate Wiggins winning this year, for it's history making. However, it's a bit like Murray winning a grand slam after Federer, Djokovic, Ferrer, Tsonga, Berdych, Tipsarevic, Del Potro, Almagro have all pulled out.

Don't agree, Schleck and Contadour are good riders but Wiggins is just as good IMO. He's show he's got what it takes in the mountains on this tour, which is where Schleck and Contadour are strongest. Wiggins doesn't need to win Mountain stages, just stick with the guys in the GC who can challenge him and he's showh can do that.

They guy he really has to worry about is Chris Froome. In another team as leader he would probably beat Wiggins. He's better in the mountains, as good on the flats and not far off in the TT.

[DaveB]

There is a quid pro quo there. Wiggins did a job to help Cav win the world championship and he'll be doing another one to help him win the Olympic road race, and before that the final stage on the champs elysees. I think there is an element of Wiggins owing Cav a shot at an Olympic gold after 2008 as well.

Big stage today for both king of the mountains (there is 3 points in it) and the GC. I reckon Nibali will go for the stage win today. Wiggins and Froome will counter and one of them will take it

It's Nibali's last chance. If he can't put 4 minutes plus into Wiggins today he's blown his chances of winning. Remember he doesn't just have to catch Wiggins, he has to put enough time between them to make up for what Wiggins will do in the final TT tomorrow.

Expect Nibali to go early and try and get the drop on Wiggins. Don't think he'll manage it though. Sky are far too organised as a team to let that happen.

[Mich the Tester]

Don't agree, Schleck and Contadour are good riders but Wiggins is just as good IMO. He's show he's got what it takes in the mountains on this tour, which is where Schleck and Contadour are strongest. Wiggins doesn't need to win Mountain stages, just stick with the guys in the GC who can challenge him and he's showh can do that.

They guy he really has to worry about is Chris Froome. In another team as leader he would probably beat Wiggins. He's better in the mountains, as good on the flats and not far off in the TT.

I don't get all this postulation from some groups of press and publick that Wiggins isn't as good as Contador et al. The guy has won 6 Olympic medals, 2 of them gold, the Dauphiné, Paris Nice, 4th in Tdf a couple of years back for bleeding hell's sake, he is one of the worlds very best bike racers on track and road, and having spent a few years concentrating on road he´s able to win a big tour.

[doodab]

He's show he's got what it takes in the mountains on this tour

And in several other races. You don't win the Dauphine Libere twice if you can't ride uphill.

[Doggy Styles]

I don't get all this postulation from some groups of press and publick that Wiggins isn't as good as Contador et al. The guy has won 6 Olympic medals, 2 of them gold, the Dauphiné, Paris Nice, 4th in Tdf a couple of years back for bleeding hell's sake, he is one of the worlds very best bike racers on track and road, and having spent a few years concentrating on road he´s able to win a big tour.

I agree. Also, people who have missed the race are irrelevant, especially if it's because they've been caught cheating in previous races that helped make their lofty reputations.

We don't put an asterisk against Usain Bolt's Olympic 100m win in 2008 because Gatlin and Gay were missing.

[Old Hack]

In any sport, you can only beat the people who turn up to play. If they think they're better they should bloody well turn up and compete, and otherwise they're admitting they aren't. No prizes in sport for being the armchair expert's favourite.

Anyway, I don't know whether Cavendish could have beaten Sagan in the points race; I have a feeling Sagan is going to be the biggest name in cycling for quite a long time. He's absolutely gifted.

I agree about Sagan, to a degree, fine one for the future. However, about the armchair expert I don't. Contador is out on an iffy ban. He's been the best for years, and will continue to be. I don't even think Wiggins is the best rider they have, Froome has been kept on a leash for a number of days. I think were Froome allowed to, he could have easily put 3-4 minutes on wiggins.