Wiggo to team Sky

[vorsprung]

Wonder what the sources for the "reports" are.  Sounds interesting though - why wouldn't Sky be interested in Contador, yet Garmin are?  And £2m is a lot of money to buy a rider out of a contract...
         Bradley Wiggins signs as leader of Britain's Team Sky, say reports |
            Sport |
            guardian.co.uk
   

1) Wiggo is notoriously clean
2) Wiggo speaks english well
3) Wiggo is already an Olympic/world champ which to "mr average" might mean as much as being a TdF winner
4) Wiggo knows and has worked with Brailsford

[DuncanM]

1) Wiggo is notoriously clean
2) Wiggo speaks english well
3) Wiggo is already an Olympic/world champ which to "mr average" might mean as much as being a TdF winner
4) Wiggo knows and has worked with Brailsford

1 and 2 matter as much to Garmin as to Sky.  3 is saying that to the UK public, he's almost as good as Contador.  I don't believe you pay 2m to get someone out of a contract based on #4.  I suspect it's just about nationality - if they want a brit to win the TdF, then they need to have a brit as a team leader, and if he's not quite as good as the other guy they could have got, well that's why they have the secret squirrels etc.
If Wiggo was American, I don't think Garmin would have let him go, and Sky would have been less interested anyway.
I'm not necessarily surprised by Sky buying out the contract - I would be surprised if Garmin signed Contador.  I would take that as an endorsement of his cleanliness...

[citoyen]

I would be surprised if Garmin signed Contador.  I would take that as an endorsement of his cleanliness...

Quite. It seems unlikely, but I have faith in Garmin being a clean team and I don't believe they would sign a rider they didn't know for sure to be clean. Maybe my faith is misplaced.

Wiggo to Sky is an interesting one. He's hot property after his performance this year - never mind Sky, I bet any team in the world would jump at the chance of signing him. But given where Wiggo is in his career at the moment, it's more surprising that he would want to leave a strong, established team (where, moreover, he's on a very good contract) to join a brand new team led by a manager with no experience of Pro Tour cycling, even if he is the sainted Dave Brailsford. Surely Wiggo wouldn't go to Sky if he didn't believe they were able to match his ambitions.

But the signs so far are that Sky are hugely ambitious. Sure it might take them a while to gel but I'd say it's already clear that their stated aim of winning the TdF by 2015 is them being very conservative about what they think they can achieve...

Anyone prepared to bet against Wiggo winning the TdF as a Sky rider by 2012?

d.

[Wowbagger]

If Wiggo has signed up for Team Sky, will they wheel him out for the Skyride this weekend? And if so, will he be leading everyone round at 35 mph?

[citoyen]

If Wiggo has signed up for Team Sky, will they wheel him out for the Skyride this weekend? And if so, will he be leading everyone round at 35 mph?

"Yeah, sorry, folks. They kept, y'know, telling me over the radio to go slower but I'm a bit, y'know, pumped up and I couldn't help it."

 

[Rich753]

According to cyclingnews.com Garmin (Vaughters) has again said Wiggins is going nowhere, Astana are expecting Contador to honour his contract (to end 2010) and BBC report Brailsford says they haven't bid for Wiggo.

Wouldn't expect him at Skyride either - he'll be in Switzerland preparing for world champs next week.

[gonzo]

Garmin still say Wiggins isn't leaving:
Vaughters says Wiggins not going anywhere - VeloNews

He doesn't have a twin does he?

[Rich753]

and I see Sky have been given a Pro-Tour license as well - for 4 years.  Doesn't guarantee entry to TdF, 'cos they make their own rules 

RadioShack still being considered

[gonzo]

For those who weren't already confused, they sure will be now!

Wiggins looking SKYward - VeloNews

[David Martin]

For those who weren't already confused, they sure will be now!

Wiggins looking SKYward - VeloNews

And wiggo has tweeted that his comments on Wigan were rubbish.

..d

[rdaviesb]

..given that Wiggo's weight transformation is very much linked to his work with the British Cycling team, it might not be such a strange move to come to Sky. I don't care either way. I just love seeing our guys improve.

[Rhys W]

 

[David Martin]

And later says that the comments were taken out of context.
Given the evening he had just had with the various sports correspondents (providing commentary via twitter as they were all drunk under the table one by one), he could have said virtually anything.

..d

[LEE]

Garmin still say Wiggins isn't leaving:
Vaughters says Wiggins not going anywhere - VeloNews

He doesn't have a twin does he?

You'd think Garmin, of all people, would know where someone is going.

[citoyen]

And wiggo has tweeted that his comments on Wigan were rubbish.

Yeah, of course they were - Wigan absolutely stuffed Chelsea this weekend. He meant Portsmouth or Hull.  

d.

[DuncanM]

His football analogy is way off.
Sky != Manchester Utd.
Sky = Manchester City.

Harsh but true.

[Really Ancien]

Although he has had a high profile season, Bradley is rated 38th in the world. http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template3/layout.asp?MenuId=MTU2MzU&LangId=1  
Note that Cavendish is rated 7th. it always used to be the case that Tour de France qualification was based on the UCI points of the 5 highest rated riders in your team. This gives the market value of the rider. Wiggins will command a bigger transfer fee to a team more interested in him for his nationality than for his record. I'd prefer to see him stay at Garmin. The team there seem to understand him and he seems the kind of rider who doesn't take well to a heavy handed approach.

Damon.

[gonzo]

His football analogy is way off.
Sky != Manchester Utd.
Sky = Manchester City.

Harsh but true.

Unless he was talking about budgets...

[DuncanM]

His football analogy is way off.
Sky != Manchester Utd.
Sky = Manchester City.

Harsh but true.

Unless he was talking about budgets...

Manchester City have spent over £100m on new players this summer.  Manchester Utd raised over £50m in player sales.  City are the ones with the unlimited budget now.
Wigan spent some money, and are a pretty decent though not spectacular side, so IMO Garmin as Wigan is not too bad an analogy.  But I'm shutting up now as this is drifting OT...

[LEE]

  But I'm shutting up now as this is drifting OT...

Which, coincidentally, is where Manchester United play

[gonzo]

His football analogy is way off.
Sky != Manchester Utd.
Sky = Manchester City.

Harsh but true.

Unless he was talking about budgets...

Manchester City have spent over £100m on new players this summer.  Manchester Utd raised over £50m in player sales.  City are the ones with the unlimited budget now.
Wigan spent some money, and are a pretty decent though not spectacular side, so IMO Garmin as Wigan is not too bad an analogy.  But I'm shutting up now as this is drifting OT...

That shows how little I follow football!

[andrew_s]

just to add to the rumour mill :-

JV tweeted:

Received some incredibly exciting, positive, and great news for our team and cycling in general last night. However, I can't talk about it.
http://twitter.com/Vaughters

[gonzo]

Quote from Velonews:

Take, for example, this exchange between the British rider and a TV reporter prior to the start of Thursday’s fourth stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. (Background info: British Sky Broadcasting, the sponsor of the new-for-2010 British cycling team Sky, is the United Kingdom’s largest pay-TV provider.)

TV reporter: There’s been a lot of talk about you moving to Sky after the season. What’s the plan for next year?

Wiggins: Well I’ve still got a contract with Sky for about another year. The wife wants the movie package, and I’ve just got the sports package at the moment. We’ll see. The kids like all the cartoons like Disney Channel and all that, so we’ll probably keep it for another year. But I think TNT has a new package when you can get the movies, the sports channels and all the other stuff for like a combo value; it’s 49 quid a month. We’ll see. I don’t know. I’m thinking of changing my Garmin to Tom Tom as well.

[David Martin]

Quote from Velonews:

Take, for example, this exchange between the British rider and a TV reporter prior to the start of Thursday’s fourth stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. (Background info: British Sky Broadcasting, the sponsor of the new-for-2010 British cycling team Sky, is the United Kingdom’s largest pay-TV provider.)

TV reporter: There’s been a lot of talk about you moving to Sky after the season. What’s the plan for next year?

Wiggins: Well I’ve still got a contract with Sky for about another year. The wife wants the movie package, and I’ve just got the sports package at the moment. We’ll see. The kids like all the cartoons like Disney Channel and all that, so we’ll probably keep it for another year. But I think TNT has a new package when you can get the movies, the sports channels and all the other stuff for like a combo value; it’s 49 quid a month. We’ll see. I don’t know. I’m thinking of changing my Garmin to Tom Tom as well.

Absolute class.. Can you imagine him doing commentary after retiring from racing.

..d

[JT]

Quote from Velonews:

Take, for example, this exchange between the British rider and a TV reporter prior to the start of Thursday’s fourth stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. (Background info: British Sky Broadcasting, the sponsor of the new-for-2010 British cycling team Sky, is the United Kingdom’s largest pay-TV provider.)

TV reporter: There’s been a lot of talk about you moving to Sky after the season. What’s the plan for next year?

Wiggins: Well I’ve still got a contract with Sky for about another year. The wife wants the movie package, and I’ve just got the sports package at the moment. We’ll see. The kids like all the cartoons like Disney Channel and all that, so we’ll probably keep it for another year. But I think TNT has a new package when you can get the movies, the sports channels and all the other stuff for like a combo value; it’s 49 quid a month. We’ll see. I don’t know. I’m thinking of changing my Garmin to Tom Tom as well.

Absolute class.. Can you imagine him doing commentary after retiring from racing.

..d

No, I think he'd be far too likely to swear. In that respect, I'm surprised they let Sean Yates on to Eurosport.

Sean Yates, incidentally is also rumoured to be joining Team Sky, presumably as a DS.