Quote:
Originally Posted by
jobob
Wiggins might not have Team Sky's wholehearted (CG) support next year.
Following up on my own remark ...
NBCSports showed a graphic of the two second-place finishers who went on to win the Tour the following year: LeMond who initially supported Hinault, and Ullrich who initially supported Riis.
I wonder, if Froome did stay with Sky, it would be another Lemond-Hinaut situation?
From the Wikipedia entry about Greg LeMond:
[In 1985, LeMond] was brought across to La Vie Claire to ride in support of team captain Bernard Hinault who had regained his form and was attempting to win his fifth Tour. Hinault led through the early mountain stages, but suffered a crash and came into difficulty. At this point it was clear that LeMond was an elite rider capable of winning the Tour in his own right. However, the managers of his La Vie Claire team ordered the 24-year-old LeMond to ride in support of Hinault. [...] Hinault won the 1985 Tour, with LeMond finishing second, 1:42 behind. LeMond was clearly frustrated by the events, and later revealed that team management and his own coach Paul Koechli had misled him as to how far back Hinault had dropped during the crucial mountain stage. Regardless, he rode as the dutiful lieutenant, and his aid was crucial to enabling Hinault to gain his fifth Tour victory.
The following year in the 1986 Tour, LeMond was made co-leader of the La Vie Claire team alongside Hinault, with Hinault publicly promising to ride in support of LeMond to repay LeMond for the work he had done in 1985. What he did not say was that the help was contingent upon LeMond demonstrating that he was clearly the better rider. [...]
The rest of the story is here.
So maybe it would be best if Froome changes teams if he wants to fulfill his GC ambitions.
