Tag: Team Sky

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Chris Froome Wins Criterium du Dauphine

Chris Froome Wins Criterium du DauphineChris Froome and Richie Porte took two of the top four positions – second and fourth respectively – on the mountainous final stage (155.5km, Sisteron to Risoul) at the Criterium du Dauphine yesterday (Sunday, June 9). Even more significantly the placing secured Froome the overall win of the week-long stage race, emulating Sir Bradley Wiggins, who triumphed in 2011 and 2012; Porte took second place just 58seconds adrift of his teammate with Katusha’s Daniel Moreno on +2:12 over Froome’s total time of 29hr 28’46”.

 

Speaking after yesterday’s stage Froome said, ‘This win is a massive achievement for me. I was using the Dauphine as build up to the Tour de France, but to have come away with the victory here, I couldn’t have asked for any more, and to have my best friend in second place is the perfect scenario. It would have been great to win the stage as well but we have already won two of those this week and it just proved impossible to reel in De Marchi in the end.’

 

Nicolas Portal, Team Sky Sports Director, added, ‘It was nice to finish with such a fantastic performance. The team were super strong and then Froomey and Richie rounded it off in style. Those two have ticked off every goal they’ve set this season, raced hard, and enjoyed a lot of success. That breeds massive confidence within the rest of team because they know their efforts won’t be wasted and that Richie and Froomey can deliver the results.’

 

Froome is now clearly one to watch at the Tour de France which begins on June 29 in Corsica.

 

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Chris Froome Shines at Criterium du Dauphine

Chris Froome Shines at Criterium du DauphineTeam Sky have made an emphatic statement at the Criterium du Dauphine with Chris Froome winning Stage 5 – 139km, Gresy-sur-Aix to Valmorel – and moving into overall lead. On the Valmorel summit finish Froome reacted to an attack from rival Alberto Contador, shutting down him before riding clear to win in a time of 3hr 28’39”, four seconds ahead of the Spaniard. Garmin-Sharp’s Rohan Dennis took third place on +54.

 

Speaking after his victory, Froome (now surely a favourite for the Tour de France) said, ‘It’s definitely a good gauge for me to be able to test myself against someone like Alberto who has won multiple Grand Tours. To be able to finish in front of someone like him definitely gives me a lot of confidence, especially three weeks out from the Tour de France… Yesterday was a big test in the time trial to see where the other guys were. I’m happy with the result in that stage and today was a different kind of test in the mountains. Coming away with a stage win wasn’t really the plan, but I’m really happy that I can reward my team-mates with a stage victory because they did a super job looking after me. Especially in the final, Pete Kennaugh and Richie Porte were fantastic.’

 

With Sky’s Richie Porte currently enjoying second in the overall standings too, a clearly delighted Nicolas Portal, Team Sky Sports Director, added, ‘It was a great performance today. The plan was to try and take the jersey on the stage and open out an advantage on the GC if possible. Everything worked perfectly.’

 

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Nathan Earle Signed to Team Sky

Nathan Earle Signed to Team SkyTeam Sky have announce the signing of Tasmanian Nathan Earle, the first signing for the 2014 season which they say continues their commitment to developing up-and-coming cycling talent from around the world. The 24-year-old has gained a reputation as a strong climber after a string of impressive results this season both in the domestic Australian National Road Series and abroad, including wins at the New Zealand Cycle Classic, Tour de Taiwan and Tour of Japan.

 

Earle, who rode with Team Sky’s fellow Tasmanian Richie Porte for two years for the Praties squad (currently Huon Salmon – Genesys Wealth Advisors) between 2008 and 2009, says of his signing,  ‘This was the next step I was looking to take and I’m lucky enough to be signing with the most well-drilled team in the pro peloton. I’m just excited to get amongst that and work for the team. It’s pretty special and I can’t wait to get started next year… To be riding alongside the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Richie Porte is a real honour.

 

Head of Performance Support at Team Sky, Tim Kerrison added: ‘I’m delighted that Nathan will be joining us from the start of the 2014 season. He has shown great qualities and a strong mentality that we look for in Team Sky riders and he will be a great addition to the team… The Australian system has identified him physiologically as being a real talent and we’re starting to see that with his results on the road. He recently won the Tour of Toowoomba in Australia, winning the hard uphill finish on stage two and has a number of other good wins under his belt.’

 

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Bradley Wiggins out of Tour de France

Bradley Wiggins out of Tour de FranceWith continued ill-health Bradley Wiggins will not defend his title at this year’s Tour de France, Team Sky have announced. Two weeks ago, a worsening chest infection caused his withdrawal from the Giro d’Italia and he returned home for treatment, rest, and further assessment of an on-going knee condition. During his period of treatment and recovery Sky say he has been unable to train with any intensity and consequently will not be able to race at this month’s Criterium du Dauphine or Tour de Suisse.

 

Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford today confirmed: ‘With illness, injury and treatment Brad has gone past the point where he can be ready for the Tour. It’s a big loss but, given these circumstances, we won’t consider him for selection… He hasn’t been able to train hard since the Giro and now he needs further rest. Whilst we all know these things happen in sport, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a huge disappointment for everyone in the team – and above all for Brad. It’s incredibly sad to have the reigning champion at Team Sky but not lining up at the Tour. But he’s a champion, a formidable athlete and will come back winning as he has before’

 

For his part Wiggins added: ‘It’s a huge disappointment not to make the Tour.  I desperately wanted be there, for the team and for all the fans along the way – but It’s not going to happen. I can’t train the way I need to train and I’m not going to be ready. Once you accept that, it’s almost a relief not having to worry about the injury and the race against time.’

 

‘I’ve been through this before, when I broke my collarbone,’ continued Wiggins, ‘so I know how it works. I’ll get this sorted, set new goals for this season and focus on those. This team has so many riders in great shape, ready for selection and we set incredible standards for performance, which shouldn’t be compromised.  We need to have the best chance to win.’

 

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Bradley Wiggins out of Giro d’Italia

Bradley Wiggins Out of Giro d’ItaliaBradley Wiggins dream of adding a Giro d’Italia win to his epic 2012 Tour de France victory are over as he retires ahead of today’s Stage 13 (Busseto to Cherasco) on the advice of Team Sky medical staff. A worsen chest infection saw the 33-year-old drop to 13th overall place after yesterday’s tough Stage 12 and with his prospects looking unlikely to improve the decision has been made to return to the UK for further tests and rest. With a strong group of eight riders remaining at the Giro, Team Sky will ride in support of Rigoberto Urán, who currently sits in third place overall, two minutes and four seconds off the race lead.

 

Outlining the situation, Team Sky Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: ‘We monitored Bradley overnight and this morning we’ve withdrawn him from the Giro after consulting the team doctor. His chest infection has been getting worse and our primary concern is always the health of our riders… Bradley will return to the UK today for treatment and to rest and we hope to have him back on the road as soon as possible. As a passionate racer he wanted to continue but he is simply unable to do so on medical grounds.’

 

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Sky Win Giro d’Italia Team Time Trial

Sky Win Giro d’Italia Team Time TrialTeam Sky delivered an incredible Giro d’Italia Team Time Trial performance yesterday (Sunday, May 5) to move Salvatore Puccio into the lead of the Italian classic. Clocking 22’05” across the 17.4km course on the Italian island of Ischia, with Movistar second on +9” and Astana third on +14”, the result placed five Team Sky riders into the top five overall results, with Puccio heading up Bradley Wiggins, Sergio Henao, Dario Cataldo and Rigoberto Uran.

 

Puccio, who was also Sky’s best-placed finisher on Stage 1, commented after his Team Time Trial success, ‘Today was an incredible result and it is a huge surprise. I could never have thought this morning that I would be pulling on the Maglia Rosa. It is incredible… For an Italian rider to pull on the Maglia Rosa is one of the best things that can happen to you.’

 

Marcus Ljungqvist, Team Sky Sports Director, added, ‘It was a big day for everyone and to finish it off like we did today is incredible. It was a really good ride from the boys…. They measured their effort well and got everything out of themselves. Coming down to five guys right at the end there was a good timing and everything worked out great.’ Puccio concurred, saying, ‘Once again the team showed how strong we are. Everyone put in a huge effort and it is very satisfying to be part of a big team result like this.’

 

The Giro continues today with the 222km stage from Sorrento to Marina di Ascea.

 

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Bradley Wiggins vs Chris Froome?

Bradley Wiggins and Chris FroomeCould a storm be brewing? Bradley Wiggins, very much man of the year in 2012, has again stated his intention of defending his historic Tour de France title, whilst team mate Chris Froome – hot off his win of the Tour de Romandie – insists he will be the man to lead out the squad come June 29, commenting, ‘I have been reassured by the management at Team Sky that I have their full backing.’ Wiggins had initially been expected to concentrate his efforts on the Giro d’Italia, which starts this Saturday (May 4), but has told reporters he will be looking for a double victory rather than playing any supporting role.

 

Kenya-born Froome, runner-up to Wiggins at last year’s TdF, insists that, ‘at no time has the leadership of the Tour (de France) team been in question’, yet Team Sky Principal, Sir David Brailsford, continues to maintain that a final decision is unlikely to be made until just days before the start.

 

In response to Brailsford’s pragmatic ‘I think whoever is in the best shape should be really’ pronouncement, Froome released a statement saying, ‘There has been much speculation regarding the leadership for Team Sky at the Tour de France this year. I have made it clear that winning the Tour would be my main objective for 2013… Attempting to win the Tour de France, is a massive undertaking and will take total commitment from each and every team member.’ Adding the rather pointed (barbed?) conclusion, ‘I have no doubt that the strongest and most willing riders will be there to support me.’

 

Inter-team rivalry rarely ends well; without resolution the situation could easily result in two losers, not one clear winner…

 

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Chris Froome wins Tour de Romandie

Chris Froome wins Tour de RomandieTeam Sky’s Chris Froome put in a solid final time trial at yesterday’s Tour de Romandie for a third place (34 seconds behind winner Tony Martin, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step) to secure an overall victory. With a winning time of 19h 24’51”, Froome clinched the win ahead of Katusha’s Simon Spilak in second and Movistar’s Rui Costa in third. The result ensured a second consecutive victory in the Swiss WorldTour event following the success of Sir Bradley Wiggins last year; holding yellow since the opening prologue on Tuesday, it also represented the first time Team Sky have led a stage race from start to finish.

 

Commenting on his win, Froome said, ‘It has been a really good week for us I am really happy with my condition now in the build-up to the Tour de France,” said the race winner. This week I couldn’t have done it without the help of a really strong team around me. Every day since the prologue, they have protected me and kept me at the front of the race. I owe it to them this week.’ And on his Tour de France prospects he cautiously added, ‘It is definitely a good omen, but the Tour is still two months away and I need to do a lot of hard training before then.’