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news
Bradley Wiggins at 2014 Tour of Britain (picture credit SweetSpot)Sir Bradley Wiggins could head Sky development squad as contract talks continue
Sir Bradley Wiggins is reportedly holding talks with the management of Team Sky today to iron out details of a contract could see him stay with the WorldTour outfit until 2016, while helping establish a new under-23 development squad that will aim to bring young British talent through.
Rumours of Sky looking at establishing a development squad, potentially sponsored by existing Sky partner 21st Century Fox, were first reported on the Telegraph Cycling Podcast last week following the start of the Tour of Britain.
Quite what Wiggins’ involvement with it would be is unclear. He is certainly committed to riding on the road with Team Sky next season, and has said that as far as road racing is concerned, his main goals include Paris-Roubaix next season.
Wiggins finished ninth in that race last year, and believes it is the type of event that complements his longer-term ambition of winning a fifth Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016, in the team pursuit.
It could therefore be that the 34-year-old would combine riding with Sky with mentoring and coaching younger riders within any development squad that may be set up, and the likelihood is the picture will become clearer in the coming month or two.
UCI WorldTour teams are required to maintain a development squad under current rules – in the case of Team Sky, given its ties with British Cycling, the Great Britain under-23 team which competed last week at the Tour of Britain satisfies that obligation.
After winning the Stage 8a time trial at that race on Sunday, elevating him to third overall, Wiggins confirmed he would ride Paris-Roubaix next year.
“The kind of stuff I’m going to be doing for the track ties in with the demands of that event,” he said. “It kills two birds with one stone, that, definitely. I’ll probably do Flanders again, [Three Days of] De Panne and all the usual build-up.”
Wiggins’ next target comes a week on Thursday, when he is aiming to add the world time trial championship in Ponferrada, Spain to the Olympic title he won in London two years ago.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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I think that Wiggo would make a fantastic Mentor. His experience through adversity, dedication and success could inform less experienced indivduals.
You don't need to shout and 'kick arse' as a Mentor; encourage, inform and allow growth of a protegee.
I would love to spend time chatting to him about Cycling, Music and Style!
He has a great wealth of knowledge and experience and is someone the majority of youngsters look up to.
As for saying he couldn't defend his ToB title, Froome couldn't defend his TdF title nor could he keep up with Contador in the Tour of Spain - enough said.
I, for one, would love to be mentored by Wiggo - could learn so much.
The point is about career trajectory.
He clearly has a lot of silverware and titles but my point was that a rider that he thinks he should be Sky's main GC rider for big tours and isn't picked would presumably react by trying to win everything in sight by a country mile or die trying. And he hasn't. So if he hasn't made a case to replece Froome as Sky's first pick GC rider for big tours, and he doesn't want to be a Super Domestique for that rider and he isn't setting the world alight in the races he is riding as Sky's team principal, then what are Sky going to do with him and do they want to pay the Salary he demands for a 34 year old rider that wants a swan song on the track in Rio.
And I may be wrong but they haven't exactly bitten his arm off for him to sign a new contract have they?
Hmmm, I think your viewpoint is a bit blinkered there. I'd say Wiggins hit rate this year has been pretty amazing. I'd agree that his explosive power was lacking in TOB, but 2 weeks out from the world TT champs, that makes sense.
What about the Tour of California, Paris Roubaix, Nat TT champs...? The guy has been performing in nearly every race he's entered.
I saw him ride up the Kopenburg in April and I'm sure he was thinking about coaching a junior team even then.
Introverts can often make great coaches - especially one on one. They can be insightful and empathic because they spend their time sitting watching rather than talking.
A good coach is someone who genuinely wants to help and bring out the best in someone else - it requires emotional intelligence more than introversion OR extroversion.
I don't know Wiggo well enough to judge him however
Introverts can often make great coaches - especially one on one. They can be insightful and empathic because they spend their time sitting watching rather than talking.
A good coach is someone who genuinely wants to help and bring out the best in someone else - it requires emotional intelligence more than introversion OR extroversion.
I don't know Wiggo well enough to judge him however
Introverts can often make great coaches - especially one on one. They can be insightful and empathic because they spend their time sitting watching rather than talking.
A good coach is someone who genuinely wants to help and bring out the best in someone else - it requires emotional intelligence more than introversion OR extroversion.
I don't know Wiggo well enough to judge him however
Introverts can often make great coaches - especially one on one. They can be insightful and empathic because they spend their time sitting watching rather than talking.
A good coach is someone who genuinely wants to help and bring out the best in someone else - it requires emotional intelligence more than introversion OR extroversion.
I don't know Wiggo well enough to judge him however
Introverts can often make great coaches - especially one on one. They can be insightful and empathic because they spend their time sitting watching rather than talking.
A good coach is someone who genuinely wants to help and bring out the best in someone else - it requires emotional intelligence more than introversion OR extroversion.
I don't know Wiggo well enough to judge him however
Not saying whether he'd be good for that role or not, but if you've read Rod Ellingworth's excellent book you'd see that neither being a shouter or an extrovert are necessary qualities for being a successful development team coach.
As someone who has never met or spoken or had any contact of any form with Wiggins.... I would say he comes across as a bit of an introvert too.
But I would NOT say that being introverted means he could not be a good teacher and/or mentor. From his responses in interviews and actions such as supporting the Wiggle Honda team, he does seem to have some interest in helping young talent.
As a close confidant of Wiggins and knowing his personality inside out i would question whether he has the right character to mentor young riders.
He strikes me as quite introvert and doesnt like conflict. Im not saying he has to be a tyrant but he would, i presume, have to be quite assertive. I dont really see him hanging out of a team car window telling a rider to piss in his shorts and get his arse up the road.
In my opinion.
From reading Froome's book, a mentoring role is the last thing Wiggo should have. He might have to talk to them!
No bias in that book at all is there though...
My question to Brailsford would be where is the SKY women's team?
Agreed.
I get the feeling that they don't really know what to do with Wiggo. He isn't their main GC guy for the big tours anymore. Can't even defend the ToB jersey. Can still do a good time trialbut probably doesn't see himself as an SD diesel engine. He's 34 now. Rio looms and he's heading back to the track he'll be what 36 at Rio?
New contract on a Sky road team?
"He isn't their main GC guy ..." Seems to me he isn't their kind of guy at all. Too much of an individual for a setup that's part of Murdoch's corporate world. I'd like to see him join a team that has fun!
what you mean drugs and mucking about and all that sort of thing. Or alternatively like an English Tommy Voekler dashing off the front for a hour's worth of solus on the sponsors jersey?
Wiggo isn't a petrol driven exciting rider able to dance away up the hills. He is a diesel engine with a metronome. He lays down the steeady power that wins time trials. So as it happens Sky built a team and used a tactic for 2012 TdF that suited Wiggins. They just basically and boringly kept such a high pace round that everyone else was just trying to hang on let alone attack. That team cost a lot of money to put together. And Wiggo was quite happy with Sky's money then.