It has been spoken about in whispers throughout the year, hinted at after the Vuleta last year and questions asked after Mark Cavendish signed. It does now seem though that the suggested divisions within the Sky Team are in fact real.
Confirmation came via Twitter (ironic some might think, given Brad Wiggins’ stance on it last week) after what was an incredibly entertaining and controversial stage 11 of the Tour de France.
With 4km remaining, Chris Froome’s pace on the front – which was intend to and successfully did unhitch Cadel Evans – was so intense it also dropped his team leader, Bradley Wiggins.
Seemingly unawares, Froome continued powering up the climb and putting time into his team leader.
Then came the call over the team radio, which duly saw Froome back off and pace Wiggins to the finish.
It is from here that the real evidence of divisions appearing within the team emerged. The following was tweeted by Catherine Wiggins (partner of Brad) – and one of the WAGs of the Tour de France
https://twitter.com/Cathwiggins1981/status/223454772290785280
Which was noted and followed up with
From Michelle Cound – the partner of Chris Froome. She appears to have taken offense to Catherine’s tweet, especially in light of these preceding tweets
and
All posted after the end of the days stage. It doesn’t however end there, as a tweet posted to Michelle from Peta Todd (partner of Mark Cavendish) was replied to with the following:
Even with trying to appreciate that there is a component of emotion in these tweets, given they followed on so closely to the end of the stage, we are still left with the impression that there is a ‘Camp Wiggins’ and ‘Camp Froome/Cavendish’ now within Sky.
And David Millar quipped in with
Oh to be a fly on the wall at Sky’s team dinner…
drom5343
Roar Rookie
I've noticed, Froome hasn't done "that" much work for Wiggins. The work horses are Knees, Boassan Hagen (that sounds like an exotic beer...), Porte and Rogers. The only work Froome has really done has been in the last few kms of these mountain stages, where i'm almost certain the back up plan is for Froome to power on for the stage win, as happened in Stage 3 or whatever it was. Team orders maybe, but i'm going to read into it :)
Tinea Pedis
Roar Guru
Something tells me Fran might give him a clip for stirring the pot like that. She hasn't been short of work without his help this Tour already. Brad has apparently been terrible with the journo's. And that is coming from journo's who like him!
Tinea Pedis
Roar Guru
"especially in light of these preceding tweets"
Euan
Guest
Are you going to put the tweets in the correct order? The way you have reported it, it looks like Cath Wiggins commented first. Which she didn't
Mikael Liddy
Guest
Love that Millar was happy to weigh in given it's his sister who has to try to keep a lid on the whole issue. Any chance her contract is up for renewal & he's trying to help show how valuable an asset she is?
Mat Coch
Roar Guru
With Nibali now the teams biggest threat I wonder if Froome might have a little go at his team leader. David Millar, for all his faults, really is a funny bugger and one to follow on Twitter.