We all saw it, on the final climb of stage 11 to the mountain-top finish of La Toussuire, Chris Froome attacked and team mate and yellow jersey holder Bradley Wiggins was left behind.
What’s worse, the man emerging as the biggest threat to a Sky and British victory, Vincenzo Nibali was able to follow Froome.
Froome also did the lion’s share of negating Nibali’s two earlier attacks. The Kenyan-born Brit looked like the strongest man on the mountain, but was he?
As soon as Wiggins was dropped, Sky’s sports’ director, Sean Yates, who was driving the team car right behind, called Froome on the radio and told him what was happening. Froome slowed and the status quo preserved.
Was Yates right to do it?
Yes, Froome was dragging Nibali away from the yellow jersey. Even if Froome dropped the Italian in the short amount of climbing left, he could have gained on Wiggins.
But Wiggins didn’t chase. For all his friskiness, Froome had wilted slightly a bit further down the mountain due to the massive amount of work he’d already done, and Wiggins had to ride two kilometres on the front to regain Sky control.
After the stage, Wiggins told journalists, “I was clearing the lactic out of my legs, I just rode at a manageable pace.” He didn’t need to react, Sky are disciplined and Wiggins is the leader. He knew Yates would get the message to Froome, and Froome would obey.
It would have been folly to attack. Sky are doing this Tour by the numbers. They know exactly what power output Wiggins can support, and over three weeks it’s enough to win the Tour. Exceed it and he could pay.
Of course there will be times when he has to exceed it. You can draw all the graphs you like, look at optimum strategies, power, and data permutations, and still, there will be a moment or moments when planning goes out of the window and the winner will be the man who wants it most.
But this wasn’t it.
Of course the media loved it. Froome was asked if he could win the Tour, and diplomatically replied, “One day, maybe.”
They pushed further, pointing out that he looked stronger than Wiggins, but Froome pointed out that Wiggins was in a better position, and was a better time time triallist. There is a very big one of those yet to come, remember.
Then later a journalists dream came true when the Sky WAGs waded in on Twitter, but that was just pride talking.
Thing is, Wiggins probably could have answered Froome’s attack, we don’t know, but it would have made no sense. Unless Froome persisted and pulled Nibali with him, then it would have.
But then he would have been in hot water with Sky’s principal, David Brailsford, who for once appeared a bit rattled at the finish, when he said, “Look at the result of the time trial. Stands for itself, doesn’t it? The fact of the matter is it’s your job to make as much as you want out of this. We’re in first and second on the Tour de France and let’s look for a scandal.”
Wiggins is the team leader, he has the yellow jersey, he is the better time triallist. Froome might come into his own if Cadel Evans finds his climbing legs in the Pyrenees, and if Nibali keeps up the assault he’s already started.
Wiggins hasn’t been put under stress on any climbs yet. I thought he would win this Tour and I think he has the measure of it now. But now I’m off to the betting shop to put ten bucks on Froome to win in 2013.
Tom Callaghan
Guest
You are right Jon! I do feel a little embarassed.But do you remember when BBC sport ran its 606 section on its web page? Every day an Aussie would send in posts claiming that' GB was going to win nothing'or that the Aussie cricket team was going to win every test,ODI, and county game....I remember back in the late 80s when Australian newspapers screamed: '6-0' when GB lost a number of hockey, cricket, and other contests one weekend; and how in 2003 Australian footbal fans held up banners claiming 'If we win at this you suck at everything'.Now that the wheel(s) of sporting fortunes have turned-not leat in the Tour de France-and in most other sports I can't resist the temptation to bring this to the attention ofAustralian sports fans. By the way, I believe that their great and probably only hope for athletics gold-Sally Pearson-is English born? We won't want to claim her after her defeat by Wells!
Jon
Guest
Calm down Tom - Wiggo's got an Aussie dad and he was born in Ghent. Even Froome the African is more English, despite not sporting a traditional pair of British mutton chops. I want Wiggins or Froome to win but don't feel the need to rub the opposition's nose in it. That's the kind of thing Australians would do ;)
Justin Curran
Roar Rookie
Sky continue to protect Wiggins at all cost because this year's tour finishes with a 53 km time trial that was made for Wiggins. That is their best play. If the final time trial did not so overwhelmingly advantage Wiggins then they would be more likely to hedge their bets.
William Goat
Guest
Yeah, notice the article is about Team Sky ?
William Goat
Guest
That might make sense if it was national teams competing in the TDF, which obviously they aren't. In your view then when Wiggins wins the TDF it will be for whom ? GB ? England ? Or perhaps just Team Sky, a multi-national team like all the others competing.
Dscaper
Guest
Absolutely agree - was making same point on Twitter after that stage, when alot of people were saying Froome should have just left him. If Froome had of broke, and put Nibali in 2nd, all it would take is a puncture to Froome, and it's game over for Sky. How anyone can say that having the ability to withstand a puncture PLUS a possible 1-2 is better than not being able to withstand a puncture and taking a 1-3 home, is beyond me. Don't for one moment think that everyone will forget what Froome has done to help get Brad where he is - and don't forget Froome also gets paid very, very well to do it. Lastly, would you want to be the one to tell Brailsford and Yates "I'm not following your plan"? Face it, you'd be doing the TT on a plastic trike if you did.
Dscaper
Guest
Sorry Billy, but that's just rubbish - you can't have it both ways. If anything, the conversation about BMC should be higher on the agenda, given that their best rider is 4th. If someone turned around to BMC and said, would you like to be 1-2 in the standings, they'd rip their arm off. All the team leaders have said it was right to tell Froome to back down. He may have been the strongest climber on that climb at that particular time, but only a few minutes prior, it was Wiggins who was taking lead-role at the front of that group up a section of the climb that was particularly nasty. Everyone in Sky knows the importance and value of what getting the Yellow in Paris means. That alone overrides any possible motivations, ideas and plans that happen between now and then, whether you like it or not.
Tom Callaghan
Guest
Nice one Colin N I fear, however, that your corespondent may not know what 'Antipodean' means.
Colin N
Guest
The term Pom includes/refers to the whole of Britain and Northern Ireland. I would have thought an Antipodean would have known that!!? Not only do you show an ignorance of Britain and its make-up, but you also show an ignorance of your own terminology.
Chris Sidwells
Guest
That's what I'm getting at Sean, plus I don't think we've seen what Wiggins has got in the mountain yet. He's riding to the numbers and only going to go over if he has to. He hasn't had to so far.
Tom Callaghan
Guest
Ah Daryl mate, Look, I thought that Australia was an up and coming wine producer! But how can that be with all these sour grapes from Aussies about Great Britain's sporting success-not least in relation to Australia. Sour gra[pes produce whines ,dont they mate, And whats this I hear about 11.7% of Australia's olympic team being born abroad or having competed for other countries? Whats this, mate, that I hear about all the 'ovas' and 'ilics' being drafted in to bolster Australia's winter olympic and tennis teams? Isn't the Commonwealth of Australia a rather artificial creation composed of a number of very different states. Cripes Daryl Mate. Strewth! Pots calling kettles black, eh, mate!
Tom Callaghan
Guest
Oh Billy! British sporting success especially in confrontations seems to have truely got your goat!
Sean Lee
Expert
Consider this. Froome keeps going - and drags Nibali with him. Froome and Nibali cross the line together. Froome takes over the race lead, but because he dragged Nibali across with him, Sky's overall lead is now less than 20 seconds. How is this better for the team? They currently lead the race by over two minutes!
Daryl
Guest
William Goat - couldn't have said it better mate! Always makes me laugh when a Pom decides to classify the scots, welsh or n/irish as one of their own when they are winning. GB in the Olympics is a joke really but if it makes em feel good, good luck to them! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
zacbrygel
Roar Guru
Chris Sidwells, I will do the same and believe that if Froome hadnt done so much pace making at the front for Wiggins so far in Le Tour then he could've beaten Wiggins by a few minutes on that stage, instead of say 30 seconds if he continued and didnt slow down for Wiggins. Froome is a massive threat, and maybe he could be taken by BMC as their major hope for next year instead of Cadel? Cadel will be 36 by then and may be considered too old and past his best. What does everyone think?
William Goat
Guest
It may well be true but as you may have noticed when reading it, the article is about the trials & tribulations of the dilemma Team Sky faces as Froome out performs team leader Wiggins,& the inherent issues it throws up, as opposed to team BMC & it's internal workings. Just thought it might be interesting to post something about the article itself, rather than a different subject altogether.
William Goat
Guest
Makes a bit of a mockery of the whole race doesn't it ? You are the best performed rider in the comp but your efforts are spent in making sure someone who wasn't as good as you is the actual winner. I know it is all about teams & tactics, but as an interested, amateur observer, watching a guy get called back by team management to help someone who couldn't keep up with you definitely detracts from the spectacle. I guess it's part of what makes cycling interesting, a team sport with an individual winner. I know they all share in the glory but it will still be Wiggins' name on the record with the reality that Froome may have been able to blow away all comers, if given his head, that will be swept away by time.
Swampy
Guest
It doesn't matter if Froome is better - his role is to get his team leader across the line at the Champs Élysées in the yellow Lycra. This is what he signed on for with Sky. Next year, if he is deserving, someone will pay for him to be team leader and he will get his opportunity at personal glory. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Tim Renowden
Expert
It's a really nice problem to have. If Wiggins has a bad day in the mountains (doesn't look likely but it's possible) they could easily switch. Many teams have done so in the past.
William Goat
Guest
Mate I think your post has been way-laid from some other article, maybe one about Aussie v British riders success in the TDF, as opposed to this article which is about Sky, Wiggins & Froome, team loyalty at the expense of personal triumph & the issues inherent in such a situation. The Olympics start soon & you'll be able to get your fill of nationalism & chest beating about medal counts etc, although the irony of comparing the results of one nation against the combined efforts of a fictitious one ( GB ?! ) in a race that is based on teams ,not nationality is not lost on me.