Nico has joined Team Sky!

Mint Sauce

I'm sure this has already been highlighted here, but only just stumbling over the news now, couldn't see anything on the boards search, but a google search showed it was announced back in September.

Hopefully that TDF stage win will eventually now come this year in his support for Chris Froome.

Slighty giddy.

Beasty

It was announced about 4 months ago and discussed in this thread at the time. Then there was this thread a week or two ago

Mint Sauce

Beasty wrote: »

It was announced about 4 months ago and discussed in this thread at the time. Then there was this thread a week or two ago

There was no dedicated thread for it then. Surprising giving the coverage he gets on verious other threads.

Either way, dispite only admitingly following the TDF, i think its great news, even if it is 4 months old, shame none of our national broadcasters made a bigger deal of it.

XtotheZ

TDF stage is less lightly to come I reckon

Diggabot

XtotheZ wrote: »

TDF stage is less lightly to come I reckon

He can forget it if Crash Froome manages to stay upright... cycling news called Roche an "ultra-domestique" today.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Welcome to 2014 specifically September or thereabouts.

Mint Sauce

Diggabot wrote: »

He can forget it if Crash Froome manages to stay upright... cycling news called Roche an "ultra-domestique" today.

I assume that is quite a high ranking in the team, as the article i seen also descibed him as the same, and there to assist Froome win the tour. Prehaps if Froome has a good lead in the final week, and Nico has played a part in that, he might be awarded a chance to win a stage or two if strong enough to do so.

wirelessdude01

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Hopefully that TDF stage win will eventually now come this year in his support for Chris Froome.

Slighty giddy.

Not a hope at all of that ever happening if Froome/Porte stay upright and within spitting distance of the lead. Not skys style to let people go for stage wins.

Mint Sauce

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Welcome to 2014 specifically September or thereabouts.

See my second post on the subject.

XtotheZ

Mint Sauce wrote: »

I assume that is quite a high ranking in the team, as the article i seen also descibed him as the same, and there to assist Froome win the tour. Prehaps if Froome has a good lead in the final week, and Nico has played a part in that, he might be awarded a chance to win a stage or two if strong enough to do so.

Personally id rate Konig and alot of others higher. Very much doubt roche will make anything happen in the tour despite being a good domestique

furiousox

I heard from a very reliable source today that Peter Sagan is leaving Cannondale to join Tinkoff-Saxo.
You heard it here first!

daragh_

I get all my breaking cycling news from here. Excellent source.

pprendeville

furiousox wrote: »

I heard from a very reliable source today that Peter Sagan is leaving Cannondale to join Tinkoff-Saxo.
You heard it here first!

I'm going straight down to Paddy Power and putting everything I have on Paddy Sagan staying at Cannondale.

ROK ON

Apparently Shergar has been reported as missing.
Hope this isn't true - would be a new low if animals were being kidnapped!

pelevin

Mint Sauce wrote: »

There was no dedicated thread for it then. Surprising giving the coverage he gets on verious other threads.

Either way, dispite only admitingly following the TDF, i think its great news, even if it is 4 months old, shame none of our national broadcasters made a bigger deal of it.

Though while it should certainly be quite a big story in terms of Irish sport, otoh I'd not particularly see why it's 'great news' rather than just news. With Tinkoff-Saxo, Roche was already with a very major team, & which had a hugely more successful season than Team Sky last year. I wouldn't see it as a step up for Nico rather than just at move at best across. While for a couple of seasons Sky had seemingly a major advantage in terms of the physiological side of things with their 'marginal gains' & all that, that advantage seems to have dissolved or dissipated. Also often Sky have seemed tactically inept to even farcical levels, with their goto methods based on simply setting a ferocious tempo, & by virtue of physical superiority being able to blow the opposition out of the water. When without that clear superiority, they've shown far less racing nous than the team Roche has just left.

So all-in-all I don't see why going to Sky is great news. I certainly couldn't personally say I have some positive attachment to the Murdoch family business interests that heightens my emotional interest in Roche now that he's with their team.

The tax man

TBH I'm more interested in how Dan Martin gets on this season. If Roche won something,I'd be pleasantly surprised. If Martin didn't win something I'd be disappointed.

laraghrider

Mint Sauce wrote: »

There was no dedicated thread for it then. Surprising giving the coverage he gets on verious other threads.

Either way, dispite only admitingly following the TDF, i think its great news, even if it is 4 months old, shame none of our national broadcasters made a bigger deal of it.

It got discussed at length on here. We tend not to have dedicated threads for each and every move but rather bigger threads where individual rider moves are discussed. Not sure why we need a thread for Nico specifically. Also it was covered by national broadcasters at the time. It was in papers and also on the news. If like you say you only follow the TDF and not cycling in general it would be easily missed amidst the 300 pages of some footballer who in a world exclusive is now wearing yellow dre beats!

The move for Roche is at best sideways. If you only follow the TDF it would lend me to believe you consume a lot of British media and as such probably hear how sky are dominating the world of cycling when in fact they are far from it. One race is not dominating. They were frankly farcical last year, QPR esque. So Roch going to Sky is akin to Oscar moving from Chelsea to Liverpool. Is it a great move? No not really. He'll play domestique and not be allowed do anything other than lead the FP train onto a mountain and peel off when tired. At least at Saxo he was allowed go for it now and again.

pprendeville

I've been told he's on big money with Sky, anyone know how much. I think it's a good move however from a team point of view which is what cycling is all about. DB is going to up the bar this year I think (going by his interviews) and fresh pastures might suit Roche even if he doesn't have much to go for by himself.

wav1

I'm lost..I thought Roche had moved from La Redoutte to Carrera.

Doc07

Don't know if it made the Sky News ticker tape but Pedro Delgado tested postitive for probecenid

laraghrider

furiousox wrote: »

I heard from a very reliable source today that Peter Sagan is leaving Cannondale to join Tinkoff-Saxo.
You heard it here first!

Not exactly exclusive. Last week Sagan posted a pic on Twitter with his new S Works Venge in Saxo colours. He deleted the tweet about an hour later.

furiousox

:pac:

Oh, ok.
My source also tells me that Nico has absolutely refused to be a lead out man for Cav this season.
Jim Brailsford is not impressed.

lukegjpotter

pprendeville wrote: »

I've been told he's on big money with Sky, anyone know how much.

Oleg Tinkov said that Nico asked him for $2M to stay.

They've signed Sagan to go for the points jersey.
They have Rafa Majka for the mountain jersey.
And a certain Bertie for after the GC jersey.

Stephen said that Nico didn't see a place for himself at Tinkoff-Saxo.
Cycling is not a sport where you can get a handy job after hanging up your wheels, you gotta get paid while you can. He also has the NRPT to fund.

StevieGriff

lukegjpotter wrote: »

Oleg Tinkov said that Nico asked him for $2M to stay.

They've signed Sagan to go for the points jersey.
They have Rafa Majka for the mountain jersey.
And a certain Bertie for after the GC jersey.

Stephen said that Nico didn't see a place for himself at Tinkoff-Saxo.
Cycling is not a sport where you can get a handy job after hanging up your wheels, you gotta get paid while you can. He also has the NRPT to fund.

Plus I don't think anyone would want to work for a lad who can't even be bothered to get your name right. Not to mention that said lad is a complete arse.