Team Sky line-up 2012

[Not Ideal]

So this is 2012's confirmed line up:

Team Sky 2012: Davide Appollonio (ITA), Michael Barry (CAN), Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR), Mark Cavendish (GBR), Alex Dowsett (GBR), Bernhard Eisel (AUT), Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP), Chris Froome (GBR), Mathew Hayman (AUS), Sergio Henao (COL), Jeremy Hunt (GBR), Peter Kennaugh (GBR), Christian Knees (GER), Thomas Löfkvist (SWE), Lars-Petter Nordhaug (NOR), Danny Pate (USA), Richie Porte (AUS), Salvatore Puccio (ITA), Michael Rogers (AUS), Luke Rowe (GBR), Ian Stannard (GBR), Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR), Chris Sutton (AUS), Ben Swift (GBR), Geraint Thomas (GBR), Rigoberto Urán (COL), Bradley Wiggins (GBR), Xabier Zandio (ESP).

Who have they lost then from 2011..??

Russ Downing
Greg Henderson
Simon Gerrans
Serge Pauwels
Kurt-Asle Arvesen (ret)
??

[Highway Star]

Henderson has gone to Lotto and Gerrans to GreenEdge, don't know about the others.

Wasn't aware Siutsou made the move from HTC to Sky as well as the others, he'll be useful for Grand Tours.

[anonymous-user]

Not Ideal said:

So this is 2012's confirmed line up:

Team Sky 2012: Davide Appollonio (ITA), Michael Barry (CAN), Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR), Mark Cavendish (GBR), Alex Dowsett (GBR), Bernhard Eisel (AUT), Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP), Chris Froome (GBR), Mathew Hayman (AUS), Sergio Henao (COL), Jeremy Hunt (GBR), Peter Kennaugh (GBR), Christian Knees (GER), Thomas Löfkvist (SWE), Lars-Petter Nordhaug (NOR), Danny Pate (USA), Richie Porte (AUS), Salvatore Puccio (ITA), Michael Rogers (AUS), Luke Rowe (GBR), Ian Stannard (GBR), Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR), Chris Sutton (AUS), Ben Swift (GBR), Geraint Thomas (GBR), Rigoberto Urán (COL), Bradley Wiggins (GBR), Xabier Zandio (ESP).

Who have they lost then from 2011..??

Russ Downing
Greg Henderson
Simon Gerrans
Serge Pauwels
Kurt-Asle Arvesen (ret)
??

Downing signed for Endura and is doing the UK premier ciruit in 2012, personally I think he is far better than that but i guess no offers came in.

Sky have a tough job picking 9 for the grand tours, there are 13 or 14 who are in with a clear shout?...

Cav
Eisel
EBH
Wiggo
Porte
Thomas
Swift
Flecha
Hayman

and no place for the likes of Stannard, Kennaugh, Dowsett, Froome and Rogers.... at a guess they will target races like the tour du romandie etc and field some pretty impressive teams throughout the year.

Tour du Oz starts later this month....

[Rouleur]

They need to start getting the big wins this year, there's no excuses now! It will be interesting to see how they split their priorities in the GTs.

[TonyHetherington]

pablo said:

Tour du Oz starts later this month....

Is that the first real race this year?

[Not Ideal]

They'll rotate the tours like they did in 2011 I imagine.

Wiggins won't enter the Giro so that leaves the GC spot open for someone else - Froome..?? Porte..??

Don't forget they need to split the TdF squad to cater for both a Cav leadout and some climbers for Wiggo.

Rogers I imagine will focus on the 1 week races.

Is a good problem to have though for Sky - they have an amazing roster!

Edited by Not Ideal on Wednesday 4th January 13:35

[anonymous-user]

TonyHetherington said:

pablo said:

Tour du Oz starts later this month....

Is that the first real race this year?

only if you discount pablo vs anonymous commuters in the north bristol crit series...

tour du oz always strikes me as a wasted opportunity, why base it all in South Australia? they could have an epic three week race out there, there are enough hills to make it mildly interesting in Victoria and other bits in the East and then they just need some really long stages through the flat bit in the middle for the sprinters...

[andySC]

pablo said:

Downing signed for Endura and is doing the UK premier ciruit in 2012, personally I think he is far better than that but i guess no offers came in.

Russell won't be spending much time in the UK, he's spearheading Endura's foreign exploits for 2012. He definately won't be riding the Prem's & probably not the Tour Series either. National RR Champs & Lincoln GP are on his list.

[anonymous-user]

forgot endura were doing some european stuff this year, thats good Downing is a great rider.