Dark cloud over Team Sky
JUST when I thought the internal battle in Team Sky could come to a head, an external one has taken over the headlines.
Team Sky strong support rider Gianni Moscon has been disqualified from the Tour after he appeared to punch Fortuneo Samsic rider Elie Gesbert not long after the start of stage 15 from Millau to Carcassonne.
Although the vision doesn’t really show if contact was made, Moscon has been in lots of strife over the last 12 months and it’s really a case of strike 3 and you’re out. Even his Sky team principal Sir Dave Brailsford said he supported the decision by the UCI commissaries and apologised to Gesbert and his team for the incident.
“We support and accept the decision by the race organisers to exclude Gianni Moscon from the Tour de France,” Brailsford said.
“Gianni is desperately disappointed in his behaviour and knows that he has let himself, the team and the race down.”
The Tour de France riders now face their steepest test — the Pyrenees and there is no doubt Moscon will be sorely missed by Team Sky.
After three pretty tough transition stages and a muchneeded rest day, Le Tour heads into the decisive final week and three defining mountain stages in the dreaded Pyrenees.
And there is an amazing race brewing. Although the Skies maybe clear at the moment, the dominant Sky racing team may have a few storm clouds forming internally.
Geraint Thomas leads teammate Chris Froome by 1m 39 seconds and the way he is currently riding that is enough for him to win this Tour. But he is racing against his mate and teammate who is the best Tour rider in modern history.
On current form it’s hard to see how Thomas can lose. He looks the strongest and Froome looks to be in a bit of trouble. By that I mean he is still coming second but when the pressure has been really applied, especially by big Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, Froome has struggled to keep pace.
But go back three weeks to the Giro d’Italia and Froome looked finished after two weeks of high pressure racing and then, not only did he recover, but produced one of the greatest rides I have ever seen.
Dumoulin is riding strong and he has been the only rider able to attack the Sky train with any real conviction and the one rider that looks capable of causing what would be a major coup.
After the finish of stage 15, Thomas said he and Froome needed to race together. And I am sure they will. But I reckon there is going to be a point in the next four days when the best rider will come out on top.
I’m just not sure who is the best rider right now. History says Froome but I lean towards Thomas.