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British champ Peter Kennaugh may seek move from Team SkyPeter Kennaugh celebrates his 2014 national championships win (copyright British Cycling)

British champ Peter Kennaugh may seek move from Team Sky

Manx rider's manager has been talking to other outfits - but no decision until after Tour de France...
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, May 15, 2015 15:40
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British national road champion Peter Kennaugh says he may leave Team Sky when his contract finishes at the end of the season, and that his manager has approached him about other teams he could potentially join in 2016.

Kennaugh, currently riding at the Amgen Tour of California, told Cycling News: "I’ve been talking to a few teams, but ultimately it’s just where it’s best for me to go.

“I’ve just got to decide what the future holds for me also, you know, what I want to do, if I want different goals and different objectives.”

The 25-year-old from the Isle of Man, who helped Team GB win gold in the team pursuit at London 2012, turned professional with Sky when it made its debut in 2010.

He was one of the outfit’s key support riders for Chris Froome when he won the Tour de France in 2013 and also rode for him at last year’s Vuelta, where Froome finished second overall. He has also acted as a climbing domestique in other, shorter stage races.

Last year, he took the overall wins at the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali and the Tour of Austria, as well as winning the national road championship, and as he heads into his late 20s, his thoughts may well be turning towards playing more of a leadership role himself in bigger races.

“I’ve been doing sort of a similar thing for the last couple of years now on Team Sky since I focused on the road after the track since 2013.

“Ultimately it’s going to come down to my decision, where I see myself for the next few years and what sort of motivates me as well.”

But he added, “Nothing’s been decided yet,” and that while his manager had spoken to him about other teams, he wouldn’t be thinking about next season until after the Tour de France, which ends in Paris on Sunday 25 July.

The transfer window opens the following week on 1 August and runs until 20 October.

transfers for 2016
Team Sky
Peter Kennaugh
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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8 comments

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CapriciousZephyr | 8 years ago
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Is there a story here? I thought I was reading The Onion, tbh. "Area man with end of fixed-term contract in sight will have to consider what to do next"

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Yellow Peril | 8 years ago
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a lot of it is probably contract brinkmanship. If you don't make out you've got offers on the table your existing employer is unlikely to give you the pay rise you're after. As mentioned above Thomas said much the same last year.

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Iamnot Wiggins | 8 years ago
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July 25th is a Saturday, not a Sunday...

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thebackwardsman | 8 years ago
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Seems weirdly similar story to this one from last year: http://road.cc/content/news/117981-will-geraint-thomas-leave-team-sky

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Simon E | 8 years ago
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Pete certainly has an attitude, but whether that's a problem would be for Sky staff to decide. Last year Ed Clancy described him as "an angry young man" but there's no doubt that he has real talent and desire to succeed.

Whether he should stay with Sky will surely depend on whether his goals fit in with theirs; and whether another team can offer him something better. I suspect it all hinges partly on how Porte goes in this Giro (it's surely make-or-break for his GC ambitions) and also what PK can do in the Tour.

I would love to see what he can do as a lead or protected rider. The same goes for Geraint Thomas.

As for managers, I don't think it's fair to say they are all sharks. It's like saying all coppers are corrupt. There have been some who have taken the p*ss but that's the case in all walks of life. Some riders prefer to ride their bike and let their agent/manager do what he's good at.

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crikey | 8 years ago
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Quote:

There is no doubt Kennaugh has masses of potential but will he be good enough for GC roles in the bigger stage races ????

If he doesn't leave Sky, he'll never find out.

Sky are a professional cycling team with all that implies, and the people who think that it's actually a GB Cycling Team would do well to understand this.

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Some Fella | 8 years ago
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Im not one for hear say and rumour (and my legal team tell me to avoid it) but if i was such a person i might suggest that he may (allegedly) have a little bit of an 'attitude problem' and he doesn't quite fit in to the Sky 'system'.
Allegedly

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Stumps | 8 years ago
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Swap "manager" for "agent" and they are the same greedy little weasels.

There is no doubt Kennaugh has masses of potential but will he be good enough for GC roles in the bigger stage races ????

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