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news
Sir Bradley Wiggins signs autographs (copyright Simon MacMichael).PNGTeam Wiggins boss Simon Cope – at centre of Jiffy Bag controversy – says Tour de Yorkshire exclusion “disappointing”
Simon Cope, the manager of Team Wiggins – and the former British Cycling employee at the centre of the ‘Jiffy Bag’ controversy – has expressed his disappointment at it missing out on an invitation to the Tour de Yorkshire, which takes place from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 April.
The UCI Continental team, and its founder Sir Bradley Wiggins, who retired from professional cycling in December, have participated in the first two editions of the race, but will be missing this time round.
At the first edition of the race two years ago, Wiggins was by far the biggest draw, many people who had never gone to watch a bike race before taking to the streets to catch a glimpse of the Olympic champion and Tour de France winner.
Wiggins was back at the race last year, but abandoned during the first stage, saying he needed to focus on his preparations for Rio, where in the team pursuit he clinched the fifth Olympic gold medal of his career.
But the team was not among those named for this year’s edition earlier this week by Welcome to Yorkshire, which organises the race in partnership with Tour de France organisers ASO and British Cycling.
Quoted in The Mirror, Cope said: “It's very disappointing and it is very much a surprise. I don't really know why. It's a very strange one.
"I do feel that with the riders we have got, we would have been a top-10 contender in the GC, all things going well.
"Good or bad press at the moment, there's a percentage of the UK population who will be going to the race who want to see Wiggins there,” he added – although given its eponymous founder is no longer riding, it’s perhaps questionable how big a draw the team might be.
"You would have thought that we would have got in, but the organisers have made their selection and that's it, we can't do anything about it,” Cope added.
“We will have to go and find another bike race to do."
Cope appeared earlier this month before a House of Commons select committee that is investigating doping within sport.
In June 2011, when he was manager of the Great Britain elite women’s road team, he delivered a package to former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman that contained medicine destined for Wiggins, who had just won the race.
The contents of that package are also the subject of a probe by UK Anti-doping, and some are linking the fact that Team Wiggins did not secure a place on next month’s race with the potential distraction it might cause because of those ongoing investigations.
Welcome to Yorkshire said: "We had 49 teams apply for the 36 men's and women's places on offer.
"Six British continental teams applied for the five slots available for the men's race. Unfortunately, someone had to miss out and this time it was Team Wiggins.
"We have a good relationship with them though and they are welcome to apply for any future editions of the race."
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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17 comments
Team Wiggins were a no show at the opening round of the Tour Series in the Isle of Man last year. The other domestic teams made it over and put on a good show. They're meant to be a professional team but don't ride what they enter?
Rolling around at the back or climbing off on day 1 of ToB/TdY haven't enhanced the Wiggins name. Good to let other teams who may care more to have a go.
I found the rankings that Cope refers to here:
This is true - as of the 10th of January this year:
http://www.uci.html.infostradasports.com/download/CR_Invitational_rankin...
If you combine the two, Raleigh GAC are the surprise inclusion.
**So Scott Davies, a TT rider, was/is their great GC hope. Will he be riding for Team GB now? TdY doesn't have a TT though.
***Noteworthy is that Pedal Heaven RT are no more. That's a shame. Ominous too. Haven't been able to confirm what their ranking was this time last year though.
There will never be enough spaces for UK based Conti level teams. Some have to be left out.
But yeah.. all this BW and SKY stuff 'must' have influenced that decision...
It's another non-story, yes we should know that Team Wiggins are out of TdY, but really nothing else to see here.
It would be useful to know the selection criteria.
Oh, silly me, that would mean transparency
I should imagine the lack of tour series participation will leave them high adn dry for the TOB as well.
To be frank, the impression i get of the team is that it is nothing more than the BC national team weekend jolly team.
'Nothing BC on this weekend lads, lets get the Wiggins jersey's out' type of thing. There approach has often come across as though they are 'too good / cool' for the races they are riding.
Wiggins messing about at the back last year a prime example... it wasn't worth his while to train or try at that event... all very amusing, bants, bants, bants and all that, but really its not going to sell themselves to the powers that be.
Its a shame for the guys on the Wiggins team who are there trying to make a difference.
Exactly: they've kind of had a genuine GC contender previously in the team's namesake (last 2 years?) and he proved not to be interested in finishing, so now there's a hopeful punt at the top 10 Cope would like special treatment...?
Seems suspiciously like 'don't you know who I am?' bollocks to me.
I think they do know who he is.
I think that's the problem
He took the piss last year and was dropped this year. Hardly surprising IMO.
To be fair, one of the other UK teams was left out last year - I recall reading an article here about it.
This year the teams that did get in are:
One of those would have to have been left out this time. Which one?
FYI, last year, team classification after stage 3 was:
Very useful post Dotgirl. It answered the questions I had from the article. Shame Road.cc didn't provide this
It was the strangely specific quote from Cope that made me look it up.
I'm wondering who the rider he thinks could've made such an impact is. I haven't really followed much domestic men's cycling in the last year, but no obvious name jumps out from the roster I've seen (Mark Christian has moved on). Last year's results were hardly stellar either.
Wiggins aren't competing the Tour Series this year. Are they going to get into the ToB? The sponsors must be wondering themselves where the positive publicity is going to come from.
Ouch baby... very ouch.
Wiggins faffed about at the back the previous year too didn't he with his hour record attempt in his mind, don't blame him but not great for the race.
Wow, they're quick to wash their hands of Wiggins.
That's almost indecently hasty.
As was Bradley himself last year when he quit the race on the first stage.
"and some are linking the fact that Team Wiggins did not secure a place on next month’s race with the potential distraction it might cause because of those ongoing investigations"
i.e. the media
"and some are linking the fact that Team Wiggins did not secure a place on next month’s race with the potential distraction it might cause because of those ongoing investigations"
i.e. the media
Simon Cope, the jiffy guy... he's DS!