Skyfall: The story behind the story

Spin Cycle

Escape Collective

Escape, Gravel Bikes, Bikes, Mountain Bikes, Cycling, Sports, Road Bikes, Bicycle Technology, News, Bike Tech, Sports News, Professional Cycling, Bicycles, Escape Collective, Equipment, Pro Cycling

4.9 • 960 Ratings

🗓️ 18 November 2024

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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In this special episode, Caley and Jonny are joined by reporter Chris Marshall Bell to take you behind the curtain and onto the cutting room floor of our recent Skyfall feature. We discuss the origins of the story, how it was reported, and dive further into some of its major topics, particularly the relationship between the team and its star rider, Tom Pidcock.

We explore the many factors we believe contributed to the team's decline from their dominant era as Team Sky, investigating how their initial success was built on more than just talented riders but also a pioneering approach to marginal gains that the rest of the peloton eventually caught up with.

We also examine the impact of Dave Brailsford's shift in focus away from cycling, the subsequent power vacuum, and the team's struggle to adapt to the new landscape of professional cycling. The team has failed to develop a pipeline of talent, and it's now paying for it.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to a special episode of the Spin Cycle Podcast.
0:10.8	I'm Kaylee Frats, and today I am joined by our own reporter, Johnny Long.
0:14.7	Welcome, Johnny.
0:15.6	Hello again.
0:16.6	And freelance Gun for Hire.
0:19.2	Chris Marshall Bell, a mercenary.
0:22.0	Welcome.
0:22.6	Hello, Kaylee.
0:23.2	Hello, Johnny.
0:25.0	It's good to have you guys on.
0:26.5	And today we are going to go behind the scenes and inside the reporting that went into a feature that we published this week on the fall or skyfall, as our our, I think excellent headline put it, of the
0:41.3	aeneas grenadiers, particularly in 2024.
0:44.5	We'll also provide some analysis and maybe even a few opinions based on what we've seen
0:49.0	and heard on the major themes of that story.
0:53.0	So for those who missed it and missed the last decade, let's quickly get you up to speed.
0:57.0	For years, this team, formerly known as Team Sky, reigns supreme, racking up Torda France victories with mechanical precision.
1:04.0	They were the embodiment of dominance fueled by cutting-edge technology, meticulous planning,
1:08.0	and a controversial approach to marginal gains that push the boundaries
1:12.0	of what some considered acceptable in the sport. But cracks have started to appear in the Ennis Empire.
1:18.8	The once unstoppable machine has sputtered, struggling to replicate its past glory.
1:24.9	From Chris Frum's Salbutamel case and the Richard Freeman Tribunal to the ever-shifting
1:29.0	leadership structure and the emergence of a new generation of challengers. The team has faced a
	...

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