The fabulously rich get richer. Team Sky today acknowledged the impending arrival of Jonathan Tiernan-Locke from the Continental Endura team, adding another threat on the somewhat hillier courses to an already stacked roster of climbers, sprinters, climbers who can sprint, classics studs, crono studs, and so on.
The native of Plymouth, England was given an easy decision to make, according to what he told Sporza. When your all-powerful quasi-national team comes calling, plucking you from the lower ranks, you don't resist. It probably helps that the team has a huge budget and can pay JTL a wage reflecting his seven victories this season. For my money, while those wins are nice, it was his second placing in the Vuelta a Murcia that bears the most notice. Your wins are only as good as who you beat, and while Nairo Quintana took home the honors in Murcia, Tiernan-Locke was better than Sammy Sanchez, Robert Gesink, Wout Poels, Jonathan Castroviejo, and assorted other heavy hitters. So with all due respect to Nathan Haas, I think the Tour of Britain win wasn't JTL's most telling moment, even if it was probably his most enjoyable. Oh, and 19th at the worlds wasn't bad either.