But the coaching staff has thrived by uncovering talent in unlikely places.
There are no sure blueprints for success, no exact science to uncovering talent.
YouTube, the video-sharing website set up in 2005, has become a new way to uncover talent, most notably launching the career of Canadian teen pop star Justin Bieber.
The programme was extended to see if this unorthodox method could uncover further talent.
To qualify, they must demonstrate not only a genuine commitment to journalism but also the potential to be good at it, for the point is not just to get faces in from more diverse backgrounds, but to uncover real talent that would not otherwise come through.
Supporting Mercury Prize-nominated friends the Horrors on tour has helped, as has signing to respected independent label Heavenly records, which will release their debut album in September and whose track recorded for uncovering new talent includes the Manic Street Preachers, Doves and Magic Numbers.
One is the foundation I've started, which seeks, among other things, to uncover new talent.
Hiring in a Dysfunctional Job Market 16 November 2007 Brooke Allen A technical professional from the finance industry describes some innovative ways to uncover hidden talent.
In Person: Hiring in a Dysfunctional Job Market Brooke Allen, 16 November 2007 A technical professional from the finance industry describes some innovative ways to uncover hidden talent.
The tradition of Davidson's Freshman Cake Race began in 1930 as a mandatory 1.7-mile race among freshmen to uncover hidden talent for the track team; now it's an annual voluntary race that awards cakes to the winners.
Given the successes this trio enjoyed, it is perhaps a surprise it has taken so long for this country to uncover a talent capable of winning cycling's most famous race, although it is somewhat typical that two have arrived on the scene, in the same team, at the same time.
