Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Afrank]

I dont respect you as a personality, but as a cyclist,yeah.
Props to Chris Froome.

Pretty much this.

Chapeau to him for a determined ride today.

 

[contador977]

You don't get dropped 6 times (including once by a teammate) if you are bluffing. If you look he just set a tempo all climb and fought as hard as he could. He could not respond to attacks but didn't give up, that's what I liked about him today.

I was not sure if Froome was bluffing. His team-mate setting the pace and the leader yo-yoing off the back, it was puzzling. Pantani was dropped 4 times or so on Mont Ventoux, Riis was on Hautacam sitting at the back. But if u look at today and yesterday's time trial, Froome was not bluffing. His form in the coming days is very interesting though, I feel he will get dropped but wont be completely surprised to see him attack.

 

[cineteq]

You don't get dropped 6 times (including once by a teammate) if you are bluffing. If you look he just set a tempo all climb and fought as hard as he could. He could not respond to attacks but didn't give up, that's what I liked about him today.

I wonder if a physician can diagnose his bizarre behavior. On the other hand, can anybody make sense of Sky's strategy pushing the pace and Froome hanging out in the back?

 

[richwagmn]

It is in overcoming adversity that Froome has impressed me. That ride today said a whole lot about him that is worthy of respect. Therefore Respect to Chris Froome!

Couldn't agree more. That was one effort for the books.

 

[boringboy]

I wonder if a physician can diagnose his bizarre behavior. On the other hand, can anybody make sense of Sky's strategy pushing the pace and Froome hanging out in the back?

Maybe to try to avoid all lot of explosive attacks that could really hurt him? So keep pace high, avoid further attacks and he can do his own pace on hopefully limit losses?

 

[movingtarget]

Once again Froome shows that he is a gutsy rider, once again Sky shows they are tactically weak and generally win only because they have the strongest rider. The only reason Froome came to the front was because he recovered on the climb and the pace was up and down after Sky stopped drilling it. That was probably a mistake as well as it probably cost him the few seconds he lost at the finish. The biggest losers were Contador and Valverde who should have attacked hard when Froome was hanging around the back of the group for a long time. I think they missed a good opportunity to put bigger time into Froome but they waited too long and few seconds could have been a minute if they attacked earlier. The only explanation is that they were were struggling with Sky's pace as well, or did not know Froome was struggling which is hard to believe with race radios.

If Gesink can break for quite a while surely Contador had enough left ? At the end of the stage Froome was the real winner as far as GC is concerned especially if he can improve. If Froome was on his absolute limit yesterday then Contador is going to make life very hard for him and the others.

 

[Savant12]

Watching Froome yesterday was a real rollercoaster ride. I did for a long time thought he was back in Vuelta 2012 form and was ultimately burned out. However, with each time he was dropped he got slowly back on to the GC group. Don't know why Contador, Purito or Valverde didn't just put in a long dig. No-one had it or they thought Froome was done? Well, Purito and Valverde are last 500m sprinters and Contador couldn't drop them by the end.

To see Froome be right at the front and looking good I was thinking that he got his legs back. For me, it was like that one time in the Tour (2012/13?) when Andy Schleck appeared in the front group on a mountain stage and everyone turned around and thought "WTF!!! We can't be going that fast if even Andy is here."

Anyway, time will tell if Froome is peaking on time or he will just be dropped on the next climb.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I wonder if a physician can diagnose his bizarre behavior. On the other hand, can anybody make sense of Sky's strategy pushing the pace and Froome hanging out in the back?

I think it's fair to say even by Sky's standards the tactics yesterday were a joke. They got lucky that Froome managed to somehow have the effort to save the stage.

 

[Forunculo]

Despite the borefest the stage was. SKY/Froome performance was one of the funniest moments of the season.


And still in race. Third week could be fun.

 

[webvan]

Indeed, an "alien" performance similar to Toussuire !

 

[Pricey_sky]

Indeed, an "alien" performance similar to Toussuire !

If your going to suggest clinic, then at least keep it in that section.

 

[webvan]

Why don't you take your own advice...Toussuire and yesterday are fairly unique examples of a GT contender getting dropped on a climb and then finishing with the main group, hence the "alien" qualification.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Why don't you take your own advice...Toussuire and yesterday are fairly unique examples of a GT contender getting dropped on a climb and then finishing with the main group, hence the "alien" qualification.

So (again!) go discuss it in the clinic and leave this out, if I want to make clinic references about a performance I shall go over there. It's pretty simple really.

I prefer to discuss the great effort and character shown by Froome yesterday.

 

[LittleJo]

I'm not really a fan of Froome, but he did pretty well yesterday to keep calm and just keep riding at his own pace. Although I found it amusing watching the interviews on ITV4 yesterday, and Valverde was asked about Froome and he basically said he just could not work out what the tactics were - he seemed completely bemused. Froome said (in his extremely brief interview) that he was just feeling the effects from the ITT. But, yeah, kudos to him, it was a pretty gutsy ride.

 

[Roude Leiw]

I think it's fair to say even by Sky's standards the tactics yesterday were a joke. They got lucky that Froome managed to somehow have the effort to save the stage.

Could it be that the radios did not work and cataldo just did not realize the boss was having trouble following him?

 

[Rollthedice]

I'm not really a fan of Froome, but he did pretty well yesterday to keep calm and just keep riding at his own pace. Although I found it amusing watching the interviews on ITV4 yesterday, and Valverde was asked about Froome and he basically said he just could not work out what the tactics were - he seemed completely bemused. Froome said (in his extremely brief interview) that he was just feeling the effects from the ITT. But, yeah, kudos to him, it was a pretty gutsy ride.

It's the second time Valverde is baffled by Sky tactics after stage 9 when Sky was setting a high tempo just to realize Froome can't do anything.

"The Sky riders really scared everyone, even Froome himself - I got surprised they rode so fast while his leader hadn't shown as brilliant as he thought he could be."

Something is wrong.

 

[webvan]

Well it was still better for Cataldo to maintain a high pace to discourage attacks that could have hurt him bad at that very moment, in the end it worked since Froome made it to the top with the others.

So (again!) go discuss it in the clinic and leave this out, if I want to make clinic references about a performance I shall go over there. It's pretty simple really.

I prefer to discuss the great effort and character shown by Froome yesterday.

What is wrong with you? "alien" = "out of the ordinary/this world" and used several times in connection with Froome without any particular "innuendo", why keep on ranting about the "clinic" (I for one find that "place" a waste of time) and a GT contender (or any rider) getting dropped, coming back, even attacking and then finishing with the best at the top is definitely "out of the ordinary" and deserves to be discussed here as its unique and does show unique physical/mental abilities.

If I rack my brain, I can maybe think of Hinault getting dropped in the morning half-stage in the Pyrenees in 1985 during the first climb, coming back and only finishing 8 or 10 seconds behind on the last climb. I won't even bother asking if you were following cycling at the time...

 

[Pricey_sky]

No I've only followed the sport for just over 11 years, Yes being older means your point is of course more valid, I hope when I'm your age I don't remind the younger cycling fans of how inferior they are. Anyway, I could bicker all day and it just gets silly.

On paper it looks like Froome now has 2 days to recover, although of course anything can happen even on what appears to be the most tranquil of stages. I'm still not convinced he can get back into great form over the next week. A top 5 and a stage win would be nice though, even if that falls down the pecking order of last years success.

 

[webvan]

No I've only followed the sport for just over 11 years, Yes being older means your point is of course more valid, I hope when I'm your age I don't remind the younger cycling fans of how inferior they are. Anyway, I could bicker all day and it just gets silly.

Yeah that's what usually happens when someone gratuitously attacks another member in a forum with some "aggressive" advice (and then to have the gal to complain I'm trying to make you feel "inferior" when I'm only trying to help you understand the point of my initial comment that eluded you). Give it some thought the next time, it will save time for everyone.

Anyway, moving on, there is obviously some type of problem with Froome's condition and I'm not certain he'll make it to the end of the Vuelta...

 

[cineteq]

Indeed, an "alien" performance similar to Toussuire !

If this guy is not an alien, then he needs serious medical attention. It's like he has cycles of adrenalin rushes then goes into depression. A bizarre loop.

 

[Oldman]

I'm not really a fan of Froome, but he did pretty well yesterday to keep calm and just keep riding at his own pace. Although I found it amusing watching the interviews on ITV4 yesterday, and Valverde was asked about Froome and he basically said he just could not work out what the tactics were - he seemed completely bemused. Froome said (in his extremely brief interview) that he was just feeling the effects from the ITT. But, yeah, kudos to him, it was a pretty gutsy ride.

It's not unusual for a very good rider to feel horrible at certain points in a stage and not have an apparent good moment til the end. They suffer but he may have ridden through a rest day block. Long GTs do that to people and it's less of a mystery than everyone is debating. If it happens again; he'll probably lose time.

 

[icefire]

If this guy is not an alien, then he needs serious medical attention. It's like he has cycles of adrenalin rushes then goes into depression. A bizarre loop.

He was just paying too much attention to his stem and did not see what was happening in the race. It isn't that bizarre if he climbs just watching at his power meter until the 2km banner.

 

[cineteq]

Oh that explains it, or does it?

Cataldo explained that his radio wasn't working well and he didn't hear Froome asking him to slow down. "It saved him to climb at his own pace", said the Italian. "When he passed me, he showed me that he was happy with my job. He's still in contention!"

 

[MBotero]

Oh that explains it, or does it?

Cataldo explained that his radio wasn't working well and he didn't hear Froome asking him to slow down. "It saved him to climb at his own pace", said the Italian. "When he passed me, he showed me that he was happy with my job. He's still in contention!"

I don't believe this crap.They were testing his response to a high cadence Sky train.All the guys in the Sky train were having problems with their radios it wasn't just Cataldo,he was the last one.Maybe they still believe he can challenge for the win in this Vuelta and they will try the Wiggo train style in the next mountain stages,no attacks just high cadence to the finish

 

[Piz Buin]

He was just paying too much attention to his stem and did not see what was happening in the race. It isn't that bizarre if he climbs just watching at his power meter until the 2km banner.

Why are powermeters even allowed? What benefit does cycling get from them?
GPS are for safety reasons..i get it...but powermeters

A cycling should be able to calculate his effort without a powermeter