Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[classicomano]

Chris on the right, he looks fat.

 

[rick james]

Beefing up for the cobbles

 

[Coat-O]

Chris on the right, he looks fat.

Where is that from?

 

[Flamin]

Where is that from?

Saitama criterium, I guess.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

yea, last year Froome took on a yokozuna.

Lets see what they come up with this year.

 

[Parker]

I see that Peter Sagan is still getting work for his brother.

 

[Race Radio]

Sean Kelly's take

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/10/kelly-cobbles-rather-than-lack-of-time-trials-are-why-froome-might-miss-tour/

For Kelly, mention of a lack of time trial kilometres is a likely red herring. Instead, he believes that Froome’s bike handling is the real issue, plus fear that he could be badly hurt again.

“It isn’t difficult to see that he struggles,” he said. “Before this year’s Tour he said that he had ridden over the cobbles with the team and he felt comfortable.

“However, as I said on Eurosport [where he is a commentator – ed.] that it is a totally different situation riding over the cobblestones with your team-mates, with eight, ten, twelve riders, than when you get into the peloton with 190 riders fighting for position. It is a different thing altogether.”

 

[maxmartin]

Sean Kelly's take

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/10/kelly-cobbles-rather-than-lack-of-time-trials-are-why-froome-might-miss-tour/

The thing is Giro often also requires high bike handling skills because of the rain and snow. W even made of fool of himself by descending in the wet condition in the Giro. But I totally understand CF's fear of cobble, he gave up 2014 Tour before even trying to ride on wet pave.

 

[Jazasz]

If he is scared of the cobbles I don't blame him. Road bikes have no business riding on that kind of terrain, yet the cobbles are always interspersed with sufficient standard road such that it would be a huge competitive disadvantage to use a bike that's actually engineered for cobbles.

His 2014 crashes were not on cobbles though. Those type of crashes could just as easily happen in the Giro or anywhere else.

 

[ILovecycling]

If he is scared of the cobbles I don't blame him. Road bikes have no business riding on that kind of terrain, yet the cobbles are always interspersed with sufficient standard road such that it would be a huge competitive disadvantage to use a bike that's actually engineered for cobbles.

His 2014 crashes were not on cobbles though. Those type of crashes could just as easily happen in the Giro or anywhere else.

huh,cobbles were standard road surface years ago,how do they not have business riding on it
I ride cobbles sometimes on my bike too,nothing strange imo.

 

[elfed68]

I've no respect for him, a guy with such a ridiculous talent should fear nothing and no one on the 2015 TdF route.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I've no respect for him, a guy with such a ridiculous talent should fear nothing and no one on the 2015 TdF route.

It might not even be about fear, I like the fact he is at least exploring the possibilities of having a season not based entirely around July. He had been criticised in the past for only caring about the Tour, I guess he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

And who said he's scared about cobbles? Kelly, now a mindreader?

 

[Race Radio]

Interesting that Xabier Artetxe is joining team sky as a coach next season. He has been working with Naro Quintana for the last few years. His family has a long connection to the sport, his brother Mikel for for Euskaltel years ago.

 

[staubsauger]

Based on the last Vuelta his climbing wasn't a big problem at all. He missed some form and limited his losses by solidly riding on his own tempo. Still in the last days he climbed well enough to pass Valverde and Purito in the general classification!

He also has some explossivness based on his Peña Cabarga, Planches des Belles Filles, Prati di Tivo and Valmorel victories!

In fact he lost the Vuelta to Contador especially in the time trail he failed in. So I don't get that whole story with the Tour route.

 

[richwagmn]

And who said he's scared about cobbles? Kelly, now a mindreader?

Agree. Maybe he's thinking he can't beat Contador in the mountains (with good reason) and feels his time trialing might be his only advantage.

Nice to see more riders care about something besides the (mostly) boring and highly overrated TDF.

 

[Cimber]

Agree. Maybe he's thinking he can't beat Contador in the mountains (with good reason) and feels his time trialing might be his only advantage.

Nice to see more riders care about something besides the (mostly) boring and highly overrated TDF.

That makes no sense, however, since Contador will do the Giro which will take the edge of him in the Tour.

Froome vs. Contador in the Giro will be interesting though.

That means the battle of the best was Vuelta in 2014 and might be Giro in 2015.

 

[Akuryo]

That makes no sense, however, since Contador will do the Giro which will take the edge of him in the Tour.

Froome vs. Contador in the Giro will be interesting though.

That means the battle of the best was Vuelta in 2014 and might be Giro in 2015.

And 2012 was the lamest Tour I've ever seen. So since that (if not further back) the Tour was not the "best GT of the year". Even though the mob still wants to believe it. The french stage race has lost it's touch and I don't see any plan to change it. Giro and cobbled classics are way more fun to watch than le Tour! So I quite like it that the top riders will focus on the italien circle and make it a top priority for their season.

 

[May0maniac]

And 2012 was the lamest Tour I've ever seen. So since that (if not further back) the Tour was not the "best GT of the year". Even though the mob still wants to believe it. The french stage race has lost it's touch and I don't see any plan to change it. Giro and cobbled classics are way more fun to watch than le Tour! So I quite like it that the top riders will focus on the italien circle and make it a top priority for their season.

Yes, you could even argue that the 2011 Vuelta was better and that the 2010 Giro was better.

 

[ILovecycling]

Yes, you could even argue that the 2011 Vuelta was better and that the 2010 Giro was better.

ofc that giro was better.its one of the best GT in last 20 years.

but yeah, 2012 Tour was the worst GT ever happened on planet Earth

 

[Kwibus]

It might not even be about fear, I like the fact he is at least exploring the possibilities of having a season not based entirely around July. He had been criticised in the past for only caring about the Tour, I guess he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

Indeed. I'm glad he's trying to give the Giro a shot. Ofcourse it's mainly because the course suits him better, but it also seems that he sees this as an opportunity to win the Giro which means he values the Giro and I'm really glad he does, because riders with his background usually only care about the TdF. With his background I mean not a typical cycling nation background, which usually means they only grew up with the TdF.

 

[roundabout]

Yes, you could even argue that the 2011 Vuelta was better and that the 2010 Giro was better.

Nope. The 2011 Vuelta was not that good.

Sure, it ended up close in the end, but as a spectacle it was lacking. I think the furthest decisive attacks were made with 4 and 6k to go by Cobo.

 

[El Pistolero]

Didn't the Vuelta 2011 have a bad final week? Otherwise Froome would've probably won iirc.

 

[Kwibus]

Didn't the Vuelta 2011 have a bad final week? Otherwise Froome would've probably won iirc.

Yes, no more mountains or TT's.

 

[Walkman]

That makes no sense, however, since Contador will do the Giro which will take the edge of him in the Tour.

Froome vs. Contador in the Giro will be interesting though.

That means the battle of the best was Vuelta in 2014 and might be Giro in 2015.

Not really. Froome was way below his peak condition. And with Nairo crashing out, it was more of a "could have been" race.