Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[MatParker117]

Here's the likely Sky and Tinkoff tour teams:

Sky-Froome, Roche, Konig, Porte, Nieve, Thomas, Kennaugh, Stannard, Eisel

Tinkoff-Contador, Kreuziger/Kiserlovski, Bodnar, Hernandez, Rogers, Majka, Sagan, Bennati, Tosatto


I'd say Sky are the stronger team in the HT/MTF's and the TTT while Tinkoff might have the edge on the pave. Sky also might have to be early favourites for yellow numbers based on there first five.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Last year Sky were stronger on paper too it means nothing

 

[Dr. Juice]

Here's the likely Sky and Tinkoff tour teams:

Sky-Froome, Roche, Konig, Porte, Nieve, Thomas, Kennaugh, Stannard, Eisel

Tinkoff-Contador, Kreuziger/Kiserlovski, Bodnar, Hernandez, Rogers, Majka, Sagan, Bennati, Tosatto


I'd say Sky are the stronger team in the HT/MTF's and the TTT while Tinkoff might have the edge on the pave. Sky also might have to be early favourites for yellow numbers based on there first five.

Don't underestimate Tinkoff. Regarding the mountains: Last year they were ready to shred the field into pieces. Everyone was talking about Sky and Astana...then on the way to Gerardmèr they put the pressure on and the captains from the other teams were almost alone.

Regarding TTT: Tinkoff are mostly very solid in that category despite not always having the best possible team there...like in the Vuelta last year. They don't win the TT...but I don't remember a bad TTT from them. Usually P4-P6 behind the "big teams" (Orica, BMC, Movistar, Omega...sometimes ahead of 1 of those).
Sky are mostly hit and miss....while Astana are mostly somewhere in the midfield.

 

[MatParker117]

Don't underestimate Tinkoff. Regarding the mountains: Last year they were ready to shred the field into pieces. Everyone was talking about Sky and Astana...then on the way to Gerardmèr they put the pressure on and the captains from the other teams were almost alone.

Regarding TTT: Tinkoff are mostly very solid in that category despite not always having the best possible team there...like in the Vuelta last year. They don't win the TT...but I don't remember a bad TTT from them. Usually P4-P6 behind the "big teams" (Orica, BMC, Movistar, Omega...sometimes ahead of 1 of those).
Sky are mostly hit and miss....while Astana are mostly somewhere in the midfield.

Sky always bring the A game to the tour TT's though as they've never been out of the top 3 when it comes to the H/MTF'S clinic related issues could be a big factor. If everyone turns up crash free and on top form I have to give Froome's supporting cast the edge. Whether that's will be enough to dispatch Contador is another matter as we saw at the Vuelta.

 

[Kwibus]

Both teams are very strong.

Not much more to add really.

Meanwhile Froome considers Contador as his biggest rival and admires him for trying to do the Giro and TdF.
People usually dislike Froome, but I really have come to like him.

I seriously sometimes can't wait for the TdF this year, allthough we will probably have to deal with serious blows to our cycling morale again. Let's hope we get the biggest battle in years.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Sky always bring the A game to the tour TT's though as they've never been out of the top 3 when it comes to the H/MTF'S clinic related issues could be a big factor. If everyone turns up crash free and on top form I have to give Froome's supporting cast the edge. Whether that's will be enough to dispatch Contador is another matter as we saw at the Vuelta.

that's hardly surprising though

 

[greenedge]

Yeah Dodgers Benna Toso and Sagan of course. Add in Bodnar and Valgren....

That leaves room for only two mountain domestiques, along with Rogers, which I doubt will occur.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Majka and Kiserlovski/ Basso ( one in the Giro the other in the Tour). Majka is likely to help Contador in the Tour and do the Vuelta as a captain (or second captain with Contador if Alberto really decides to do all 3 ).

EDIT: someone deleted the post I was going to refer to.

 

[ferryman]

Majka and Kiserlovski/ Basso ( one in the Giro the other in the Tour). Majka is likely to help Contador in the Tour and do the Vuelta as a captain (or second captain with Contador if Alberto really decides to do all 3 ).

EDIT: someone deleted the post I was going to refer to.

Majka seems to be a bit under the radar here. It's always been Porte last man standing for Froome. Porte seriously going for the Giro will have an effect on that come TDF time this year no doubt. Of course, the same can be said about Contador, but he may just have a fresh Majka to make a difference.

Who knows, but what I do know is that this season is shaping up to be one of the best on paper for a long long time. And I'm not just talking GTs...

If only Andy was still around

 

[SafeBet]

You guys can now learn how to climb a mountain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kGnPERLSIk&feature=youtu.be

 

[LaFlorecita]

You guys can now learn how to climb a mountain:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kGnPERLSIk&feature=youtu.be

1 switch to the lowest possible gear
2 look down to check your power output
3 stick out elbows
4 keep looking down
5 spin legs as fast as you can

 

[staubsauger]

1 switch to the lowest possible gear
2 look down to check your power output
3 stick out elbows
4 keep looking down
5 spin legs as fast as you can

I bet if I would do exactly that at the local fitness center, all the ladies are going to laugh at me. Probably even harder than if I would shake my culo while dancing on the pedals like Pantani!



Luckily I'm of slight build like Rasmussen, so they would laugh anyway.

 

[maxmartin]

So SKY is changing the tactics, no whole year peaking , just one big peak in the Tour Nibali style. LOL It is interesting to see Woulter Poles also performed subpar who is training together with CF in the winter.

 

[pastronef]

So SKY is changing the tactics, no whole year peaking , just one big peak in the Tour Nibali style. LOL It is interesting to see Woulter Poles also performed subpar who is training together with CF in the winter.

let's wait and see if Poels does good or bad on Green Mountain in Oman

 

[LaFlorecita]

Either Chris is a very sore loser or Michelle is so far I've found 4 twitter pals who got blocked by his account today, while they didn't even tweet him? Has Michelle done a twitter search for Alberto's name and just blocked everyone who praised him??

 

[argyllflyer]

Froome needed the run of wins in 2013 to get the team believing in him - no requirement for that this year therefore he does not need to be at his Tour level in February. Coming in 19 seconds down on Contador on such terrain I think is pretty decent.

If I had any concern it would be that in both the Vuelta and here, he was distanced very easily and had to fight his way back. Contador put that time into Froome today very quickly and then basically held it for the rest of the climb. Would be good to see Froome test his kick at some point - unless that was him at his limit.

Still weight to lose too.

 

[sir fly]

A fair assessment by Kerrison.
But he's not satisfied as he wants to show, seems to me.
Nevertheless, he's spot on regarding the feedback.

 

[movingtarget]

Froome needed the run of wins in 2013 to get the team believing in him - no requirement for that this year therefore he does not need to be at his Tour level in February. Coming in 19 seconds down on Contador on such terrain I think is pretty decent.

If I had any concern it would be that in both the Vuelta and here, he was distanced very easily and had to fight his way back. Contador put that time into Froome today very quickly and then basically held it for the rest of the climb. Would be good to see Froome test his kick at some point - unless that was him at his limit.

Still weight to lose too.

Early days yet. Contador is doing the Giro Froome is not. One thing I have noticed though is the acceleration that Froome showed in the 2013 Tour does not appear much anymore. He is riding more like a diesel. He either does not try to respond to attacks or simply rides his own race at his own pace. It might be different when Porte is with him and Sky have their best team on hand but it's been a while since we have seen a dominant Sky team dragging Froome and then Froome disappearing up the road.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Quite happy with Chris' ride today. At one point he must have been over 50s down (Kennaugh was 40s and Froome was a few seconds behind his teammate) but kept going at his tempo and closed over half of the gap.

Make no mistake though, the best man won today. Overall I think they both will be pretty happy with where their form is at this stage. Alberto only has just over 2 months until the Giro whereas Chris has over 4 months until the Tour starts.

 

[BlurryVII]

Quite happy with Chris' ride today. At one point he must have been over 50s down (Kennaugh was 40s and Froome was a few seconds behind his teammate) but kept going at his tempo and closed over half of the gap.

Make no mistake though, the best man won today. Overall I think they both will be pretty happy with where their form is at this stage. Alberto only has just over 2 months until the Giro whereas Chris has over 4 months until the Tour starts.

If Froome had tried to follow AC on the bottom steep part: first he'd have been less fresh for the second part of the climb, secondly, Contador would've attacked hard to drop him and Froome would've been in the red. Didn't need that, just maintained the gap and wasn't full gas the last flattish 1.5 kms.

Also, I don't get the " Alberto must be more advanced / in better shape because the Giro is closer than the Tour" ? That's all I've been reading from Sky staff, Froome and Sky fans, can someone explain?
Or people don't know that he is doing the double? Do you realise that if Contador was only targetting the Tour, he would be lighter in weight and even stronger than he is by now

 

[Pricey_sky]

Also, I don't get the " Alberto must be more advanced / in better shape because the Giro is closer than the Tour" ? That's all I've been reading from Sky staff, Froome and Sky fans, can someone explain?
Or people don't know that he is doing the double? Do you realise that if Contador was only targetting the Tour, he would be lighter in weight and even stronger than he is by now

Surely a rider who's first big goal of the season is just over 2 months away will be in better shape than a guy who's goal is 4 months away? No excuses from me though, Alberto was better today.

 

[Netserk]

Surely a rider who's first big goal of the season is just over 2 months away will be in better shape than a guy who's goal is 4 months away? No excuses from me though, Alberto was better today.

'Usually' riders who peak for the Giro takes it easier in the first part of the season than riders who peak for July. It's not like their form increases linearly from winter to their peak. However, I don't think this year will be normal.

 

[Pricey_sky]

'Usually' riders who peak for the Giro takes it easier in the first part of the season than riders who peak for July. It's not like their form increases linearly from winter to their peak. However, I don't think this year will be normal.

That's the point I was getting at although probably didn't make it very clear, I think both riders have to step it up again this season. It looks to me as though Alberto will be trying not to go too far in to the red between now and the end of the Giro whilst Froome will be aiming for a big peak at the last week of the Tour where the key stages are.

 

[BlurryVII]

Surely a rider who's first big goal of the season is just over 2 months away will be in better shape than a guy who's goal is 4 months away? No excuses from me though, Alberto was better today.

No, his goal is to win both Giro AND Tour, not to peak early for the Giro and then find himself out of gas in July. In his own words, his weight is higher than what it was last year at this point and put less intensity in winter training thinking about the double.
Some Sky fans need understand this.

And Froome is just as strong as last year at this point, would've won by 1 min 20 over Bardet discounting AC, and ppl would be talking about alien thermonuclear performance, now that AC is back at his real standards, he just makes Sky fans think Froome is not as strong as last years or that he is in worse shape than AC.

 

[Pricey_sky]

No, his goal is to win both Giro AND Tour, not to peak early for the Giro and then find himself out of gas in July. In his own words, his weight is higher than what it was last year at this point and put less intensity in winter training thinking about the double.
Some Sky fans need understand this.

He still needs to be in decent form come May, otherwise riders like Aru will give him a really tough time at the Giro. I think both Alberto and Froome are where they need to be at this point.