Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

That sounds an awful lot like Vincenzo's past 2 seasons.

 

[Von Mises]

Re: Re:

Yes part has to do with prestige what you have to understand is that in paris-nice tirreno etc the big dogs are there to prepare for the main goal im not taking anything away from victorys at those races cause its brilliant and nice but all im saying its a difference betwen the world cup and friendlies sure most people understand that atleast...

Come on, "big dogs" are targeting Paris-Nice and Tirreno too. It is pretty standard to have season´s first peak during spring- PN, Tirreno, spring classics, Catalunya, Pais Vasco - look at winner´s list, these are not prep races, but usually fist goal of GT contenders.

I agree but its secondary, usually the first goal yes indeed but also its prep races (you cant have watched one single interview of your entire life if you think something else)!!! Do you really compare a paris-nice win too a tdf win just cause its a win cmon now. I mean how is this hard to understand...

To put it this way for the mentally challenged people do you think sir brailsford would swap the Paris-Nice win with a TDF win? do you also think he would swap the paris-nice win and the catalunya win for a tdf win? yes yes yes yes yes

I am not saying that these races are equal to GT, far from it, but I am saying that hey are not prep races like Dauphine or Suisse for instance. Most riders ty to eak more than once and march-april timefrime is usually first peak.

 

[Taxus4a]

Too short mountain stages in this Dauphine and in Le Tour for him...will be a challenge.

 

[HelloDolly]

The Tour will not be decided until the 3rd week ...not by the 1st mountain stage of a week long race 3 weeks before #Dauphine

Froome has a strong climbing team....needs to 'fix' TTT and be strong on cobbles ...I cannot see anyone unless Quintana is flying challenge him in July

 

[djpbaltimore]

Nice quotes from Froome at the end of the stage.

“It’s a good feeling to be back in the mountains again and this is what we’ve trained for and this is what the racing is all about for us. I was third today, of course I would have preferred to go one or two better but I’m happy with the feelings.

“The team did a fantastic job today; they took it on, on the penultimate climb and made it really hard. Ian Boswell rode out of his skin to make the race as tricky as possible and try to set it up for me to make a move in the final.”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/critrium-du-dauphin-froome-shows-signs-of-top-form-on-climb-to-pra-loup

 

[SeriousSam]

You omitted the the ominous "music in my ears" part.

 

[Ryaguas]

Re:

Nice quotes from Froome at the end of the stage.

“It’s a good feeling to be back in the mountains again and this is what we’ve trained for and this is what the racing is all about for us. I was third today, of course I would have preferred to go one or two better but I’m happy with the feelings.

“The team did a fantastic job today; they took it on, on the penultimate climb and made it really hard. Ian Boswell rode out of his skin to make the race as tricky as possible and try to set it up for me to make a move in the final.”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/critrium-du-dauphin-froome-shows-signs-of-top-form-on-climb-to-pra-loup

Is that Froome or Contador talking? looks like the Dawg took some PR classes from Contador haha

 

[djpbaltimore]

Re: Re:

Is that Froome or Contador talking? looks like the Dawg took some PR classes from Contador haha

That is what I thought too. Talking about his sensations would've made it too obvious.

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

Nice quotes from Froome at the end of the stage.

“It’s a good feeling to be back in the mountains again and this is what we’ve trained for and this is what the racing is all about for us. I was third today, of course I would have preferred to go one or two better but I’m happy with the feelings.

“The team did a fantastic job today; they took it on, on the penultimate climb and made it really hard. Ian Boswell rode out of his skin to make the race as tricky as possible and try to set it up for me to make a move in the final.”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/critrium-du-dauphin-froome-shows-signs-of-top-form-on-climb-to-pra-loup

Is that Froome or Contador talking? looks like the Dawg took some PR classes from Contador haha

My thoughts exactly when I heard him. He just missed using 'Sensations' instead of feelings.

ooh, ooops. Jinx!

 

[HelloDolly]

Lots of riders in the peloton esp the French talk about 'sensations' ...its was not invented by Contador

 

[Electress]

Re:

Lots of riders in the peloton esp the French talk about 'sensations' ...its was not invented by Contador

No one was saying it was. Geez! It is just that Froome did tick all the Contador-standard post race interview boxes bar that one.

 

[Ryaguas]

Re:

Lots of riders in the peloton esp the French talk about 'sensations' ...its was not invented by Contador

Is because the definition, in french I wouldnt use Feeling but sensation in case I want to talk about my form.

I didnt say that it was invented by Contador, I was joking.

 

[SeriousSam]

Let's hope Froome's interviews don't degenerate to the boring, completely uninformative cliches a lot of riders (and sportsmen in general, it has to be said) are serving us. Chris used to have such charming wit.

Talk of sensations? Bah.

 

[IamIronMan]

But Sky has always been a Tour team and prefers races in which they can control the variables to their liking, which in the mega-blockbuster, corporate giant the French race has become, those variables are more dominable.

At the Tour you have teams willing to maintain say a 13th place, the level and prestige being so high, than take risks by creating new variables that could effectively alter the race by deviating from "the script." Everything is thus more controlled, everything follows, more or less, the most "logical" outcome based on what everybody can achieve or is willing to settle for much earlier in this grand tour than the others. For this reason, both the Giro and the Vuelta have generally been much better grand tours to watch from the spectator's point of view. Look at what happened at the Tour last year, the two favorites crashed out and then the "third" best rider was practically offered a triumphal procession to Paris, the moment he demonstrated superior form, while Sky litterally fell apart (but not Saxo). I think back in the 80's a guy like Nibali's rivals under such circumastances, no matter how inferior, would have attacked the hell out of him, but instead we got a rather dull and controlled race where everyone was racing for their best top ten from second, not first, out. In this sense the Tour has truly become too big for its own good.

At any rate, Sky has demonstrated a real difficency in cycling acumen, the moment they have to race with lots of variables they can't control such as at the Giro and at the classics. For this reason their corporate and pedantic approach to the sport is somewhat pathetic, for they have few real lessons to give. Furthermore Sky was a bit of a "novelty" in the years you bring up, but the status of being the "new sensation" is up, which can only be to the benefit of the rivals as far as teams go. I doubt, therefore, that Sky will ever return to the position of dominance it enjoyed in those years.

Excellent post!

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Lots of riders in the peloton esp the French talk about 'sensations' ...its was not invented by Contador

In spanish the work for feeling is "sensaciones", and in french is similar, so if Contador says sensaciones, the translation maybe is sensations, but it is in fact feelings.

 

[Taxus4a]

Wich dominance of SKy?, the best team last years has been Movistar.

They were dominant one year in the Tour becouse they had with diference the best team.

His new methods from the track took influence, but now everybody use most of them, and as rhubroma said they are very good to take small things into consideration in training and race performance, but they are bad to control several variables.

 

[Ryaguas]

Re: Re:

Lots of riders in the peloton esp the French talk about 'sensations' ...its was not invented by Contador

In spanish the work for feeling is "sensaciones", and in french is similar, so if Contador says sensaciones, the translation maybe is sensations, but it is in fact feelings.

In spanish Feeling is "Sentimiento" but depends on the context like "I have a feeling" (like in the song) could be something like "Yo tengo una corazonada", and if you say "you hurt my feelings" would be "Tu hieres mis sentimientos", spanish has too much ways to say something...

in french is not the same.

 

[Red Rick]

I'm starting to think that the Dawg is a great rider, but that he'll no longer be the Alien, it seems like he's slowly losing his edge

 

[Pricey_sky]

I'm happy with Froome's form at this stage, today was another step in the right direction. Whilst im sure he would love to win the race he doesn't need too, this isn't 2013 where he had to prove to himself and the world he had to win races and be a leader, he's been there and done that.

It looks as though most of the Tour contenders are going to aim for a peak in the final week of the tour where there are some tough mountain stages. Nibali seems to be going with the approach of last year which worked for him and Quintana has been relatively quiet bar a great win at Tirreno. Froome started strong with the win over contador at Andalucía but has been on the recovery since a crash earlier in the year and a week riding around in the grupetto in Catalunya. As for Contador I don't think anyone can say with any certainty how he will come out of what was a very tough Giro. Then we mention guys like Bardet, Tejay, Pinot and Rolland who could podium if things go wrong for the favourites, It all points to a fascinating race next month.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

I'm starting to think that the Dawg is a great rider, but that he'll no longer be the Alien, it seems like he's slowly losing his edge

What is that of the allien?

He has been always an amazing rider, and he rode always similar, day by day he is learning more and more, becouse he started late in cycling.

I have read a lot of non sense things about froome, as he is looking at his power-data...it is has been always his way to ride.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

I'm happy with Froome's form at this stage, today was another step in the right direction. Whilst im sure he would love to win the race he doesn't need too, this isn't 2013 where he had to prove to himself and the world he had to win races and be a leader, he's been there and done that.

It looks as though most of the Tour contenders are going to aim for a peak in the final week of the tour where there are some tough mountain stages. Nibali seems to be going with the approach of last year which worked for him and Quintana has been relatively quiet bar a great win at Tirreno. Froome started strong with the win over contador at Andalucía but has been on the recovery since a crash earlier in the year and a week riding around in the grupetto in Catalunya. As for Contador I don't think anyone can say with any certainty how he will come out of what was a very tough Giro. Then we mention guys like Bardet, Tejay, Pinot and Rolland who could podium if things go wrong for the favourites, It all points to a fascinating race next month.

Anyway it looks that only TVG cant discuss him Dauphiné. Beñat come from the Giro, and he is for that reason very strong now, but he will fade away this weekend.

 

[Ataraxus]

Re:

I'm happy with Froome's form at this stage, today was another step in the right direction. Whilst im sure he would love to win the race he doesn't need too, this isn't 2013 where he had to prove to himself and the world he had to win races and be a leader, he's been there and done that.

It looks as though most of the Tour contenders are going to aim for a peak in the final week of the tour where there are some tough mountain stages. Nibali seems to be going with the approach of last year which worked for him and Quintana has been relatively quiet bar a great win at Tirreno. Froome started strong with the win over contador at Andalucía but has been on the recovery since a crash earlier in the year and a week riding around in the grupetto in Catalunya. As for Contador I don't think anyone can say with any certainty how he will come out of what was a very tough Giro. Then we mention guys like Bardet, Tejay, Pinot and Rolland who could podium if things go wrong for the favourites, It all points to a fascinating race next month.

Indeed. This Tour seems to have all the ingredients to deliver spectacle and exciting racing. I'm only afraid of two things: 1-crashes in the first half and 2-contenders being close performance and GC wise in the mountains and not risking anything until the final 3km (something smilar to 2011 tour)

 

[rm7]

Re: Re:

I'm happy with Froome's form at this stage, today was another step in the right direction. Whilst im sure he would love to win the race he doesn't need too, this isn't 2013 where he had to prove to himself and the world he had to win races and be a leader, he's been there and done that.

It looks as though most of the Tour contenders are going to aim for a peak in the final week of the tour where there are some tough mountain stages. Nibali seems to be going with the approach of last year which worked for him and Quintana has been relatively quiet bar a great win at Tirreno. Froome started strong with the win over contador at Andalucía but has been on the recovery since a crash earlier in the year and a week riding around in the grupetto in Catalunya. As for Contador I don't think anyone can say with any certainty how he will come out of what was a very tough Giro. Then we mention guys like Bardet, Tejay, Pinot and Rolland who could podium if things go wrong for the favourites, It all points to a fascinating race next month.

Indeed. This Tour seems to have all the ingredients to deliver spectacle and exciting racing. I'm only afraid of two things: 1-crashes in the first half and 2-contenders being close performance and GC wise in the mountains and not risking anything until the final 3km (something smilar to 2011 tour)

There are 4 guys, who are going to do everything they can to win the tour. None of the guys care about a podium place, at least I hope not. It can only be spectacular. If one of them are behind after the cobbles, then i think we'll see long range attacks, and I think one of the big 4 will loose big on the cobbles.

 

[greenedge]

Re: Re:

[quote="Where's the team with the guy that won two monuments?[/b]

Other than Degenkolb, not one of their riders has stood out this year. Notwithstanding Kittel, Mezgec didn't ride as well in the Giro as he could have, Dumuolin... and Barguil.

 

[DBotero]

He's decent enough,with some adjustments he'll be ready for TDF.At least he doesn't have to worry about his position on bike