Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Tour-Vuelta is hard. You only have 3 weeks to recover, something which is even more of a factor this year with so many big mountain stages in week 2. Froome won't do it unless he has to, i.e a DNF in the tour or not a podium. If he wins it then I doubt very much him going to the Vuelta.

Froome said to the Vuelta he will be there if there is a normal ITT, and there is one, 39 Km at the end, the minimun a serious race has to put, except as this year, le Tour has windy stages, cobbles, etc.. in first week.

Pinot would have prefered lees first week and 50 km ITt at the end, becouse he did very well last year in that ITT, and he showed this year he is not bad in ITT... but this stages where you must to be well posistioning always you depend too much of the team and in general are no good for pure climbers, although Quintana and Purito are do'ing very well.

I dindt know Purito wanst in the Vuelta, as he help to design hard Andorra stage...

To double seriously Tour-Vuelta to fight in both of them for GC is demanding, and he is not so young now.

With Quintana, Landa, Froome, Aru, Batancur (who is recovered) and for sure others competitive riders who are now in le Tour, will be a great race. For Saxo.. maybe Majka? He wasted all the team in that media campaign Giro-Tour double

Froome has stated that he doesn't think he is capable of competing for the podium in consecutive grand tours, based on his only attempt in 2012. By the 3rd week he was toast.

Maybe is the best attemp of a rider has was naver raced 2 GT in the same yea, and he raced 2 in a row, no Giro Vuelta.

He is able to do that, of course. if there is some fresher rider at a hight level can beat him, but I wouldnt be surprised.

First time you ride a GT you are not going to win, what quintana did 2 years ago is just for people touched by angels. He was lucky on a soft first week, but anyway was amazing.

But first time contador rode le Tour did bad, the same for almost everybody, your bidy need to adapat to a new thing, and the forst time you double is the same.

The normal evolution for arider use to be:

You ride Vuelta or Giro to help the team so the team see how you go in 3 weeks, 23 years old.
You ride just Tour to know the race or Giro-Vuelta, with 24
You ride Le Tour to do a great GC and maybe another GT to train or to look for stages, with 25
You can try Giro-Tour or Tour Vuelta with the possibility to do de double,with 26

You need that progression...

Froome first rode Tour, very young considering he started late cycling and it was his forst year in Europe and he was amazing in the stage of Alp Shuez and the ITTs.

Later he rode 2 years just Giro, with his illness.

Later he rode Vuelta, without the illness and with more experience...

Later he rode Tour and Vuelta, without rode before 2 GT in a year, so 1 and 4 is very good level, more considering that year Vuelta had a good level as well and a parcous not very good for him. He was young, not in age, but yes considering his cyclist age

Maybe he cant do it, by now is when he can try it with possibilities, becouse he passed the process.

 

[SeriousSam]

Curiously, Nibali and Froome lost a little. Contador gained, Quintana no change.

Market doesn't have that much liquidity though. As of now, 700,000 pounds.

 

[JRanton]

Probably concerned about Froome's health in these awful weather conditions. Although Nibali rarely ever gets sick so it's a bit odd to see him drop.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Probably concerned about Froome's health in these awful weather conditions. Although Nibali rarely ever gets sick so it's a bit odd to see him drop.

Nibali like rain, but this year is not like last year, Today there was rain, but not too much, just to wet the road a little and make it dangerous.

Froome prefer hot and that is ok, but if this kind of rain is a problem in his performance or heath, he dossnt deserve to win several Tours.

This is rain, the rain that makes Nibali better and Valverde doesnt be at his best, especially if is one day and the next one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMDXKGr8Jso (last Km 1:58)

 

[rm7]

Re: Re:

Probably concerned about Froome's health in these awful weather conditions. Although Nibali rarely ever gets sick so it's a bit odd to see him drop.

Nibali like rain, but this year is not like last year, Today there was rain, but not too much, just to wet the road a little and make it dangerous.

Froome prefer hot and that is ok, but if this kind of rain is a problem in his performance or heath, he dossnt deserve to win several Tours.

This is rain, the rain that makes Nibali better and Valverde doesnt be at his best, especially if is one day and the next one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMDXKGr8Jso (last Km 1:58)

Still breaking my heart watching Contador ride like that.. so effortless and no one couldn't even follow, and then comparing him to this year.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Probably concerned about Froome's health in these awful weather conditions. Although Nibali rarely ever gets sick so it's a bit odd to see him drop.

Nibali like rain, but this year is not like last year, Today there was rain, but not too much, just to wet the road a little and make it dangerous.

Froome prefer hot and that is ok, but if this kind of rain is a problem in his performance or heath, he dossnt deserve to win several Tours.

This is rain, the rain that makes Nibali better and Valverde doesnt be at his best, especially if is one day and the next one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMDXKGr8Jso (last Km 1:58)

Still breaking my heart watching Contador ride like that.. so effortless and no one couldn't even follow, and then comparing him to this year.

He was a little bit better last year acording he droped Nibali in a 2 Km climb (by 2 seconds), but really hard, and this year Contador was worse than Nibali in Huy.

But Contador tried to follow Froome, so he exploded, other way he would have been with Nibali.

So I think he is at a similar level.

It is difficult to compare with other riders as Van Garderen, becouse althoug he was good last year, this year he is stronger.

With hot weather would have been a perfect climb for Valverde, and even to drop Contador.

But is just especulate.

Froome wanst there, so impossible to say, but he showed in stage 2 he was really strong.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Probably concerned about Froome's health in these awful weather conditions. Although Nibali rarely ever gets sick so it's a bit odd to see him drop.

Nibali like rain, but this year is not like last year, Today there was rain, but not too much, just to wet the road a little and make it dangerous.

Froome prefer hot and that is ok, but if this kind of rain is a problem in his performance or heath, he dossnt deserve to win several Tours.

This is rain, the rain that makes Nibali better and Valverde doesnt be at his best, especially if is one day and the next one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMDXKGr8Jso (last Km 1:58)

I don't think Froome's performance in the wet is that bad, ok he's had a few below par efforts, but he also has performed well at Romandie and won twice in awful weather conditions.

 

[rm7]

Taxus - for once, i hope you're right about Contador! I'm also quite confident that he would have stayed with the Nibali group without trying to follow Froome.

But yeah, we didn't see Froome in the TDF mountains last year, but I'm pretty sure he would've been really strong. We already saw that in Dauphine before he crashed.

I don't think Froomes performances in bad weather are bad as you say. But I think he's really bad when he doesn't have his team around him all the time, so it's about trying to isolate him early this year.

They actually managed to do that in 2013, but I think it was Valverde and Moviestar who saved his ass. (in the stage that Martin won ahead of Fuglsang). He was alone early on in the stage with Contador etc in front, but Valverde got caught behind too (and he was the leader at that point), so moviestar closed the gap, when Froome was alone. I think it was the stage just after Ax3, where Porte had his bad day. If they had just let Froome do all the work there..... They have to try something similar this year.

 

[cellardoor]

Re:

Curiously, Nibali and Froome lost a little. Contador gained, Quintana no change.
(snip)

I reckon this relates to a view that Contador and Quintana will get better later on, meaning any stage they get through without a time-loss is a positive vs. a missed opportunity for Froome/Nibali.

 

[dacooley]

this has rather an economical substantiation. seemingly people bets on froome not very willingly thus far so the bookies balance their financial risks and lower rations for bertie and nibs

 

[Velolover2]

I feel like he is using too much energy in the first week. But maybe he is just warming up?

If I were him, I'd slow down a bit until stage 10. And then go full gas.

 

[Vasilis]

Re:

I feel like he is using too much energy in the first week. But maybe he is just warming up?

If I were him, I'd slow down a bit until stage 10. And then go full gas.

I don't think he's using any more energy than the other contenders. He's just been attentive. He gained time on stage 2, but he was together with Contador. On Huy he dropped the others, but a sub-3-minute effort to pull out 11 seconds doesn't mean he's wasting energy. On stage 4, he attacked once, Nibali did so several times. How is he specifically using too much energy?

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

I feel like he is using too much energy in the first week. But maybe he is just warming up?

If I were him, I'd slow down a bit until stage 10. And then go full gas.

I don't think he's using any more energy than the other contenders. He's just been attentive. He gained time on stage 2, but he was together with Contador. On Huy he dropped the others, but a sub-3-minute effort to pull out 11 seconds doesn't mean he's wasting energy. On stage 4, he attacked once, Nibali did so several times. How is he specifically using too much energy?

I'm just afraid that he is going to crack by being so attentive very early.

 

[DBotero]

Re: Re:

I feel like he is using too much energy in the first week. But maybe he is just warming up?

If I were him, I'd slow down a bit until stage 10. And then go full gas.

I don't think he's using any more energy than the other contenders. He's just been attentive. He gained time on stage 2, but he was together with Contador. On Huy he dropped the others, but a sub-3-minute effort to pull out 11 seconds doesn't mean he's wasting energy. On stage 4, he attacked once, Nibali did so several times. How is he specifically using too much energy?

I'm just afraid that he is going to crack by being so attentive very early.

He needs to play like this.He doesn't face Nibali v.2012 anymore,he got beaten by Contador in La Vuelta last year.He's afraid of these guys which is a good thing,will keep him connected all race long.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

more importantly froome is wasting so much energy in these days that will break him in the end for sure, worse even than 2013, because so far he's wasted way more energy than that year in it's first week

 

[rick james]

For this first week sky has the weakest team, when we come to the mountains sky will come alive....and folk going on about burning energy all he's really done is go up the mur de huy fast than the other GC guys, the rest have burnt the same energy as him, a few folk are starting to clutch at straws

 

[rhubroma]

How is it, as I read in the paper this morning, that consuming pureed spinach is supposed to help the absorption of nutrients? Then, no bread, no pasta, but only homogenized glutton-free porridges with toxin removing beet juice and almond milk and ginger shakes for breakfast!

I'm sorry but this fanatical push toward so-called scientific nutrition comes across as sport's version of Scientology. I wonder when they will start convincing riders to sleep like bats?

I'm only waiting for the book that teaches the precepts of the new holistic sport's faith. If this is the only secret to success, I'll buy it.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

more importantly froome is wasting so much energy in these days that will break him in the end for sure, worse even than 2013, because so far he's wasted way more energy than that year in it's first week

Has he really wasted so much more energy than, say, Quintana? Where? Up Huy they both gave their best, with Quintana just being inferior. At the cobbles, Froome was well positioned throughout and had like one dig. Won't make a difference.

Froom peaking in the first week/Froome wasting energy in the first week comes across as desparate wishful thinking. His efforts in week 1 have already allowed him to gain a huge amount of time on Quintana and Nibali. Well worth it.

 

[vedrafjord]

Re:

But I think he's really bad when he doesn't have his team around him all the time, so it's about trying to isolate him early this year.

They actually managed to do that in 2013, but I think it was Valverde and Moviestar who saved his ass. (in the stage that Martin won ahead of Fuglsang). He was alone early on in the stage with Contador etc in front, but Valverde got caught behind too (and he was the leader at that point), so moviestar closed the gap, when Froome was alone.

That was one of the all time great tactical fails by Movistar - not only did they have Quintana and Valverde but Costa as well vs Froome on his own and they just rode tempo to the finish. I'd call it a Quickstep level fail but at least Quickstep would have made Costa attack in that position.

 

[harryh]

Re:

How is it, as I read in the paper this morning, that consuming pureed spinach is supposed to help the absorption of nutrients? Then, no bread, no pasta, but only homogenized glutton-free porridges with toxin removing beet juice and almond milk and ginger shakes for breakfast!

I'm sorry but this fanatical push toward so-called scientific nutrition comes across as sport's version of Scientology. I wonder when they will start convincing riders to sleep like bats?

I'm only waiting for the book that teaches the precepts of the new holistic sport's faith. If this is the only secret to success, I'll buy it.

Never underestimate the placebo effect

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

But I think he's really bad when he doesn't have his team around him all the time, so it's about trying to isolate him early this year.

They actually managed to do that in 2013, but I think it was Valverde and Moviestar who saved his ass. (in the stage that Martin won ahead of Fuglsang). He was alone early on in the stage with Contador etc in front, but Valverde got caught behind too (and he was the leader at that point), so moviestar closed the gap, when Froome was alone.

That was one of the all time great tactical fails by Movistar - not only did they have Quintana and Valverde but Costa as well vs Froome on his own and they just rode tempo to the finish. I'd call it a Quickstep level fail but at least Quickstep would have made Costa attack in that position.

Hasn't Costa moved to Lampre?

 

[vedrafjord]

He was still with Movistar in 2013.

 

[del1962]

Re:

He was still with Movistar in 2013.

sorry misread your post

 

[mr. tibbs]

Anyone know how Froome scraped his knee? Just on the rider who passed him while he was avoiding the crash? It didn't look like he went down.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Anyone know how Froome scraped his knee? Just on the rider who passed him while he was avoiding the crash? It didn't look like he went down.

He somehow managed to touch his wheel with his knee. Not sure how that's possible but he does have gangly limbs.