Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[May0maniac]

Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

No, that was just a hilly and rather technical ITT on wet roads, so the better bike handlers had an advantage. It wasn't just a pure power test.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

I know right. Imagine if AC had been in form. He would've killed Froome's time.

 

[bajbar]

Re: Re:

If Froome is seriously targeting the road race, I think you will see him attack attack attack on the flat section.

Yes, but no way, in Spain we love our colours the most and Contador and Purito of course will control any attack for Valverde.

By the way, I though it was 3 times the last climb, not 4... with four climbs just the normal is the stronger rider will win.. the last flat can increase his gap.

Spain should have the best team. If they can use it... The best way to race for them would be to use 4 guys to make it really hard for the first three climbs. Contador should then attack ful gas on the last climb and Valverde should then just mark the others. If AC is strong enough to go solo he should be able to hold them off on the flat and even if it comes all together Valverde is still the favourite in the sprint. That would be the tactic I would use if I was the team manager. I just hope they don't use Contador for setting the pace. That would be plain stupid...

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

I know right. Imagine if AC had been in form. He would've killed Froome's time.

and had mueller not scored a goal in eleventh minute, that would haven't been 7-1. well, it's sport.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

Indeed, he seemed to decline from 'utterly dominant' to 'just about still the best' over the course of 3 weeks. Will this be the year his rivals exploit this glaring weakness?

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

I know right. Imagine if AC had been in form. He would've killed Froome's time.

Not by much, and not enought to win the TdF.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

Indeed, he seemed to decline from 'utterly dominant' to 'just about still the best' over the course of 3 weeks. Will this be the year his rivals exploit this glaring weakness?

He declined from *capable of nearly beating Panzerwagon on a completely flat TT* to *similar level to a very young Quintana*

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

I know right. Imagine if AC had been in form. He would've killed Froome's time.

Not by much, and not enought to win the TdF.

My post was pure speculation and your post is pure speculation.

 

[Põhja Konn]

It was already evident in last year he had changed his approach for Tour-Vuelta double. In 2012 he tried to carry over his Tour form to Spain and faded steadily as days went on.

Last year he peaked early (late first and early second week) at the Tour. By the third week he was already dropping off that peak, (possible illness could have accelerated that). For me he certainly looked like he was building up towards new peak in the Vuelta before crashing out. How high that second peak would have been, we'll never know, but given how the Vuelta later unfolded, he might have had a decent chance of completing the double.

Peaking so early in the Tour was risky and the most plausible explanation for taking that risk was a preplanned assault for the double. Tricky as the first week was, it wasn't so difficult in its own to justify timing a peak form for it and consequently risking fading too much in the last week.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

That triple is just too hard, an amazing effort to attempt it but it's just too tough

It is too hard the first time you try something similar, but I think for him no now. Everything depends hom many people and his level fo to la Vuelta fresher.

Valverde has showed he can be at a very high and similar level in le Tour, San Sebastian and la Vuelta.

Of course is a challenging goal, but he has his best performance with good weather, so he has to give everything in the summer.

By the way, weather conditions for tomorrow and friday in Romandie will be ok, so we will see his true current level this first part of the season.

Except Froome is riding the Road race and the ITT at the Olympics - And the RR comes before the ITT.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

If Froome is seriously targeting the road race, I think you will see him attack attack attack on the flat section.

Yes, but no way, in Spain we love our colours the most and Contador and Purito of course will control any attack for Valverde.

By the way, I though it was 3 times the last climb, not 4... with four climbs just the normal is the stronger rider will win.. the last flat can increase his gap.

Spain should have the best team. If they can use it... The best way to race for them would be to use 4 guys to make it really hard for the first three climbs. Contador should then attack ful gas on the last climb and Valverde should then just mark the others. If AC is strong enough to go solo he should be able to hold them off on the flat and even if it comes all together Valverde is still the favourite in the sprint. That would be the tactic I would use if I was the team manager. I just hope they don't use Contador for setting the pace. That would be plain stupid...

You overlook the Colombians at your peril - They have multiple options for the RR at the Olympics.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

If Froome is seriously targeting the road race, I think you will see him attack attack attack on the flat section.

Yes, but no way, in Spain we love our colours the most and Contador and Purito of course will control any attack for Valverde.

Isn't that the point of a team? Should they just let Froome solo away

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

I just hope they don't use Contador for setting the pace. That would be plain stupid...

Putting all their eggs in the Valverde basket from the start would be stupid. But once they've passed the final climb and Contador and Valverde are in the same group, of course Contador should work for Valverde. It's normal.

 

[Taxus4a]

Spain is the stronger nation today in cycling and it will have the best names for the olimpics. there is no doubt about that.

But of course Colombia will have a very strong team in names... and i see Uran as favourite as the rest, and Quintana can win as well, as the climmb is gard and he is the best climber.. Henao, Chaves, Betancur, Anacona,.. lot of names to chose...

 

[rick james]

Re: Re:

Biggest indicator of declining shape was his winning margin in that final tt in 2013.

Indeed, he seemed to decline from 'utterly dominant' to 'just about still the best' over the course of 3 weeks. Will this be the year his rivals exploit this glaring weakness?

 

[ray j willings]

Some of the comments here about Froome and how he just has to turn up to win it
Its just crazy and verging on trolling in your own thread.
Froome would not have won last years tour but for a lucky wind split. He was struggling to hold onto Thomas's wheel in the last week and a half and Quintana was stronger in the mountains and should have won.
So how you Froome fans think he his a certain winner when he will have to cope with a focused Bertie a bonkers Astana and don't forget that "chap" who beat Froome at the Vuelta last year when he tried one of his crazy small ring attacks and a more determined Quintana ....
He has no chance. He will lose minutes in the last week against such strong opposition. He has never faced this kind of opposition in a tour. He did at the Vuelta and a injured Bertie kicked his as%

Dreaming is all you can do I'm afraid reality will bite hard this year.

 

[therealthing]

Re:

Some of the comments here about Froome and how he just has to turn up to win it
Its just crazy and verging on trolling in your own thread.
Froome would not have won last years tour but for a lucky wind split. He was struggling to hold onto Thomas's wheel in the last week and a half and Quintana was stronger in the mountains and should have won.
So how you Froome fans think he his a certain winner when he will have to cope with a focused Bertie a bonkers Astana and don't forget that "chap" who beat Froome at the Vuelta last year when he tried one of his crazy small ring attacks and a more determined Quintana ....
He has no chance. He will lose minutes in the last week against such strong opposition. He has never faced this kind of opposition in a tour. He did at the Vuelta and a injured Bertie kicked his as%

Dreaming is all you can do I'm afraid reality will bite hard this year.

I have to disagree with you there. Yes Froome got lucky with the wind split, but I reckon he still would have won anyway. His stage 10 attack proved he was the best climber in the race. He didn't really attack again because he didn't need to. He followed most attacks bar those in the last 2 stages when he was ill. This year's route suits Froome through and through. Saying he has "no chance" is quite a statement 2 months before the Tour. At least wait till the Dauphiné.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Ray you keep saying this 'Froome holding onto Thomas' wheel for the last week and a half' it's rubbish. Remember on the penultimate weekend when Quintana attacked and Froome easily responded and ended up outsprinting him and gaining a second right? Or stage 17 where Froome easily finished with Quintana ahead of the rest of his rivals.

The only time Froome was in trouble was the final 2 stages, and while Quintana was obviously stronger it didn't help that Friome was suffering with a chest infection, go and listen to his interview after D'Huez, you can clearly hear it. He would still have finished behind Quintana, but that helped to widen the gap.

I do agree that this year will be extremely tough and it won't be as easy as some make out.

 

[MatParker117]

Re:

Some of the comments here about Froome and how he just has to turn up to win it
Its just crazy and verging on trolling in your own thread.
Froome would not have won last years tour but for a lucky wind split. He was struggling to hold onto Thomas's wheel in the last week and a half and Quintana was stronger in the mountains and should have won.
So how you Froome fans think he his a certain winner when he will have to cope with a focused Bertie a bonkers Astana and don't forget that "chap" who beat Froome at the Vuelta last year when he tried one of his crazy small ring attacks and a more determined Quintana ....
He has no chance. He will lose minutes in the last week against such strong opposition. He has never faced this kind of opposition in a tour. He did at the Vuelta and a injured Bertie kicked his as%

Dreaming is all you can do I'm afraid reality will bite hard this year.

Faced five grand tour winners last year and beat them, doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile winning is winning. If he's on top form and has G, Poels, Konig, and maybe the winner of the Giro at his back then he's going to be very hard to beat.

 

[ray j willings]

Re:

Ray you keep saying this 'Froome holding onto Thomas' wheel for the last week and a half' it's rubbish. Remember on the penultimate weekend when Quintana attacked and Froome easily responded and ended up outsprinting him and gaining a second right? Or stage 17 where Froome easily finished with Quintana ahead of the rest of his rivals.

The only time Froome was in trouble was the final 2 stages, and while Quintana was obviously stronger it didn't help that Friome was suffering with a chest infection, go and listen to his interview after D'Huez, you can clearly hear it.

I do agree that this year will be extremely tough and it won't be as easy as some make out.

I respect your view and cannot disagree with your points but if you remember on more than one occasion Froome was attacked and Thomas who was looking after him had to stay with Froome because Froome could not respond he nodded to Thomas not to go. If Quintana had the Bal%% to attack on those occasions he would have won the tour, instead he got what he deserved 2nd place.
Froome is just not consistent enough. To much competition on form this year. He just wont get enough time before the mountains in the last week.

 

[blackmamba]

Re:

Some of the comments here about Froome and how he just has to turn up to win it
Its just crazy and verging on trolling in your own thread.
Froome would not have won last years tour but for a lucky wind split. He was struggling to hold onto Thomas's wheel in the last week and a half and Quintana was stronger in the mountains and should have won.
So how you Froome fans think he his a certain winner when he will have to cope with a focused Bertie a bonkers Astana and don't forget that "chap" who beat Froome at the Vuelta last year when he tried one of his crazy small ring attacks and a more determined Quintana ....
He has no chance. He will lose minutes in the last week against such strong opposition. He has never faced this kind of opposition in a tour. He did at the Vuelta and a injured Bertie kicked his as%

Dreaming is all you can do I'm afraid reality will bite hard this year.

Truth is Froome have never beaten Contador ever in his life on even terms and this every person in cycling with just a little bit knowledge knows, in fact its the other way around (vuelta 14 is the closest they have been competing in a grand Tour together,) besides 2014 Tour ofcourse, but we all know what happened to both of them there.

Saying Froome beat a Contador last year who rode the Giro and use that as a benchmark just goes to show how educated you are on the matter and how hopeless and no point trying to even explain it to people who deny to face proven facts or just cant understand it.

This years Tour is gonne be betwen Quintana and Contador!

 

[blackmamba]

Re: Re:

Ray you keep saying this 'Froome holding onto Thomas' wheel for the last week and a half' it's rubbish. Remember on the penultimate weekend when Quintana attacked and Froome easily responded and ended up outsprinting him and gaining a second right? Or stage 17 where Froome easily finished with Quintana ahead of the rest of his rivals.

The only time Froome was in trouble was the final 2 stages, and while Quintana was obviously stronger it didn't help that Friome was suffering with a chest infection, go and listen to his interview after D'Huez, you can clearly hear it.

I do agree that this year will be extremely tough and it won't be as easy as some make out.

I respect your view and cannot disagree with your points but if you remember on more than one occasion Froome was attacked and Thomas who was looking after him had to stay with Froome because Froome could not respond he nodded to Thomas not to go. If Quintana had the Bal%% to attack on those occasions he would have won the tour, instead he got what he deserved 2nd place.
Froome is just not consistent enough. To much competition on form this year. He just wont get enough time before the mountains in the last week.

Spot on!

 

[ray j willings]

Re: Re:

Some of the comments here about Froome and how he just has to turn up to win it
Its just crazy and verging on trolling in your own thread.
Froome would not have won last years tour but for a lucky wind split. He was struggling to hold onto Thomas's wheel in the last week and a half and Quintana was stronger in the mountains and should have won.
So how you Froome fans think he his a certain winner when he will have to cope with a focused Bertie a bonkers Astana and don't forget that "chap" who beat Froome at the Vuelta last year when he tried one of his crazy small ring attacks and a more determined Quintana ....
He has no chance. He will lose minutes in the last week against such strong opposition. He has never faced this kind of opposition in a tour. He did at the Vuelta and a injured Bertie kicked his as%

Dreaming is all you can do I'm afraid reality will bite hard this year.

Faced five grand tour winners last year and beat them, doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile winning is winning. If he's on top form and has G, Poels, Konig, and maybe the winner of the Giro at his back then he's going to be very hard to beat.

Seriously. The other riders wont be able to help. No one could help him last year when Quintana blew him away in the mountains . Quintana was stronger in the mountains. Froome got his time in the wind. No wind no tour win.
This year he will be up against a in form [ no giro] Bertie. Aru and his bonkers team who will attack at every chance just those 2 factors rule out any chance of Froome winning.

Froome rode very bravely last year and just hung on by the skin of his teeth but this year there are just to many better climbers who are more consistant. Froome always loses time in the last week and this year will be no different. Facts not wishfull thinking and really your post shows a lack of knowledge.

 

[Ramon Koran]

Re: Re:

Some of the comments here about Froome and how he just has to turn up to win it
Its just crazy and verging on trolling in your own thread.
Froome would not have won last years tour but for a lucky wind split. He was struggling to hold onto Thomas's wheel in the last week and a half and Quintana was stronger in the mountains and should have won.
So how you Froome fans think he his a certain winner when he will have to cope with a focused Bertie a bonkers Astana and don't forget that "chap" who beat Froome at the Vuelta last year when he tried one of his crazy small ring attacks and a more determined Quintana ....
He has no chance. He will lose minutes in the last week against such strong opposition. He has never faced this kind of opposition in a tour. He did at the Vuelta and a injured Bertie kicked his as%

Dreaming is all you can do I'm afraid reality will bite hard this year.

Truth is Froome have never beaten Contador ever in his life on even terms and this every person in cycling with just a little bit knowledge knows, in fact its the other way around (vuelta 14 is the closest they have been competing in a grand Tour together,) besides 2014 Tour ofcourse, but we all know what happened to both of them there.

Saying Froome beat a Contador last year who rode the Giro and use that as a benchmark just goes to show how educated you are on the matter and how hopeless and no point trying to even explain it to people who deny to face proven facts or just cant understand it.

This years Tour is gonne be betwen Quintana and Contador!

Unfotunatly i think a peak froome is invincible, Contador has been average in the tour for the best part of a decade now, he hasn't won a stage in 7 years and that was a different era. No way can he compete with the very best at the tour now. Quintana just takes to long to reach form I guarantee that after week two and ventoux and the tt he will be 5-6 minutes behind too big a deficit to make back. Only a ridder like aru could win by surprising froome but otherwise Chris will win EASILY

 

[therealthing]

Re: Re:

Some of the comments here about Froome and how he just has to turn up to win it
Its just crazy and verging on trolling in your own thread.
Froome would not have won last years tour but for a lucky wind split. He was struggling to hold onto Thomas's wheel in the last week and a half and Quintana was stronger in the mountains and should have won.
So how you Froome fans think he his a certain winner when he will have to cope with a focused Bertie a bonkers Astana and don't forget that "chap" who beat Froome at the Vuelta last year when he tried one of his crazy small ring attacks and a more determined Quintana ....
He has no chance. He will lose minutes in the last week against such strong opposition. He has never faced this kind of opposition in a tour. He did at the Vuelta and a injured Bertie kicked his as%

Dreaming is all you can do I'm afraid reality will bite hard this year.

Faced five grand tour winners last year and beat them, doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile winning is winning. If he's on top form and has G, Poels, Konig, and maybe the winner of the Giro at his back then he's going to be very hard to beat.

Seriously. The other riders wont be able to help. No one could help him last year when Quintana blew him away in the mountains . Quintana was stronger in the mountains. Froome got his time in the wind. No wind no tour win.
This year he will be up against a in form [ no giro] Bertie. Aru and his bonkers team who will attack at every chance just those 2 factors rule out any chance of Froome winning.

Froome rode very bravely last year and just hung on by the skin of his teeth but this year there are just to many better climbers who are more consistant. Froome always loses time in the last week and this year will be no different. Facts not wishfull thinking and really your post shows a lack of knowledge.

I don't see how Quintana "blew him away" in the mountains. He took 30 seconds on stage 19, and about a minute on stage 20, both when Froome had a chest infection. Those were the only 2 times Quintana gained any time on Froome. And on these instances he was well protected by Poels on stage 19 and by Porte and Poels all the way up Alpe d'Huez. When Froome is at his best he is almost impossible to beat. Just look at the 2013 Tour, all of the Dauphinés and stage 10 last year.