Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[lenric]

http://www.up-shack.com/assets/up/10866121d68f8b9af608cb16b440c8b4.swf

To bee seen with sound.

This is the right thread to post this.
Froome will tend to get better, so does Contador. Thing is, Contador most likely won't get that much better. He's screwed.

 

[Miburo]

It's so weird how he does that, never seen it before. Reminds me of what he did in the vuelta last year on that stage dumoulin won

 

[JRanton]

When he's in top shape he doesn't yo-yo. There's plenty more to come before the Tour. Even when Sky riders have won the Dauphine, they've done so not at their best and improve as much if not more than all of the other contenders before the Tour starts.

The surprise is Contador's weakness and let's be honest there were signs of it on the flat stages. He was strongest in the prologue so it's a bit strange to see him suffer like this. Possibly an illness?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Stunning today, thought he was having a typical yo-yo day at one point he was losing positions in the MJ group, then that attack was huge.

As DFA123 said, it seems Froome rides at his limit, secure in the knowledge that he is the dominant climber in the field. If the group moves away from him, they're going at an unsustainable pace.

He doesn't always yoyo because in Tour stages, Sky set a blistering pace from far out, discouraging all attacks. Then you get the usual pattern where the other contenders drop out the back until Froome is alone.

When that pace setting isn't being done, there's more stop and go, which Froome wisely ignores until the drops the hammer.

Yep, it must require tremendous self control and belief in your abilities to ride like that. To ride at your pace when others put in attacks even when you know you should catch the leaders back up.

 

[lenric]

When he's in top shape he doesn't yo-yo. There's plenty more to come before the Tour. Even when Sky riders have won the Dauphine, they've done so not at their best and improve as much if not more than all of the other contenders before the Tour starts.

The surprise is Contador's weakness and let's be honest there were signs of it on the flat stages. He was strongest in the prologue so it's a bit strange to see him suffer like this. Possibly an illness?

Yes. Legless disease.

 

[PremierAndrew]

On a side note, Yates also yo-yo'd and look where he ended up

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Stunning today, thought he was having a typical yo-yo day at one point he was losing positions in the MJ group, then that attack was huge.

As DFA123 said, it seems Froome rides at his limit, secure in the knowledge that he is the dominant climber in the field. If the group moves away from him, they're going at an unsustainable pace.

He doesn't always yoyo because in Tour stages, Sky set a blistering pace from far out, discouraging all attacks. Then you get the usual pattern where the other contenders drop out the back until Froome is alone.

When that pace setting isn't being done, there's more stop and go, which Froome wisely ignores until the drops the hammer.

Yep, it must require tremendous self control and belief in your abilities to ride like that. To ride at your pace when others put in attacks even when you know you should catch the leaders back up.

I guess the first couple of times it did. Now he's probably delighted every time he sees a rider like Contador burn himself out at an unsustainable pace.

The big question is whether or not he would be prepared to let Quintana go in the same way. Because there is a chance he might not see him again.

 

[SeriousSam]

To be fair, though, Richie responded to the attacks as well, and he was right there on Froome's wheel all the way to the finish.

 

[Taxus4a]

In shot stages with end like this he do always yo yo, he cant follow the forst strong attack, he need to build up.

His rivals should know his debilities and try to take advantage as contador did in Hazallanas in Andalucia. (Nieve puntured, that helped)

Contador should has attacked to get Landa... (preferibly with the help of another rider and with domestique in the break).

Surely Froome had time to built up and catcht him, but so close to the finish line than the damage would have been lees, and who knows if he could have get seconds as in Hazallanas.

You cant do this in a log distances,becouse is worse, the early you attack, the mot km to the line when froome catch you, but at 6 Km to the line,it is ok.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

On a side note, Yates also yo-yo'd and look where he ended up

It is a different Yo-yo, he has 2 very good Km, he cant go full gas all the climb

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Stunning today, thought he was having a typical yo-yo day at one point he was losing positions in the MJ group, then that attack was huge.

As DFA123 said, it seems Froome rides at his limit, secure in the knowledge that he is the dominant climber in the field. If the group moves away from him, they're going at an unsustainable pace.

He doesn't always yoyo because in Tour stages, Sky set a blistering pace from far out, discouraging all attacks. Then you get the usual pattern where the other contenders drop out the back until Froome is alone.

When that pace setting isn't being done, there's more stop and go, which Froome wisely ignores until the drops the hammer.

Yep, it must require tremendous self control and belief in your abilities to ride like that. To ride at your pace when others put in attacks even when you know you should catch the leaders back up.

I guess the first couple of times it did. Now he's probably delighted every time he sees a rider like Contador burn himself out at an unsustainable pace.

The big question is whether or not he would be prepared to let Quintana go in the same way. Because there is a chance he might not see him again.

There is a big chance..., but quintan is not so explosive to follow an attack of dan Martin as Contador is. anyway Froome use to have very strong domestiques...


Of course Quintana will drop him in the stages more for climber as mountain stages pass (at the end of the race)...
he knows that and he has to put time in the first half of le Tour: first week, Aspin, ITT, other way he cant win this Tour.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Next year he could honestly skip every race pre Dauphine and still almost win the tour. It's insane he peaks so easily

He is not peaking, he didnt peak still in all the year as Contador did in April.

He is increasing his shape every race. In Romandie he wanst far to this level.. he won a stage by droping TVG. He just disconect of GC for a mechanical.

 

[johnymax]

Impressive stuff by Froome today. I didn't expect this. He confirmed he's still no1 favourite for the Tour.

 

[Ataraxus]

Did anyone watch "the look" Froome gave Contador before dropping him?
He just turned his head, noticed the Contador suffering and bang... went again
I came across it in the after stage highlights (It cannot be found in the race video unfortunately).

 

[DFA123]

Re:

To be fair, though, Richie responded to the attacks as well, and he was right there on Froome's wheel all the way to the finish.

You'd expect nothing else from the best week long stage racer in the world

 

[Kokoso]

Re:

Since we're comparing apples to oranges I believe that 'legends' (on a global scale) tend to have personalities that are as big, if not bigger, than their palmarès. It gives them that lasting power because more people tend to write about them for as long as they are alive and after they die, whether in or out of the sport they competed in. It has as much to do with what they do off the bike as they do on it. The only riders in the current peloton that I would argue have that combination are:

Peter Sagan

What kind of big personality Sagan has? How do one even recognize big personality and what that means?

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

I don't think it's just about the Olympics, it's about personality as the poster said. Who is best known of Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss? Moss, yet unlike Hawthorn he never won the F1 world championship. Who is best known of Jim Clark and James Hunt? Hunt, but Clark won twice as many world championships.

Never heard of James Hunt. Jim Clark, that was big name though in motor racing.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Since we're comparing apples to oranges I believe that 'legends' (on a global scale) tend to have personalities that are as big, if not bigger, than their palmarès. It gives them that lasting power because more people tend to write about them for as long as they are alive and after they die, whether in or out of the sport they competed in. It has as much to do with what they do off the bike as they do on it. The only riders in the current peloton that I would argue have that combination are:

Peter Sagan

What kind of big personality Sagan has? How do one even recognize big personality and what that means?

He's handsome, playful, funny, charismatic and not afraid to attack far from the finish-line. All qualities Chris Froome severely lacks.

 

[kenk09]

Is this what it's come to?

 

[SeriousSam]

“It's an amazing feeling. It's always good to win a race before the Tour de France. The team rode very well day to take me to the final climb in the best position. They set it up perfectly for me,” Froome said. “I didn't expect to gain time on Alberto Contador on such a short climb.”

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

I don't think it's just about the Olympics, it's about personality as the poster said. Who is best known of Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss? Moss, yet unlike Hawthorn he never won the F1 world championship. Who is best known of Jim Clark and James Hunt? Hunt, but Clark won twice as many world championships.

Never heard of James Hunt. Jim Clark, that was big name though in motor racing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_%282013_film%29

 

[yaco]

Re:

On a side note, Yates also yo-yo'd and look where he ended up

Nah - A.Yates is learning to be more patient in climbs - Ride at comfortable tempo and not go into the red during the climb - A.Yates learnt lots from Alpe D'Huez in 2015.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

On a side note, Yates also yo-yo'd and look where he ended up

It is a different Yo-yo, he has 2 very good Km, he cant go full gas all the climb

100% correct with this post - A.Yates is learning patience on climbs.

 

[Ataraxus]

Finally found the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbXLcAOiMp4 12:24-12:50.
So much happening in 4 seconds there....
-12:24 Alberto is grimacing
-12:25 Froome turns his head. Contador immediately tries to hide his grimace (but can't hide his suffering)
-12:27 Froome blows the final attack and drops Bertie.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Finally found the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbXLcAOiMp4 12:24-12:50.
So much happening in 4 seconds there....
-12:24 Alberto is grimacing
-12:25 Froome turns his head. Contador immediately tries to hide his grimace (but can't hide his suffering)
-12:27 Froome blows the final attack and drops Bertie.

Thank for posting, actually didn't see that during the live stage. As I said last night, if Froome spotted a weakness in Porte or Contador today he would go for it.