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Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

Page 330 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

Is Froome over the hill?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 26 35.1%
  • No, the GC finished 40 minutes ago but Froomie is still climbing it

    Votes: 42 56.8%
  • No he is totally winning the Vuelta

    Votes: 17 23.0%

  • Total voters
    74
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?
 
Re: Re:

SeriousSam said:
Pricey_sky said:
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.
 
JRanton said:
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.
 
Re: Re:

Pricey_sky said:
SeriousSam said:
Pricey_sky said:
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.
 
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.
 
Re: Re:

DFA123 said:
Pricey_sky said:
SeriousSam said:
Pricey_sky said:
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.
 
Jul 12, 2013
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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).
 
Apr 22, 2012
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Re:

King Of Molehill said:
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?
 
Apr 22, 2012
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Re: Re:

TMP402 said:
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.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Re: Re:

Kokoso said:
King Of Molehill said:
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.
 
Aug 31, 2012
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“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.

:p
 
Re: Re:

Kokoso said:
TMP402 said:
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
 
Re:

Ataraxus said:
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.
 

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