Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[filipepc]

Agree, the race will not be the some, unless something unusual happens.

Sky train is by far the best team so to have a race like today is almost impossible unless Froome lose uch time in the beggining and has to attack from early in the last week, otherwise, sky train will controle attacks and wait to the last man, as always.

 

[Oliwright]

Re:

Surprised if Froome finishes on the podium at the TDF.

Are you crazy? Letting todays event's sway your decision?
In 2013,15&16 people doubted Froome.
Each year he showed that he got even better.

His rivals for the podium are chaves, valverde, contador, porte, bardet & quintana.
Apart from Porte he was close to or better than those guys!

Froome is still the best rider in the peloton and clearly, has reduced his number of race days to be fresher for the Vuelta.
Think about how easily he won last year & he didn't even need to attack in the mountains!

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re: Re:

Think about how easily he won last year & he didn't even need to attack in the mountains!

He tried to, on the Peyresourde.

His dominant climbing performances may or may not be over, but it likely won't matter, anyway. He is indeed very hard to beat.

 

[Kwibus]

Allthough I havent seen the race as im on vacation I did follow the race via this forum and cn.com's live ticker.

I must say compliments to Froome for going all in to try and win it. I know there are people complaining that he screwed his buddy Richie and Richie himself seemed agitated as well, but Froome did his own race without thinking about friendly relations. It's a race afterall and he certainly made it a race.

I still have a hard time liking Froome, but he raced to race and entertain the fans so thumbs up to him.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Surprised if Froome finishes on the podium at the TDF.

If he doesn't suffer any bad luck then I just can't see it. He would have had to seriously have blown his preparation to not be fighting for a top 3. He seems happy enough with his shape and as he's said from the start, he wants to do the Tour-Vuelta double.

Everybody is 'happy' about their shape. Froome could literally have crashed into a wall and he would have been happy, saying that crashing into that wall was all according to plan.

Given Froome usually suffers badly from crashes I seriously doubt it...

 

[meat puppet]

2013 & 15 there was absolutely no doubt about froome winning. In 16 ditto the minute we saw how quintana was.

Now, i am not so sure. Perhaps the buzz around him, Sky and BC has had an effect on his prep. Or not, and he wins handsomely again.

 

[Pennino]

Hopefully somebody will have enough level to finally kick his and Sky's ass in July. Otherwise I'm definitely done with it.

 

[Eclipse]

Absolutely baffled that people think he's not the favourite for the Tour following this.

All this Dauphine told me is that he's building into form slightly later (smells that TdF + Vuelta double with no Nairo to worry about at the latter imo) and reinforced the idea that he can hurt his principle rivals everywhere.

I expect another blowout to be frank.

 

[silvergrenade]

Re:

Absolutely baffled that people think he's not the favourite for the Tour following this.

All this Dauphine told me is that he's building into form slightly later (smells that TdF + Vuelta double with no Nairo to worry about at the latter imo) and reinforced the idea that he can hurt his principle rivals everywhere.

I expect another blowout to be frank.

Why are you baffled?
Froome got his ass handed out to him by Porte. He smashed Froome in the TT and every climb. Just smashed him. That too at a race where he comes not to prepare but to win. He's said often in interviews that he hasn't changed anything in his preparation as compared to last year. Pretty much copy paste. (Luke Rowe said the same)

Porte is logically the favourite to win the race given that he was the second strongest in the last tour, he is legitimate win contender; something which can be said only for 2 people right now.

 

[Hayabusa]

If it was a one on one competition then no doubt Porte is the favourite. I can't help having the feeling that his lack of a team may come back to haunt him at some point in the Tour. If Sky/Movistar use all their men well then they could wipe Porte out of the GC competition in one stage.

Froome needs to improve and I believe he will. No doubt whatever happens, we'll have a brilliant race.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Absolutely baffled that people think he's not the favourite for the Tour following this.

All this Dauphine told me is that he's building into form slightly later (smells that TdF + Vuelta double with no Nairo to worry about at the latter imo) and reinforced the idea that he can hurt his principle rivals everywhere.

I expect another blowout to be frank.

I agree.

 

[spiritualride]

Has Froome said he changed his prep to peak significantly later than previous years? silvergrenade just said that in interviews he said that he has not changed...

 

[rick james]

does anyone have the climbing times for the last climb on Sunday?

I want to know who covered it fastest

 

[Netserk]

Best sources for climbing times are vetooo's twitter and jens' blog:

https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily

http://www.climbing-records.com/

 

[JRanton]

Re:

2013 & 15 there was absolutely no doubt about froome winning. In 16 ditto the minute we saw how quintana was.

Now, i am not so sure. Perhaps the buzz around him, Sky and BC has had an effect on his prep. Or not, and he wins handsomely again.

I'm surprised we haven't heard more about the back problems that he's been suffering with. Same thing has wrecked Poels' season so far. Froome actually climbed very well on Tortosa in Catalunya (stage that Valverde won) and was well above the level that he usually has at that race. His performances, particularly at Romandie and then to an extent at the Dauphine, don't make much sense in that context unless he had back problems or some other issue after Catalunya.

His Dauphine performance wasn't that bad but he's clearly quite a bit below the level of Porte and Fuglsang. I still think he'll win the Tour but it will probably be very close. Porte can definitely win. He's been the strongest GC rider this year by quite some distance.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Surprised if Froome finishes on the podium at the TDF.

If he doesn't suffer any bad luck then I just can't see it. He would have had to seriously have blown his preparation to not be fighting for a top 3. He seems happy enough with his shape and as he's said from the start, he wants to do the Tour-Vuelta double.

Everybody is 'happy' about their shape. Froome could literally have crashed into a wall and he would have been happy, saying that crashing into that wall was all according to plan.

Given Froome usually suffers badly from crashes I seriously doubt it...

Just a way to describe that it don't usualy mean something that riders are happy and saying all is according to plan etc. Wasn't meant in the literal sense.

 

[Krokro]

Re: Re:

so how do we think his shape is now? nowhere near where he was last year fitness wise I think.

I really think he is very close to last year. Last year he didn't drop porte like this year

When did he drop Porte ?

Anyway, I have a silly question, no sarcasm guaranteed. Im not rly a newcomer in cycling knowledges but can someone explain me the logic behind Froomey tendency, now well known, to be dropped and yoyo'ing a climb, then looking at his powermeter, then sudendly dropping the hammer? I mean, today was a good example of this tendency/way of climbing.

Is there any physiological/tactical explanation behind this?

No clinic talk pls. And if I missed the talk on this topic, Im sorry Im not reading it a lot.

He's just measuring his effort. He said today he knew he needed to take it "easy" on the earlier parts of the climb because he knew it would be harder towards the finish. He was distanced a little, but he said he was holding back, just going at his own pace because he knew he'd have to try hard later.

In the (or after) sprint Porte asked him if he was looking down at his stem instead of looking at how he was riding.

Thanks buddy !
Also thanks to hazaran for the insight.
It can make sense, lets say there is a logic behind this.
Cant wait to see if Froomes hegemony will last in July!

 

[CTQ]

Fun on Colle delle Finestre today.


https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/874948997449998337

 

[rick james]

for a guy so out of shape and about to get his ass handed to him by his apprentice he sure looks in a good mood

 

[kingjr]

Re:

for a guy so out of shape and about to get his *** handed to him by his apprentice he sure looks in a good mood

Well you could always use the last part where he says "this is what what bike racing is all about" and argue that he's already preparing for not winning the Tour.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

for a guy so out of shape and about to get his *** handed to him by his apprentice he sure looks in a good mood

He's probably very confident in his ability to time his peak properly. He hasn't really messed up in years.

 

[del1962]

Was he on a road bike or mtb?

 

[del1962]

So the Tour Team?

Froome
Poels
Thomas
Henao
Rowe
Stannard
Two from Kennaugh, Landa, Ellisonde or Nieve?
Kiri or Knees?

Stannard

 

[pastronef]

Re:

So the Tour Team?

Froome
Poels
Thomas
Henao
Rowe
Stannard
Two from Kennaugh, Landa, Ellisonde or Nieve?
Kiri or Knees?

Stannard

Elissonde rode the full Giro, rides Route du Sud, I dont think he'll ride the Tour.

Knees rather than Kiry
Nieve yes
Poels form to be seen at Route du Sud (if not him then Landa)
Stannard was sick at Dauphiné, let's see how he goes at Route du Sud

 

[rick james]

Re:

So the Tour Team?

Froome
Poels
Thomas
Henao
Rowe
Stannard
Two from Kennaugh, Landa, Ellisonde or Nieve?
Kiri or Knees?

Stannard

Froome
Poels
Henao
Nieve
Thomas
Kwiatkowski
Rowe
Stannard
Knees