Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

The route isn't ideal for Froome, but it's even less ideal for Porte, his main competitor this year. 2017 looks like it's finally going to be the year where Froome gets his Tour Vuelta double

Ehm, yeah...

 

[Ruby United]

Re: Re:

Just confirmed his contract is going to be extended all the way to 2021. Bad deal for Sky if you ask me.

as far as I know SKY (the sponsor) has a contract with the team until 2020 (as Pinarello and Kask)

Goga's tweet about 2021 seems strange

I believe Sky are about to sign on for longer.
Would make sense that Sky will sign on if Froome signs on.
If I remember correctly, one of the main reasons HTC fell apart was because of Cav's unwillingness to resign.

 

[lenric]

After 2016, when he had a TDF win, an olympic medal and a 2nd place at the Vuelta, he's been having a shitty 2017. People start claiming that he's showing big signs of decline. Can't help but lol at the premises of that argument.

 

[KGB]

Re:

The route isn't ideal for Froome, but it's even less ideal for Porte, his main competitor this year. 2017 looks like it's finally going to be the year where Froome gets his Tour Vuelta double

Not Tour but Vuelta maybe.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

The route isn't ideal for Froome, but it's even less ideal for Porte, his main competitor this year. 2017 looks like it's finally going to be the year where Froome gets his Tour Vuelta double

Not Tour but Vuelta maybe.

I agree with this, just my personal opinion but I can see him winning the Vuelta this year and maybe missing out in the Tour. At least then he may actually give the Giro a go in the attempt at winning all 3.

 

[rick james]

Just seen him doing a press show with the team, he's looking good and he looks confident, saying his numbers in training are good and he feels good on the bike

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I'm doubting Froome's gonna be any weaker than last year. Competition will be better though.

Not sure about that. Porte might be better. Contador who knows ? Quintana has already done the Giro. Bardet and Valverde better than past years ? I think it revolves more around what Porte and Froome do. Aru and Fuglsang also doubts. The top five might have a surprise or two but I don't see the podium being too surprising. The route makes it a bit more open I suppose. If Froome turns up in his usual shape it will take a special ride to beat him. If he doesn't he still might be good enough to win with so many question marks about his opposition.

 

[kingjr]

Re:

Just seen him doing a press show with the team, he's looking good and he looks confident, saying his numbers in training are good and he feels good on the bike

Well that's enlightening

 

[del1962]

Re:

Just seen him doing a press show with the team, he's looking good and he looks confident, saying his numbers in training are good and he feels good on the bike

He is not going to say his numbers are bad though

Lets see him win something this year before we say he looks good

 

[Valv.Piti]

Says he feels fresher than ever. I buy that, he should considering the season he has had, but it doesn't matter if you're fresher when youre level is a bit below what it was...

I don't think he has it in him to destroy anyone uphill anymore, but he doesn't really need to since he without a doubt is the most complete GC-rider present.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Says he feels fresher than ever. I buy that, he should considering the season he has had, but it doesn't matter if you're fresher when youre level is a bit below what it was...

I don't think he has it in him to destroy anyone uphill anymore, but he doesn't really need to since he without a doubt is the most complete GC-rider present.

I'd love to see him try do more of those opportunistic attacks like he did on Peyresourde and the late break with Sagan last year. Just for the mixture of comedy and 'wtf iis happening here?' value.

He's got the team to shred the others on flat/rolling/downhill or whatever else, in addition to climbs. So, if he does have a lower level than before, we could be in for an entertaining race!

 

[Katabatic]

His level can be below what it was and still win by some distance.

He will still destroy people uphill this tour.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yes, he won last year's Tour without at any point dominating uphill. Its pretty likely he will do that again, but I can't see him dominate uphill as he did in 2013.

 

[deValtos]

I still think he's the best at single mountain efforts though he will probably need to defend in multi-mountain stages.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I still think he's the best at single mountain efforts though he will probably need to defend in multi-mountain stages.

I think Porte is the best in the world at single mountains efforts, then Froome and Quintana. I expect Richie to take over La Planche.

 

[hazaran]

Even back in his autobiography Froome wrote that Porte would beat him on mountain climbing tests. Of course Portes problems have been too much weight, too little consistency but we saw in 2013 and 2015 that his ceiling when in good form is extraordinarily high.

Froome usually tuned his preparation for whatever the Tour route was, climbing or ITT, but this year we have little of either so it will be interesting what other things he can find in his bag of tricks. I think he would prefer specializing on ITTs because that is where all his other competitors are just very very bad but in this route the mountains are going to be deciding.

 

[Katabatic]

I don't know if his climbing level of 2013 was so much better than his rivals, or because his rivals that year were simply not that good that year (very young Nairito and out of shape Alberto being his only real competition). By the time Porte finished pacing him, there were only a few riders left, and he wouldn't be paced unless he was not on good form.

Porte is probably slightly better than him uphill, but he has always been slightly better uphill, and the difference is not that large. And I don't think there's any other rider at the tour that would be better than him uphill. Maybe Quintana if he actually is better his second GT of the year.

 

[infeXio]

Re:

I don't know if his climbing level of 2013 was so much better than his rivals, or because his rivals that year were simply not that good that year (very young Nairito and out of shape Alberto being his only real competition). By the time Porte finished pacing him, there were only a few riders left, and he wouldn't be paced unless he was not on good form.

Porte is probably slightly better than him uphill, but he has always been slightly better uphill, and the difference is not that large. And I don't think there's any other rider at the tour that would be better than him uphill. Maybe Quintana if he actually is better his second GT of the year.

Now that's just silly.

 

[Katabatic]

Re: Re:

Now that's just silly.

No, it's not. Porte's numbers have supposedly always been better going uphill at Sky. But obviously you don't expect his setup man to beat him on MTF stages because he spends his energy well before Froome does.

Froome looking marginally worse at climbs than Porte in isolation should not come as a surprise. But the margin is very small, and he has the much better team. He'll look fine at the tour.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Now that's just silly.

No, it's not. Porte's numbers have supposedly always been better going uphill at Sky. But obviously you don't expect his setup man to beat him on MTF stages because he spends his energy well before Froome does.

Froome looking marginally worse at climbs than Porte in isolation should not come as a surprise. But the margin is very small, and he has the much better team. He'll look fine at the tour.

The difference is that Porte has not shown he can do it consistently for three weeks until last year where he did show improvement but Froome has won three Tours and has multiple podiums in the Vuelta. Porte has nada ! To say Froome has done this by not being a great climber is a bit naive. Numbers don't win races, riders do. No doubt Porte was a very good domestique for Froome even great at times but he wasn't the only one in the Sky team.

 

[Katabatic]

Re: Re:

The difference is that Porte has not shown he can do it consistently for three weeks until last year where he did show improvement but Froome has won three Tours and has multiple podiums in the Vuelta. Porte has nada ! To say Froome has done this by not being a great climber is a bit naive. Numbers don't win races, riders do. No doubt Porte was a very good domestique for Froome even great at times but he wasn't the only one in the Sky team.

I wouldn't just say that Froome is a great climber. I would argue that Froome is still the best overall climber in the tour. Porte having better numbers is nothing new. But Froome's numbers are not far off, he has a far better team, and he's the most complete rider with a proven pedigree.

The point I made was in response to valv.piti that he doesn't expect Froome to destroy anyone in the mountains.

 

[Kwibus]

He's going to dominate again. I know people feel/think he isn't at his best, but im afraid it will be very one sided again.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

The difference is that Porte has not shown he can do it consistently for three weeks until last year where he did show improvement but Froome has won three Tours and has multiple podiums in the Vuelta. Porte has nada ! To say Froome has done this by not being a great climber is a bit naive. Numbers don't win races, riders do. No doubt Porte was a very good domestique for Froome even great at times but he wasn't the only one in the Sky team.

I wouldn't just say that Froome is a great climber. I would argue that Froome is still the best overall climber in the tour. Porte having better numbers is nothing new. But Froome's numbers are not far off, he has a far better team, and he's the most complete rider with a proven pedigree.

The point I made was in response to valv.piti that he doesn't expect Froome to destroy anyone in the mountains.

I think he had the Vuelta on his mind and almost pulled off the double Tour/Vuelta one anyway. The way he rode the final TT indicated he was holding back a little earlier in the race.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

I don't know if his climbing level of 2013 was so much better than his rivals, or because his rivals that year were simply not that good that year (very young Nairito and out of shape Alberto being his only real competition). By the time Porte finished pacing him, there were only a few riders left, and he wouldn't be paced unless he was not on good form.

Porte is probably slightly better than him uphill, but he has always been slightly better uphill, and the difference is not that large. And I don't think there's any other rider at the tour that would be better than him uphill. Maybe Quintana if he actually is better his second GT of the year.

Porte is better uphill this year, and this year only! Before, he was never in the same league as Froome. And that could also change very easy in 3 weeks time...

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

I don't know if his climbing level of 2013 was so much better than his rivals, or because his rivals that year were simply not that good that year (very young Nairito and out of shape Alberto being his only real competition). By the time Porte finished pacing him, there were only a few riders left, and he wouldn't be paced unless he was not on good form.

Porte is probably slightly better than him uphill, but he has always been slightly better uphill, and the difference is not that large. And I don't think there's any other rider at the tour that would be better than him uphill. Maybe Quintana if he actually is better his second GT of the year.

Porte is better uphill this year, and this year only! Before, he was never in the same league as Froome. And that could also change very easy in 3 weeks time...

Porte was as good uphill as Froome in 2016. Froome never dropped Porte on a climb.