Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Cimber]

Rasmussen says that Froomes riding style is awful and reminds him of a mix of Escartin and Mancebo.

He says he roots for Contador in the Tour, but he thinks that Froome will win.

 

[Taxus4a]

Well, obviously nobody can say who's going to win the Tour, all we can do is look at what's happened so far this season and project a bit based on that. Froome has been kicking eveyone's **** so far, and the one guy who's beaten him won't be at the Tour. Froome has been having the same kind of run-up to the Tour that Contador used to have, when he'd win 3 or 4 or 5 stage races while getting ready. I wouldn't automatically count Contador out, but he's been invisible this year compared to the past. To have a prayer he's going to have to ramp it up dramatically and show us a totally different rider that what we've seen so far. Can he do that? Sure he's smart and experienced, but if he doesn't have the legs then no way. This is Froome's to lose (which is of course very possible too).

Good first post, welcome

 

[LaFlorecita]

Rasmussen says that Froomes riding style is awful and reminds him of a mix of Escartin and Mancebo.

He says he roots for Contador in the Tour, but he thinks that Froome will win.

which Rasmussen

 

[nick101]

which Rasmussen

There's only one rasmussen that can climb

 

[movingtarget]

which Rasmussen

Chicken. The great TT rider ..............

 

[Jelantik]

Chicken. The great TT rider ..............

the one that kept choosing his shortcut road to the finish line?? Not sure if he understood that the TT bike can't go off road

 

[Poursuivant]

Rasmussen says that Froomes riding style is awful and reminds him of a mix of Escartin and Mancebo.

He says he roots for Contador in the Tour, but he thinks that Froome will win.

All the more reason to want Froome to win

 

[Ferminal]

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Froome-je-vais-attaquer/381262

 

[Cimber]

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Froome-je-vais-attaquer/381262

I think its important for him to show that he is not Wiggins. It will be nice that most of the contenders this year are all attacking riders.

 

[Ferminal]

Will also help to not burn Porte out by end of the first week.

 

[nick101]

Will also help to not burn Porte out by end of the first week.

And not to hide behind sky until the last km or so. I'm not a Froome fan for many reasons, so the earlier and more frequently he attacks the better I'll think of him.

Rasmussen says that Froomes riding style is awful and reminds him of a mix of Escartin and Mancebo.

Froome's style of riding certainly is particularly unpleasant to watch

 

[theyoungest]

Not sure if geo blocked, but I quite liked this interview of 'old weasel' Mart Smeets with Froomey.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Not sure if geo blocked, but I quite liked this interview of 'old weasel' Mart Smeets with Froomey.

Oh dear, Mart definitely not watching that

 

[wwabbit]

Can anyone brief me quickly about the story behind the Mart Smeets hate?

 

[theyoungest]

Can anyone brief me quickly about the story behind the Mart Smeets hate?

He's the Dutch Phil Liggett. Just a little more self-absorbed, and a little fatter.

 

[movingtarget]

And not to hide behind sky until the last km or so. I'm not a Froome fan for many reasons, so the earlier and more frequently he attacks the better I'll think of him.



Froome's style of riding certainly is particularly unpleasant to watch

Unpleasant but effective. If the French think Schleck is Andy Rubber Neck I wonder what they make of Froome, can't begin to describe what he resembles on the bike but all of the looking down can't be good for the neck.

 

[nick101]

Unpleasant but effective. If the French think Schleck is Andy Rubber Neck I wonder what they make of Froome, can't begin to describe what he resembles on the bike but all of the looking down can't be good for the neck.

Yeah. Have heard Froome's style described as being hang - doggish

 

[jens_attacks]

Not sure if geo blocked, but I quite liked this interview of 'old weasel' Mart Smeets with Froomey.

chris-it feeds on the red blood cells...
mart smeets: "oh my god!"



liked the interview. really looking forward to bonascre showdown!

 

[King Boonen]

I think its important for him to show that he is not Wiggins. It will be nice that most of the contenders this year are all attacking riders.

While I agree to a certain extent I think it'll be forced on him rather than him doing it anyway. The competition is different this year and one bad mountain stage could wipe out any TT gains Froome makes.

That said, I'll be massively disappointed in him and Sky if he ruins his chances of the win by trying to prove he isn't Wiggins and blowing up in the third week. Sky do what they do extremely well and they should continue to do it, whoever the leader is.

 

[Cimber]

While I agree to a certain extent I think it'll be forced on him rather than him doing it anyway. The competition is different this year and one bad mountain stage could wipe out any TT gains Froome makes.

That said, I'll be massively disappointed in him and Sky if he ruins his chances of the win by trying to prove he isn't Wiggins and blowing up in the third week. Sky do what they do extremely well and they should continue to do it, whoever the leader is.

The Sky train doesnt mean that the captain cant and shouldnt attack. Also remember that the competition is different this year. A lot more attacking riders. But that said Froome is so strong that he will wont to show who is the boss. Already on Ax3.

 

[Poursuivant]

It will be interesting whst Sky and Froome do if Contador attacks from a long way out like the 2012 Vuelta. Will they trust him to not have enough in the tank or will Froome jump on his wheel. Really looking forward to this years tour.

 

[nick101]

The Sky train doesnt mean that the captain cant and shouldnt attack. Also remember that the competition is different this year. A lot more attacking riders. But that said Froome is so strong that he will wont to show who is the boss. Already on Ax3.

For froome to "show who's boss" he has to win on Ax-3. Now in order for that to happen, Sky/Froome must change their tactics. Froome's current tactic's are to attack in the final km and win. On Ax-3 that won't happen; if Froome attacks on the final km of the climb, he will be chased down (there's 1km of flat after the final climb) and the stage will be decided in a sprint. With Evans, Cunego, Valverde, Rodriguez and Martin all likely to be present and all of whom can out sprint froome, I can't see how Froome can win with his current tactics. The stage could also have a similar result to Morzine-Avoriz in 2010 where a bunch of all the contenders finished in the same time and 2 riders finished 10 seconds ahead (this year Froome and Contador??).
For Froome to win the stage he must attack from at least 3kms out. Froome has never done this before, so it should be interesting to watch.

 

[Cimber]

For froome to "show who's boss" he has to win on Ax-3. Now in order for that to happen, Sky/Froome must change their tactics. Froome's current tactic's are to attack in the final km and win. On Ax-3 that won't happen; if Froome attacks on the final km of the climb, he will be chased down (there's 1km of flat after the final climb) and the stage will be decided in a sprint. With Evans, Cunego, Valverde, Rodriguez and Martin all likely to be present and all of whom can out sprint froome, I can't see how Froome can win with his current tactics. The stage could also have a similar result to Morzine-Avoriz in 2010 where a bunch of all the contenders finished in the same time and 2 riders finished 10 seconds ahead (this year Froome and Contador??).
For Froome to win the stage he must attack from at least 3kms out. Froome has never done this before, so it should be interesting to watch.

Well in the Vuelta (before the fatigue kicked in) he and JRod actually did put time on Contador etc by attacking in the last km. While JRod might outsprint him its not unlikely that he will put time in on several others. That said I agree that he probably has to attack earlier (well maybe Ritchie attacks first).

In CI he did attack with like 6 km to go, but yeah the competition was mediocre in that race.

Will indeed be interesting though. I might have beefed up AX3 to much, cos historically the first MTF is often ridden very conservatively.

 

[nick101]

Well in the Vuelta (before the fatigue kicked in) he and JRod actually did put time on Contador etc by attacking in the last km. While JRod might outsprint him its not unlikely that he will put time in on several others. That said I agree that he probably has to attack earlier (well maybe Ritchie attacks first).

In CI he did attack with like 6 km to go, but yeah the competition was mediocre in that race.

Will indeed be interesting though. I might have beefed up AX3 to much, cos historically the first MTF is often ridden very conservatively.

Yup yup , best possible result for Froome is to have the same scenario occur as Andy did at Morzine-Avoriz . However that won't "show who's boss".

At criterium international he "attacked" from 3kms to go. Although i wouldn't really call it an attack. It wasn't really an acceleration but it worked because of a low quality field and Porte softened everyone up. He pretty much TT'ed the last 3km's at his own pace.

As for the vuelta, he tried that on the first two MTF stages, both times he was unsuccessful in dropping contador. After that it all went downhill and he couldn't even keep up with the others.

 

[Wiggo Warrior]

Yup yup , best possible result for Froome is to have the same scenario occur as Andy did at Morzine-Avoriz . However that won't "show who's boss".

At criterium international he "attacked" from 3kms to go. Although i wouldn't really call it an attack. It wasn't really an acceleration but it worked because of a low quality field and Porte softened everyone up. He pretty much TT'ed the last 3km's at his own pace.

As for the vuelta, he tried that on the first two MTF stages, both times he was unsuccessful in dropping contador. After that it all went downhill and he couldn't even keep up with the others.

CI was definitely at 5.5-6 kms out and he definitely attacked the other two he was with in the front even if he just rode off the front of the peloton a little earlier when Richie let the gap open. I also don't remember Porte doing any softening up of people as he was wearing the yellow jersey and being protected (sort of, I think CF was on the front for less than a km after Kiry had pulled off at 6.5km to go) by Froomey. Porte's attack came at 2km to go some considerable time later.

He also attacked at 4km out in the Tour last year... Would it have stuck? we'll never know.