Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Koronin]

It will be interesting to see who comes higher in the GC at the Vuelta, Froome or Valverde or if either of them could make podium.

Shouldn't be a contest. Valverde is already in better form and is improving. Regardless of what his comments would lead you to believe. Nothing is fully impossible when it comes to Valverde and la Vuelta.

 

[tobydawq]

Shouldn't be a contest. Valverde is already in better form and is improving. Regardless of what his comments would lead you to believe. Nothing is fully impossible when it comes to Valverde and la Vuelta.

But everything is impossible with Froome, the winner of 6 (or 7) Grand Tours?

 

[dutchdescent]

Looking forward to the ultimate yoyo Froome at the Vuelta

 

[ppanther92]

Will we ever see non-grupetto Froome again?

 

[70kmph]

Riding into the sunset now...

 

[Red Rick]

Riding into the sunset now...

Isreal is in the east tho.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

9:55 back today...

 

[spalco]

9:55 back today...

Getting closer.

 

[Red Rick]

Getting closer.

Than yesterday? Yes

Than Route d'Occitanie? No

 

[Forever The Best]

I did not like him at 2013-2015 but warmed up to him in the last few years. Sad to see him struggling. Hope he gets back to a good level for the Vuelta.

 

[Parker]

It's hard to know what his form really is. In what I've watched in the last couple of days he's struggled, but when he sat up today the commentator commented at how much work he'd done. Unless he really rides for himself for once we won't really know. But I don't expect much from him this year. A Vuelta podium would be as unexpected as it was in 2011.

 

[TomLPC]

You have to credit him really.
He's had ISN's pants down.

 

[CTQ]

not sure he would say the contrary, but Adams said that they have his numbers and he's well on his way back

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1304051189311569921

View: https://twitter.com/itvcycling/status/1304051189311569921?s=20

 

[Vino's Mum]

A Vuelta podium would be as unexpected as it was in 2011.

It really wouldn’t though.

Everyone knows this story, but just to emphasise just how unexpected Froome’s transformation into the strongest climber and best GT rider of the past decade was, here’s Sky’s GC placings at 2011’s Tour de Pologne, two weeks before the Vuelta:

Kennaugh, 5th
Cummings, 9th
Nordhaug, 16th
Stannard, 61st
Löfkvist, 62nd
Possoni, 82nd
Froome, 85th
Carlström, 102nd

Understandably, Sky pick Lars Petter to ride for Wiggins ahead of Froome, leaving Froome looking around for a new team...

 

[SHAD0W93]

It really wouldn’t though.

Everyone knows this story, but just to emphasise just how unexpected Froome’s transformation into the strongest climber and best GT rider of the past decade was, here’s Sky’s GC placings at 2011’s Tour de Pologne, two weeks before the Vuelta:

Kennaugh, 5th
Cummings, 9th
Nordhaug, 16th
Stannard, 61st
Löfkvist, 62nd
Possoni, 82nd
Froome, 85th
Carlström, 102nd

Understandably, Sky pick Lars Petter to ride for Wiggins ahead of Froome, leaving Froome looking around for a new team...

Even more that they were happy with his 1 UCI World Tour point from Tour de Suisse I believe when trying to get as much points as possible for Worlds.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

He's going backwards. 29 minutes down today, 55 down overall...

 

[markene2]

You dont get back to your old level with those injuries, as i have said since day 1 he has been clever and made a good move with the Israel contract, but Froome as a GT winner is done

 

[SafeBet]

Friend of mine was on Sassotetto.
He sent me a message telling me: I've been waiting here for all the riders to see Froome but he was probably in some group and I must've missed him. Ackermann has already passed.

Well...

125	ACKERMANN Pascal	BORA - hansgrohe			27:13
126	RYBALKIN Aleksey	Gazprom - RusVelo			,,
127	MANZIN Lorrenzo	Team Total Direct Energie			27:30
128	DOWSETT Alex	Israel Start-Up Nation			29:17
129	DE KORT Koen	Trek - Segafredo			,,
130	KEISSE Iljo	Deceuninck - Quick Step			,,
131	GAVIRIA Fernando	UAE-Team Emirates			,,
132	TERPSTRA Niki	Team Total Direct Energie			,,
133	SAGIV Guy	Israel Start-Up Nation			,,
134	DAINESE Alberto	Team Sunweb			,,
135	MITRI James	Vini Zabù - KTM			,,
136	RESTREPO Jhonatan	Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec			,,
137	BOEV Igor	Gazprom - RusVelo			,,
138	SABATINI Fabio	Cofidis, Solutions Crédits			,,
139	PETIT Adrien	Team Total Direct Energie			,,
140	MAES Nikolas	Lotto Soudal			,,
141	VIVIANI Attilio	Cofidis, Solutions Crédits			,,
142	CLARKE Simon	EF Pro Cycling			,,
143	STEELS Stijn	Deceuninck - Quick Step			,,
144	WIŚNIOWSKI Łukasz	CCC Team			,,
145	GARCÍA CORTINA Iván	Bahrain - McLaren			,,
146	STOJNIĆ Veljko	Vini Zabù - KTM			,,
147	STACCHIOTTI Riccardo	Vini Zabù - KTM			,,
148	CIMA Imerio	Gazprom - RusVelo			,,
149	HAUSSLER Heinrich	Bahrain - McLaren			,,
150	FROOME Chris	INEOS Grenadiers

 

[bigcog]

Friend of mine was on Sassotetto.
He sent me a message telling me: I've been waiting here for all the riders to see Froome but he was probably in some group and I must've missed him. Ackermann has already passed.

Well...

125	ACKERMANN Pascal	BORA - hansgrohe			27:13
126	RYBALKIN Aleksey	Gazprom - RusVelo			,,
127	MANZIN Lorrenzo	Team Total Direct Energie			27:30
128	DOWSETT Alex	Israel Start-Up Nation			29:17
129	DE KORT Koen	Trek - Segafredo			,,
130	KEISSE Iljo	Deceuninck - Quick Step			,,
131	GAVIRIA Fernando	UAE-Team Emirates			,,
132	TERPSTRA Niki	Team Total Direct Energie			,,
133	SAGIV Guy	Israel Start-Up Nation			,,
134	DAINESE Alberto	Team Sunweb			,,
135	MITRI James	Vini Zabù - KTM			,,
136	RESTREPO Jhonatan	Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec			,,
137	BOEV Igor	Gazprom - RusVelo			,,
138	SABATINI Fabio	Cofidis, Solutions Crédits			,,
139	PETIT Adrien	Team Total Direct Energie			,,
140	MAES Nikolas	Lotto Soudal			,,
141	VIVIANI Attilio	Cofidis, Solutions Crédits			,,
142	CLARKE Simon	EF Pro Cycling			,,
143	STEELS Stijn	Deceuninck - Quick Step			,,
144	WIŚNIOWSKI Łukasz	CCC Team			,,
145	GARCÍA CORTINA Iván	Bahrain - McLaren			,,
146	STOJNIĆ Veljko	Vini Zabù - KTM			,,
147	STACCHIOTTI Riccardo	Vini Zabù - KTM			,,
148	CIMA Imerio	Gazprom - RusVelo			,,
149	HAUSSLER Heinrich	Bahrain - McLaren			,,
150	FROOME Chris	INEOS Grenadiers

He fell today apparently, presumably not too serious though.

 

[TomLPC]

Who are you lot to doubt the climbing mastery of legendary names like "STOJNIĆ Veljko" and "

STACCHIOTTI Riccardo

"


Also, the level is just a lot higher this year Froome is pushing his best numbers yet

 

[Ripper]

He fell today apparently, presumably not too serious though.

Up there with climbing greats like Heinrich ... totes ready for the Vuelta

 

[gregrowlerson]

Once upon a time, Chris Froome decided to go rogue.

Now he has decided to go rouge.

Chris has seen the light.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Chris Froome’s time already seems like ages ago.

 

[md1975]

You dont get back to your old level with those injuries, as i have said since day 1 he has been clever and made a good move with the Israel contract, but Froome as a GT winner is done

Maybe... but Lance won 7 in a row after cancer. So, I don't think we can write Froome off yet. Many top former riders are saying that he is still capable of doing it. And I forgot which TdF top 10 rider this year said he was looking at his numbers on Strava and he felt he was a threat still. Froome has been known to put the Strava numbers out for all to see up to say 4 weeks to a race.

I live him and respect him. And he might not be able to do it this year but I will not count him out next year unless he looks awful prior to the TdF as we all know that is ISNs goal for him.

 

[Jan the Man]

Froome has done unbelieveably well to get back to where he is given the extent of his injuries. I admire his drive and determination to do so given what he has already acheived. I would be very surprised if he becomes competitive in the thick end of a GC again but maybe he just needs a little more time and will be better next season.