Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[CyclistAbi]

He'll bounce back.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Everyone needs to stop speculating and wait for the next vlog which will have all the answers.

 

[Bonimenier]

He'll bounce back.

He won't.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

He'll bounce back.

Last time he tried, he didn't bounce so well...

 

[jmdirt]

this surely can’t be the case of fans being impatient. It‘s almost two years since the accident now and Froome’s curve of recovery seems to have plateaued one year ago. So this means virtually zero improvement last 12 month - a timeframe that would typically represent 10% of one’s career.

On top of that - in today’s field with all the young guys emerging and records being smashed on regular basis even if Froome achieved his former levels, would that have been enough to compete for the win? It’s what he’s been claiming he would do this year and it’s what ISN signed him up for.

No this is not the case of anyone being impatient - it’s just that by now pretty much everyone realised it’s not gonna happen for him. Kudos for trying though. The only mistake he made in my opinion is having this ridiculous salary. It just looks bad. In mean of course he has the right to earn as much as he can but then again, his legacy is his responsibility...

I've done the opposite , my salary is ridiculously low, I'd gladly take the ridiculously high salary even if it looks bad!

 

[Oldermanish]

I've done the opposite , my salary is ridiculously low, I'd gladly take the ridiculously high salary even if it looks bad!

Looking Bad can be the new Good! Especially if you're charitable in a quiet, antagonistic way that makes people crazy. Not saying Chris is that guy....

 

[memyselfandI]

Time will tell. He's bit overweight atm, prolly taking in plus calories to build joints and tissues et al as good as possible. Then shaving down all excess before July. How he worked in escape in ToA looked promising, balanced, relaxed. I'm quite shure he takes more power out still.

 

[ppanther92]

Still I can't see him recover to top (in his relative measure) level again.

However, a small silverlining on the horizon of Froome fans: He is a master of transformation. Not so much in 2011 at the Vuelta, since we all know that story but also in 2012. I remember that around this time in the year, many already considered him to be a fluke again.

DNF at 75th in GC at Volta Agarve in February
65th in GC at Criterium International in March
123th in GC at Tour de Romandie in April

No outstanding stage results either. Then Dauphine, he was clearly improved. And at the Tour he was arguably the strongest already. If he would be able to do this again, I do, however, wonder why his Vuelta showing last year was not better (which I initially totally expected when he lost his TdF spot).

 

[Pricey_sky]

Still I can't see him recover to top (in his relative measure) level again.

However, a small silverlining on the horizon of Froome fans: He is a master of transformation. Not so much in 2011 at the Vuelta, since we all know that story but also in 2012. I remember that around this time in the year, many already considered him to be a fluke again.

DNF at 75th in GC at Volta Agarve in February
65th in GC at Criterium International in March
123th in GC at Tour de Romandie in April

No outstanding stage results either. Then Dauphine, he was clearly improved. And at the Tour he was arguably the strongest already. If he would be able to do this again, I do, however, wonder why his Vuelta showing last year was not better (which I initially totally expected when he lost his TdF spot).

The Vuelta angle has already been covered, he had to have surgery over the winter as he had lots of pain in his leg. It turns out a metal screw from his initial surgery started rubbing on a bone in his leg, so this was removed.

 

[Taxus4a]

It was good to see him on a break...not an easy one. I hope he can improve his confidence with that. At the moment the level is the same than in this last 2 years, but I dont put apart see him stronger in next races. Today it woudl be nice for a top 80 in this short ITT, but anyway I hope for a top 70 that would mean clearly to be stronger than in the others 2 ITT this year. For the global race, the forecast points for rain...so that is not good for him.

 

[TMJ]

Chris Froome has completed his short 4 km effort in today's Tour de Romandie prologue time trial.

Unfortunately he is a massive 51 and a bit seconds down on current leader and specialist at the discipline Rohan Dennis.

Giving up approximately 13 seconds per 1,000 metres is an almighty gap.

If the comeback is on it did not start today.

 

[Bonimenier]

Respectable 130th place in the prologue.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

This is just sad. What are they aiming for really? I'll trust the process when i know what the process wants to accomplish. What's the endgame here? I'm seeing no progress since his comeback a year ago.

 

[BlueRoads]

He should have done the Tour of Ruanda to bring publicity to that event.

 

[Kazistuta]

...And the Danish commentators were beginning to make fun of him.... this better turn around, or he's gonna be the laughing stock of many.

 

[OldCranky]

This is getting moderately tragic now, both for him and his fanboys.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

On 4 km course Froome lost almost a minute to the winner, who was 16% faster than him (that's over 6km/h). On Velonews they say that Chris is slowly building towards the TdF...

https://www.velonews.com/news/road/chris-froome-continues-slow-build-toward-tour-de-france/

The question is: in what year?

 

[red_flanders]

On 4 km course Froome lost almost a minute to the winner, who was 16% faster than him (that's over 6km/h). On Velonews they say that Chris is slowly building towards the TdF...

https://www.velonews.com/news/road/chris-froome-continues-slow-build-toward-tour-de-france/

The question is: in what year?

It's amazing, he beat only 10 riders in the entire peloton. It was painful to watch, even for someone as awkward on the bike as Froome has always been, it looked every bit as bad as the time he put in. Just not smooth at all.

 

[Escarabajo]

This is getting moderately tragic now, both for him and his fanboys.

Not as tragic as for the sponsors. They must be thinking 5 million ways to get out of the contract!

 

[Escarabajo]

If anyone is expecting any change in a any way or form I would send Froomey to the Giro.

 

[OldCranky]

Not as tragic as for the sponsors. They must be thinking 5 million ways to get out of the contract!

I'm seeing a lot of mentions of ISN in the media. We're watching a sport where almost every race has an ultimately doomed breakaway because sponsors want that shirt on the coverage and in the news. There's certainly better coverage to be had than what they're getting now but the old cliche would have it that there's no bad publicity.

 

[Taxus4a]

I don't know what y'all are smoking thinking Froome is heading in the right direction. What direction is that? Retirement.

We just dont know, but is possible. Today yo see him the 11th worst is quite sad anyway...But We must evaluate the entire race.

 

[red_flanders]

I'm seeing a lot of mentions of ISN in the media. We're watching a sport where almost every race has an ultimately doomed breakaway because sponsors want that shirt on the coverage and in the news. There's certainly better coverage to be had than what they're getting now but the old cliche would have it that there's no bad publicity.

That's all fine, but surely you don't suggest that they're happy with the contract...

I think everyone involved would have expected Froome to be better than this. This is grabbing onto the motor bike, paper-boy up the climb stuff. Worse, really.

 

[Red Rick]

Tbh a 4km prologue would probably be the very worst type of effort for him right now. But yea dreadful

 

[Pinot's goat]

Tbh a 4km prologue would probably be the very worst type of effort for him right now. But yea dreadful

He seems to be most out of his depth when there are hard accelerations often on rolling terrain so I would expect him to look at his absolute worse in an effort like today.