Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Publiuszam]

Well looking at Valverde yesterday, Froome still possible to do great racing if he just gets his leg sorted..

Of course he can look at Cavendish...everyone thought he was finished...so Froome can comeback if this is not his real level.

 

[TMJ]

Sure he can still win racing in that age group

HERE IS THE ENGLISH GOOGLE TRANSLATE VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE :

Rest days on the Tour are days of frenzied team activity. The runners go out to roll, but those who lead them do not stop. Alsasuarra Óscar Guerrero has been with the Israel Start Up Nation for five seasons. This Monday he had two long meetings. The first to plan the remainder of the season. The second, to see how to face the last third of the Tour, and what to do with Chris Froome. The four-time champion of the race is 131st overall, almost three hours behind Tadej Pogacar.
“When Froomey signed for Israel we already knew where the shots were going. It is a long-term contract. All the previous work that has been done this season, such as the Tour and the Vuelta, if he finally runs it, is focused on the 2022 season ”, Óscar Guerrero commented this Monday from the Tour de France.
In 2020 Chris Froome managed to return to competition after the very serious accident he suffered at the Dauphiné in 2019, in which he almost lost his life. The injuries he suffered were extremely serious, with fractures of the femur, hip, elbow, ribs and internal injuries. At the end of the year, after 11 seasons at INEOS, he announced his departure to Israel, with the aim of achieving a fifth victory on the Tour.
"When Froome came to the team, his body was totally decompensated due to the aftermath of the accident, and because he had not competed for a year and a half," Guerrero sums up. "And based on a lot of work, it has been achieved that this decompensation between one leg and the other is 5%".
Froome has not stopped working to try to go back to being who he was. In winter, he was locked up in a rehabilitation center in Los Angeles. So far this season he has added five concentrations in height in Tenerife, in which he works under the supervision of Xabier Zabalo from Navarra. And between concentration and concentration he has competed in Catalonia, the Alps, Romandía, Dauphiné ...
“I have had to do the entire Froome calendar. And what surprises you the most is the positive attitude he has for everything. He has the firm conviction that, in time, he will go back to being who he was. Mentally it is very strong, superpositive. And he usually says that the example he looks at is that of Valverde, who at 41 and after a serious injury is still there ”.
Chris Froome lives in a difficult dichotomy. In training sessions and concentrations in height, its values (power in watts, capacity, etc.) are good, taking into account where it comes from. But that work he has done is not reflected later in his career. He holds up well in the peloton, but when he faces the decisive point of a pass, in a stage he is not able to hold out with the best.
"I have never seen a rider with the work capacity and mental strength like Froome's," Guerrero explains. “The feeling he has is that the competition costs him, that he follows the peloton and when the peloton pushes, he is mature. But, nevertheless, I have not seen him arrive ground at any stage, except on days with a lot of water ”.
Froome has swelled in the two-thirds of the Tour leading to gregarious work. Raise drums, keep an eye out for their leaders: Woods and Martin. What is the goal of a quadruple Tour winner seeing himself in these circumstances?
“The goal of all Froome races this year has been to improve on the previous one. And on the Tour the objective is going to be to have a good third week and finish with the best possible sensations, ”explains Guerrero. "He is running without any responsibility, the goal is always the next day, to perform better with each passing day."
Guerrero, as has happened to Xabier Zabalo, also from Navarre, in the rallies he has done with him in Tenerife, has close contact with Froome in the races.
“The way of being of Froome dismantles you, as it usually happens to people with Miguel Induráin. You are before great champions who are supernormal people, "he says. “Froomey is a very personable person who treats everyone with an incredible education and is very grateful to the entire team. From what I see him, because of his work capacity, his mental strength and his conviction that he is going to put 200% to return to being what he was. There are many people who would not bet on him, I trust that he will succeed ”.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

How is Chris going? Rather a quiet Tour so far by him. How many hours does he need tomorrow to topple Pogi in the GC? Mental games have already started: Chris put the pressure on Pogi by saying he would win the race if he's still on his bike. Tomorrow should be epic.

 

[SHAD0W93]

How is Chris going? Rather a quiet Tour so far by him. How many hours does he need tomorrow to topple Pogi in the GC? Mental games have already started: Chris put the pressure on Pogi by saying he would win the race if he's still on his bike. Tomorrow should be epic.

Nah, Froome to out Pogacar Pogacar in the TT.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Nah, Froome to out Pogacar Pogacar in the TT.

Even light speed would not be enough there, I'm afraid.

 

[FroomeWagon]

So is there any reason for Froome not to go "full gas" in the time trial on Saturday?

I know before the first TT he said he was going to use it as a recovery day, but it seems to me this will be a great opportunity to see exactly where he is as there is no reason to hold back.

 

[Poursuivant]

Honestly, I think he was better last summer, in Occitanie, he was one of the last few in Bernal/Roglic group. Now, he is knocking round with Cavendish group. He has shown no improvement in 2021, which will be a big worry for him, even though he wouldn’t admit that publicly.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Even light speed would not be enough there, I'm afraid.

He has us right where he wants us, unsuspecting.

 

[RedheadDane]

At least he can get people out of ravines!

Philippe Gilbert and Chris Froome rescue crashed fan from ravine - CyclingTips

With some help.

 

[Pinot's goat]

So is there any reason for Froome not to go "full gas" in the time trial on Saturday?

I know before the first TT he said he was going to use it as a recovery day, but it seems to me this will be a great opportunity to see exactly where he is as there is no reason to hold back.

I think the recovery from his stage 1 crash has taken too much out of him, it is just about getting to Paris at this point. He needs a rest before he can even get back to Dauphine level.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Honestly, I think he was better last summer, in Occitanie, he was one of the last few in Bernal/Roglic group. Now, he is knocking round with Cavendish group. He has shown no improvement in 2021, which will be a big worry for him, even though he wouldn’t admit that publicly.

Occitanie was a weak field, his strongest performance was clearly Cordal at La Vuelta.

 

[Can Racing Fan]

i'm guessing this tour is all part of his incremental gains to get back to where he once was . lol

 

[wirral]

What is Froome's relationship with Patrick Lefevere like? Would Froome ride without pay? Is this the way back for him? Once Patrick has got him back to where he used to be, the Dogpack will be at his disposal. I see another of Merckx's records falling. The whole Quick Step team would be overcome with emotion.

 

[SHAD0W93]

What is Froome's relationship with Patrick Lefevere like? Would Froome ride without pay? Is this the way back for him? Once Patrick has got him back to where he used to be, the Dogpack will be at his disposal. I see another of Merckx's records falling. The whole Quick Step team would be overcome with emotion.

They had a water fetcher position open up.

 

[Carstenbf]

This tour is going better than I imagined for Chris Froome. Expected an embarrassing display, and subsequent abandon. I've voiced my dismay over his performances over the years, but this Tour he deserves all the credit I've got to give. Dare I say, his performances have been awe inspiring all things considered. Chapeau Chris!

 

[glassmoon]

At least he can get people out of ravines!

Philippe Gilbert and Chris Froome rescue crashed fan from ravine - CyclingTips

With some help.

Gilbert is riding the Tour?

 

[Rackham]

This tour is going better than I imagined for Chris Froome. Expected an embarrassing display, and subsequent abandon. I've voiced my dismay over his performances over the years, but this Tour he deserves all the credit I've got to give. Dare I say, his performances have been awe inspiring all things considered. Chapeau Chris!

He's 135th out of 144 riders remaining in the race & over 4 hours behind. That's after 18 stages (in the Vuelta 2020 after 18 stages, he was 3 hours 32 minutes behind).

So "chapeau" I guess if the point was to prove he could finish the Tour de France & make the time cuts. Oh & perhaps improve his image a little on & off the bike.

But as for actually performing like a rider on the highest salary in cycling & also "making a comeback to this former level" at some point in the future based on this race (which is the stated goal from both his team & Froome himself)? That's a no.

I mean it's pretty self-evident a 36 year old won't go from 4 hours down to getting anywhere near the top next year. The best he can hope for is a sort of ambassadorial role for his team & a quiet no-fuss exit from racing.

 

[spalco]

It's difficult to tell if Carstenbf was being sarcastic, but I must think so, because I don't see how anyone can say that with a straight face.

 

[Pinot's goat]

He's 135th out of 144 riders remaining in the race & over 4 hours behind. That's after 18 stages (in the Vuelta 2020 after 18 stages, he was 3 hours 32 minutes behind).

So "chapeau" I guess if the point was to prove he could finish the Tour de France & make the time cuts. Oh & perhaps improve his image a little on & off the bike.

But as for actually performing like a rider on the highest salary in cycling & also "making a comeback to this former level" at some point in the future based on this race (which is the stated goal from both his team & Froome himself)? That's a no.

I mean it's pretty self-evident a 36 year old won't go from 4 hours down to getting anywhere near the top next year. The best he can hope for is a sort of ambassadorial role for his team & a quiet no-fuss exit from racing.

He's injured, of course it was going to be worse than Vuelta last year lol.

 

[Rackham]

He's injured, of course it was going to be worse than Vuelta last year lol.

How injured though? If you're talking about the stage 1 crash, half the peloton has hit the deck at some point in this race. Even Vingegaard has been down a few times.

 

[SafeBet]

How injured though? If you're talking about the stage 1 crash, half the peloton has hit the deck at some point in this race. Even Vingegaard has been down a few times.

I'm pretty sure he could crack the top130 without the crash.

 

[Pinot's goat]

How injured though? If you're talking about the stage 1 crash, half the peloton has hit the deck at some point in this race. Even Vingegaard has been down a few times.

Froome's injury was clearly worse than most, he posted a picture of his leg on instagram and was saying he had trouble breathing, the energy from recovery can mean you don't even reach pre-race level until you get complete rest which can be seen by Lopez and Thomas.

 

[CTQ]

How injured though? If you're talking about the stage 1 crash, half the peloton has hit the deck at some point in this race. Even Vingegaard has been down a few times.

he spend the rest of the evening at the hospital

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_VU0FoAjFQ


he landed on a chainring at 60 kmh
at 46 seconds , we can see his thigh

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoIBUacInOM

 

[memyselfandI]

This tour is going better than I imagined for Chris Froome. Expected an embarrassing display, and subsequent abandon. I've voiced my dismay over his performances over the years, but this Tour he deserves all the credit I've got to give. Dare I say, his performances have been awe inspiring all things considered. Chapeau Chris!

Agree.

I mean, all that he's achieved and some salary too because of that and then you hit the deck so bad as he did. It takes huge amount of mental strenght to train as a healthy man to be a gc top contender. How much it takes to get out every day when your another leg is f-up badly? And how much it takes to continue in a race in a sharkpool when you're there after months of this and almost right away you hit the deck badly again and almost unable to f-king stand and ta-daa he we go again in a sharkpool rain or shine. That's some attitude.

 

[perico]

Of course he can look at Cavendish...everyone thought he was finished...so Froome can comeback if this is not his real level.

Big difference between winning sprints and winning a grand tour.