Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[tonymikejoe]

Chris Froome only had an approximate 1min 8sec advantage on the peloton with around 40-45K to go.
Having already been riding solo with his face in the wind for 75K I think there is very little chance he would have held on for the stage win.
Particularly in his current form.

 

[movingtarget]

Now the disc brakes are the joke...............

 

[jmdirt]

Now the disc brakes are the joke...............

Disc brakes are in his head and a convenient excuse for everything now.

 

[jmdirt]

In regard to disc brakes. I agree that there is room for improvement. That is current solutions are not suitable for pro peloton. When it comes to changing a wheel.

Through axle takes 5-10 seconds longer than QR (depending on what the team/rider are using). Completely suitable for the pro platoon.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Today, Christopher Clive Froome

When I read these first few words, I grinned and knew your comment has to be good. And you didn‘t disappoint me.

You guys know I‘m more optimistic about Froomey than many are, but other opinions are always welcome (that‘s what a forum is about, finally)…

 

[limak_]

Through axle takes 5-10 seconds longer than QR (depending on what the team/rider are using). Completely suitable for the pro platoon.

Longer wheel change is one thing. Inability of doing any mid-ride adjustments is another one.

 

[samhocking]

The problem is more a Neutral Service issue. If you have a team car with you, you're in a gap > 1 minute and generally you'll just swap bikes rather than take the longer wheel change and even if it is a longer, the gap to G2 is big-enough it doesn't destroy your advantage. When your team car gets pulled out the gap, the Neutral service replaces it, but there might be one motorbike with only 3 wheels and none of your manufacture. The chances of the rotor aligning are slim so you end up with running brakes at best. Add to the fact you can't even ride the flat tubeless back to the neutral service to save some time or your own team car, punctures are frequently game over situations now, whereas they didn't used to be. Heck you could even switch a wheel with a fan at the side of the road in the old days such was the compatibility between manufacturers.

 

[tonymikejoe]

I absolutely cannot wait to see the next destination Christopher Clive Froome chooses to 'build up the form.'
There is no indication (that I can find of his race programme), but we can certainly count out the Dutch/Belgium one-day races, which even in his prime Froome did not waste his time competing in.
He has started the last two Tour of the Alps, a Five-Stage race in April, so we may well see him there.
Hopefully he does better than 2022 when he failed to make the time limit on the final stage.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Through axle takes 5-10 seconds longer than QR (depending on what the team/rider are using). Completely suitable for the pro platoon.

Nah. Current solution is lacking. They likely tolerate it as there is nothing better available on the market just yet. This is pro peloton and not a diy garage. Solutions for pro peloton must be adequate. Current state of affairs is not it.

 

[jmdirt]

Nah. Current solution is lacking. They likely tolerate it as there is nothing better available on the market just yet. This is pro peloton and not a diy garage. Solutions for pro peloton must be adequate. Current state of affairs is not it.

What solution are you talking about? There is no problem in need of a solution.

 

[frisenfruitig]

When I read these first few words, I grinned and knew your comment has to be good. And you didn‘t disappoint me.

You guys know I‘m more optimistic about Froomey than many are, but other opinions are always welcome (that‘s what a forum is about, finally)…

The question is why though? Is it just wishful thinking? If the past years have shown one thing it's that his story is over, done and dusted.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

The question is why though? Is it just wishful thinking? If the past years have shown one thing it's that his story is over, done and dusted.

I honestly started to feel the same, started to feel what you write, at the beginning of 2022.

Then, TdF 2022 came, and all my worries were gone. Suddenly, the dream of TDF #5 became alive, again.

Chris‘ TdF was a pure story of success. 3rd in AdH, and he would probably have finished Top25 in final GC - if not becoming ill.

The dream lives on.

Froomey and me, like others, live by Lance‘s words on the podium in Paris, July 2005: Believe in miracles. Sorry for the guys who don‘t. But believe in miracles. It‘s worth it.

So, go for #5, Chris Clive… ;-)

 

[fmk_RoI]

"Everything from here is a bonus for me."

“A lot of people would say: ‘Why are you doing this? You used to win Grand Tours but now you’re a long way back in the pack.’ But I see it in another way,” Froome recently told Cyclingnews and a select group of other journalists as he began his 2023 season.

“I was in a hospital bed for weeks after my 2019 crash, it took me almost a year to be able to walk without a limp. And now here I am racing in the highest level of races again. I just feel like everything from here on is a bonus for me and I see it all in an incredibly positive light. Racing my bike still gives me a lot of joy and happiness. And as long as that's the case, I'm going to keep striving to get back to my old ways.”

“I got a lot of pleasure from being able to win Grand Tours and go from one win to another at a very high level, so the goal for me is to try and try and get back to a similar kind of level,” Froome said.

“Of course, I'm realistic about it. I know, given everything I've been through the last few years, that winning the Tour is not something right here, right now. I can't say it’s my goal this year."

“It’d be massive to win a race in 2023, any race” he admitted.

 

[tonymikejoe]

How many more 'Chris Froome Comeback' articles can we take?
He's been talking about 'building back the form' and 'putting in the hard miles' and 'getting back to where I was' for years now.
He admits winning the 2023 Tour de France is not a realistic goal, but the prospect is 'always in the back of my mind.'
What does that mean Chris? You will be a contender to win it in 2024 or 2025? Really?
Unfortunately there has been absolutely nothing in the 2020-2022 seasons to give us any indication he can be the slightest bit competitive at this level.
Have a look at the few Time Trials he has competed in, where there is no hiding regarding this power.
They have been a disaster and cruelly reveal whatever Chris Froome once had is gone.
I wish him all the best and hope he stays safe and injury-free, but come on, we need results NOW rather than the same soundbites to believe Froome has anything to offer.

 

[movingtarget]

How many more 'Chris Froome Comeback' articles can we take?
He's been talking about 'building back the form' and 'putting in the hard miles' and 'getting back to where I was' for years now.
He admits winning the 2023 Tour de France is not a realistic goal, but the prospect is 'always in the back of my mind.'
What does that mean Chris? You will be a contender to win it in 2024 or 2025? Really?
Unfortunately there has been absolutely nothing in the 2020-2022 seasons to give us any indication he can be the slightest bit competitive at this level.
Have a look at the few Time Trials he has competed in, where there is no hiding regarding this power.
They have been a disaster and cruelly reveal whatever Chris Froome once had is gone.
I wish him all the best and hope he stays safe and injury-free, but come on, we need results NOW rather than the same soundbites to believe Froome has anything to offer.

The results are more articles with soundbites....................results ?..........whatever................a man who still enjoys riding his bike.........

 

[Extinction]

How many more 'Chris Froome Comeback' articles can we take?
He's been talking about 'building back the form' and 'putting in the hard miles' and 'getting back to where I was' for years now.
He admits winning the 2023 Tour de France is not a realistic goal, but the prospect is 'always in the back of my mind.'
What does that mean Chris? You will be a contender to win it in 2024 or 2025? Really?
Unfortunately there has been absolutely nothing in the 2020-2022 seasons to give us any indication he can be the slightest bit competitive at this level.
Have a look at the few Time Trials he has competed in, where there is no hiding regarding this power.
They have been a disaster and cruelly reveal whatever Chris Froome once had is gone.
I wish him all the best and hope he stays safe and injury-free, but come on, we need results NOW rather than the same soundbites to believe Froome has anything to offer.

To the bolded, whatever he had never was, what he wants to be never shall, what he is now he always was.

 

[Lequack]

It's because of disc brakes.

Chris Froome blames disc brakes for Rwanda misfortunes:

Chris Froome blames disc brakes for Rwanda misfortunes

Slow wheel changes seem to be the sticking point yet again

www.cyclingnews.com

Also

 

[Taxus4a]

How many more 'Chris Froome Comeback' articles can we take?
He's been talking about 'building back the form' and 'putting in the hard miles' and 'getting back to where I was' for years now.
He admits winning the 2023 Tour de France is not a realistic goal, but the prospect is 'always in the back of my mind.'
What does that mean Chris? You will be a contender to win it in 2024 or 2025? Really?
Unfortunately there has been absolutely nothing in the 2020-2022 seasons to give us any indication he can be the slightest bit competitive at this level.
Have a look at the few Time Trials he has competed in, where there is no hiding regarding this power.
They have been a disaster and cruelly reveal whatever Chris Froome once had is gone.
I wish him all the best and hope he stays safe and injury-free, but come on, we need results NOW rather than the same soundbites to believe Froome has anything to offer.

I admit I am quite agree. He need results more than say that is everything for July. He need to show something rgis Month, or at least, in April, to be credible.

Burt anyway in Rwanda he tried. His attack was in a good momento of the race, bur in the garder stage, with the leaders fighteen for GC, an atack at 110 Km of the finish was quite difficult. anyway, without the punture, that took too much time to solve, he would have been clase.

He tried again at the begining of last stage, but he take too fast a corner and he lost the break I(but anyway I dont know what happened, becouse he could join the group. but next time he is dropped...Maybe he needed to stop again.
Burt anyway, he was at the back of the group and suddenly he was the first of the race. That was a flash of quality.

PD: I just watched the video again. It was a group of about 30, with all the leaders...and I just watched Froome coming from behind between the cars.... maybe 30 meters away, He catched them ,....He took an small break at the back of the group, and then, he passed everybody and when they reached the descent 2 riders attacked and he catched them as well and he put at the front of the race till that corner..It was quite impressive...but the strange thing if that he corrected the mistake, joing the back of the group again at the begining of the muur of Kigali, and and next image from him was losing about 20 second climbing up the wall alone...No sense. Or he had to stop againg or it was impressive how he losst that time in the wall.

 

[Savant12]

Froome is much better as "content creator" on YouTube. The races and his training merely serve to provide the content.

 

[samhocking]

What solution are you talking about? There is no problem in need of a solution.

Clearly there is a need because there are neutral service issue as wheels are often incompatible with those being serviced. Even teams now prefer a slightly longer entire bike change over an even longer and riskier wheel swap because discs are a risk to losing a race. Certainly for the leader of a race on the road punctures are often game over when the gap is around a minute or less. That didn't used to be the case as a neutral wheel just worked.
I was switching wheels in friends garage last night preparing tt, road and training bikes for the season. Well over half our time was spent getting brakes to not rub, calipers aligning with rotors and working out what wheels can swap directly without rubbing or axles issues come race day. This is just from a dozen sets of wheels.

 

[movingtarget]

Froome is much better as "content creator" on YouTube. The races and his training merely serve to provide the content.

A conventional brakes influencer..........

 

[CyclistAbi]

@jmdirt

Hard to say what the solutions will be. But i am sure that they will emerge in the future. Current problems are rather obvious. Some got mentioned already. All in all give it a decade or two. As this is rather new technology introduced in pro road peloton. And likely patents are at stake ATM. With time it will likely get easier. And for main problems to get addressed properly.

 

[Taxus4a]

He said today on an interview he will ride Cataluña and he will be 2 weeks before at Sierra Nevada in altitude.

Another recent interview, here at cyclingnews:

'It would be massive to win a race in 2023, any race' - Chris Froome interview

The forces still driving the seven-time Grand Tour winner

www.cyclingnews.com

He does not earn the €5 million per season as has often been reported, and Cyclingnews understands that the figure was linked to a sponsor that eventually opted not to come onboard. Adams has since suggested Froome has a rolling contract, but the rider apparently agreed a five-year deal in 2021 that will run until the end of 2025 when he will be 40 years old. Froome is keen to race on until then.

 

[jmdirt]

@jmdirt

Hard to say what the solutions will be. But i am sure that they will emerge in the future. Current problems are rather obvious. Some got mentioned already. All in all give it a decade or two. As this is rather new technology introduced in pro road peloton. And likely patents are at stake ATM. With time it will likely get easier. And for main problems to get addressed properly.

The only problem that needs a solution is flat tires. Your can love or hate disc brakes, but making them a 'problem in need of a solution' is completely off base. 20 years?! That's just silly!

When a Campag racer gets a Shimano cogset do you rant about a solution for cogsets?

In a case with a team car, a front wheel change is easy with QR and QR through axle. A bike change is faster for a rear wheel no matter the skewer type.

Brake drag?! Good mechanics figured that out already.

 

[FroomeWagon]

He does not earn the €5 million per season as has often been reported, and Cyclingnews understands that the figure was linked to a sponsor that eventually opted not to come onboard. Adams has since suggested Froome has a rolling contract, but the rider apparently agreed a five-year deal in 2021 that will run until the end of 2025 when he will be 40 years old. Froome is keen to race on until then.

I can't imagine IPT is going to want to keep him around for another 30 months if he isn't competitive and has no hope to improve or produce meaningful results. A young guy with potential, yes, but Froome has clearly fallen off a cliff.

Even if some team does decide to keep him around to help mentor younger riders, I can't imagine wasting a TDF (or any grand tour) spot on him. Furthermore, I would have to think that would be incredibly frustrating to some of his teammates that weren't selected (or those that were selected and need reliable domestics).

If Froome really wants to continue riding and being competitive, could he start his own continental team and also race? Similar to a manager/player. that sometimes you see in other sports.