Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Today at the Tour de Romandie Chris Froome was at the front of the peloton as they hit the Category 3 Col Mont d'Orzeires, a 2km climb at 5.5% 50km from the finish line.
Long before the peloton crested the top Froome was a lonely figure spat out of the back, continuing on his own, much to the incredulity of Eurosport pundit Nicolas Roche.
A minute earlier the commentator beside him said: "Chris Froome. Good to see him riding well still. A good bit of positioning play for him."
I don't know how a professional cycling broadcaster thinks he is "riding well still" and moments later the camera picked out the isolated figure of Froome, detached from the main group.
"I didn't think he would be dropped on his own though. I thought if he were to get dropped it would be with a group," said Roche.

Yes, I also just read it on PCS that he was dropped at this Orzeires climb. 2kms at 5.4% average gradient.

Hard to tell why he was dropped. Well, the summit is at 1064mtrs above sea level.

The climb maybe wasn‘t that easy. Otherwise Chris certainly would have stayed within the peloton…

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Today at the Tour de Romandie Chris Froome was at the front of the peloton as they hit the Category 3 Col Mont d'Orzeires, a 2km climb at 5.5% 50km from the finish line.
Long before the peloton crested the top Froome was a lonely figure spat out of the back, continuing on his own, much to the incredulity of Eurosport pundit Nicolas Roche.
A minute earlier the commentator beside him said: "Chris Froome. Good to see him riding well still. A good bit of positioning play for him."
I don't know how a professional cycling broadcaster thinks he is "riding well still" and moments later the camera picked out the isolated figure of Froome, detached from the main group.
"I didn't think he would be dropped on his own though. I thought if he were to get dropped it would be with a group," said Roche.

Well, actually the climb was 3.8 km @6.9%, the PCS numbers are definitely faulty.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Saw that Chris made it back to the peloton… He finished in a good 111th place, same time as winner Vernon.

Now hoping for fireworks from Chris in the next days…

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1651327940058021894

View: https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/1651327940058021894

 

[Taxus4a]

Froome did a good job for the team today, especially just previous the last climb, and finishing with the group. So it is ok for his come back. I think he will improve day by day, but anyway tomorrow is a harder day and he should be dropped, specially if he work again. It is a stage for a break or just 30 riders in the main Group.

 

[tonymikejoe]

I was stunned to see Chris Froome was credited with finishing with the main peloton yesterday after being dropped on a climb 50km from the final.
Is it an error?
Anyway, there are more perils awaiting Froome in today's Stage Two.
Where will he be dropped first?
Baset : 6.7km at 6%.
Communal : 1.5km at 8%. (twice).
Vue des Alpes : 5.2km at 4.8%.
Tourne : 4.4km at 7%.
For somebody struggling so much on mediocre climbs at WT level the Tour de Romandie is a tough race to participate in.
I wish Froome all the best, but tuning in to his struggles is an equally tough watch.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Now he has problems following the peloton, in today‘s stage. But yeah, these first 100kms were tough - hilly terrain… But seems not dropped yet…

 

[Andy schleck]

Now he has problems following the peloton, in today‘s stage. But yeah, these first 100kms were tough - hilly terrain… But seems not dropped yet…

The dawg is surviving and getting the hard miles.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

The dawg is surviving and getting the hard miles.

Exactly… Before, it was rather about getting the miles in… From Romandie on, now, it‘s more and more about getting the hard miles in…

Everything on track towards #5…

 

[Ripper]

I was stunned to see Chris Froome was credited with finishing with the main peloton yesterday after being dropped on a climb 50km from the final.
Is it an error?
Anyway, there are more perils awaiting Froome in today's Stage Two.
Where will he be dropped first?
Baset : 6.7km at 6%.
Communal : 1.5km at 8%. (twice).
Vue des Alpes : 5.2km at 4.8%.
Tourne : 4.4km at 7%.
For somebody struggling so much on mediocre climbs at WT level the Tour de Romandie is a tough race to participate in.
I wish Froome all the best, but tuning in to his struggles is an equally tough watch.

He's doing ok as a stagiaire

 

[red_flanders]

Froome did a good job for the team today, especially just previous the last climb, and finishing with the group. So it is ok for his come back. I think he will improve day by day, but anyway tomorrow is a harder day and he should be dropped, specially if he work again. It is a stage for a break or just 30 riders in the main Group.

Stunning that anyone could at this point refer to it as a comeback. His first race back was what, UAE Tour in Feb of 2020? He's had his comeback. Now he's just racing.

Wondering what the spin will be after 13+ mins shelled today. On track, looking good, improving, getting in the miles, helping his team, getting ready for the Tour...

Why at this point would he be "improving" after 3 years back on the bike? Hasn't he had all offseason to prepare like everyone else? I mean sure, every rider shooting for the Tour is gaining form right now, but this is ridiculous. Didn't he say he was fully back like 2 years ago? I dunno, it MIGHT be time to accept that your boy is just riding around Europe getting paid. He's keeping a spot on a team which could be used to develop an actual talent, and that contract could probably pay for half a dozen young riders with potential. He is as always, a fraud.

 

[Blanco]

He's eyeing Tour du Rwanda next year...

 

[Unchained]

Stunning that anyone could at this point refer to it as a comeback. His first race back was what, UAE Tour in Feb of 2020? He's had his comeback. Now he's just racing.

Wondering what the spin will be after 13+ mins shelled today. On track, looking good, improving, getting in the miles, helping his team, getting ready for the Tour...

Why at this point would he be "improving" after 3 years back on the bike? Hasn't he had all offseason to prepare like everyone else? I mean sure, every rider shooting for the Tour is gaining form right now, but this is ridiculous. Didn't he say he was fully back like 2 years ago? I dunno, it MIGHT be time to accept that your boy is just riding around Europe getting paid. He's keeping a spot on a team which could be used to develop an actual talent, and that contract could probably pay for half a dozen young riders with potential. He is as always, a fraud.

I don't get the direction.. Froome needs face time for the sponsors nobody is going to chase him and again just an opinion but maybe he can put a decent day together, but if I had to make the call, start in an early break and see what happens.. It's looking like some kind of fantasy, movie,storybook miracle for him to put multiple good or great days of racing together.. Just get a result and quit pretending that he is a GC threat in stage races..and him setting pace should be left to others..

 

[Rackham]

I don't get the direction.. Froome needs face time for the sponsors nobody is going to chase him and again just an opinion but maybe he can put a decent day together, but if I had to make the call, start in an early break and see what happens.. It's looking like some kind of fantasy, movie,storybook miracle for him to put multiple good or great days of racing together.. Just get a result and quit pretending that he is a GC threat in stage races..and him setting pace should be left to others..

Anyone paying close attention to the stage yesterday (& not sleeping...) will have noticed Chris Froome at one point taking a small off-road shortcut to move up the peloton before the Col de la Vue des Alpes, so he was towards the front when they started the climb & by the time they reached the top he'd slid to the back of the peloton again. On the following climb he got immediately dropped.

This to me means he really cares about appearances & didn't want to get dropped too early in yesterday's stage.

 

[tobydawq]

Anyone paying close attention to the stage yesterday (& not sleeping...) will have noticed Chris Froome at one point taking a small off-road shortcut to move up the peloton before the Col de la Vue des Alpes, so he was towards the front when they started the climb & by the time they reached the top he'd slid to the back of the peloton again. On the following climb he got immediately dropped.

This to me means he really cares about appearances & didn't want to get dropped too early in yesterday's stage.

So, he says he's getting in the hard miles, yet he takes short cuts, cutting off the mileage?

 

[Savant12]

The dawg is but a poodle in the peleton.

 

[tonymikejoe]

Another poor TT performance for Chris Froome at today's Stage 3 of the Tour de Romandie.
He posted a time of 28mins 34secs at an average of 39.3 km/h.
To put his speed into context here are some other finishers.

Thomas De Gendt : 42.2 km/h.
Robert Gesink : 42.9 km'h.
Mark Padun : 42.4 km/h.

Those riders are at best okay TTers and Froome is at least 3km/h slower.
Sadly, not competitive.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

39.3 km/h.


42.2 km/h.
42.9 km'h.
42.4 km/h.

4 km/h slower.

Sorry, but this maths is giving me a heart attack.

 

[rallybanana]

Another poor TT performance for Chris Froome at today's Stage 3 of the Tour de Romandie.
He posted a time of 28mins 34secs at an average of 39.3 km/h.
To put his speed into context here are some other finishers.

Thomas De Gendt : 42.2 km/h.
Robert Gesink : 42.9 km'h.
Mark Padun : 42.4 km/h.

Those riders are at best okay TTers and Froome is at least 3km/h slower.
Sadly, not competitive.

On the positive side, he finished ahead of Basso and Nibali

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Grupetto at 34mins for CF today.

 

[Rackham]

Grupetto at 34mins for CF today.

He was "better" last year (he finished Romandie 27 minutes down in GC).

It's also very difficult to find out what's happening with Froome in any race now because the commentators on Eurosport almost don't dare mention his name. He's the nowhere man in the peloton. Like a ghost almost.

It's wild considering who he is (4x TdF winner) & what he was 5 years ago in the 2018 Giro.

 

[Savant12]

Please Chris, just announce your immediate retirement. You gave it a go but the glory days are far behind you.

 

[gunara]

I wonder how many riders in WT and big pro teams that neither bring result nor do significant work for their leaders in races, and how many of them are not even tasked to do any of those and just be there to make up number. Some may be too young, some are in medical condition, and some must be just useless on the road.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Ah, today wasn‘t THAT bad, was it? Remember, Romandie is just preparation. What counts will be in France, in July.

Jan (Ullrich) rode 2006’s Romandie side by side with Jorg Ludewig, in the grupetto. End of June, he had monster shape for TdF victory #2.

 

[Scarponi]

He was "better" last year (he finished Romandie 27 minutes down in GC).

It's also very difficult to find out what's happening with Froome in any race now because the commentators on Eurosport almost don't dare mention his name. He's the nowhere man in the peloton. Like a ghost almost.

It's wild considering who he is (4x TdF winner) & what he was 5 years ago in the 2018 Giro.

Yeah it’s crazy he didn’t even breathe properly until there were only 3-5 men left. Now his little legs just can’t spin anymore