Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Vinther1991]

I think some people here are just disappointed about him not being a competitive rider anymore, so they repeat the same jokes over and over again, as a coping mechanism.
Personally I don't care, during his 8 years on the top, he wrote himself into the history books as maybe one of the 5 greatest Grand Tour riders of all time and probably the greatest of the 21st century yet. There is also something fascinating about his career, the first handful of years as professional, he was just an average nobody and that's how his last handful of years will be too, it is just that string of 8 great years, that make him a legend.

 

[Taxus4a]

Froome didnt need that money, but his wife maybe yes 🤣

Anyway, I dont know exactly how Froome contract is, but I think he didnt continúe in Cycling for money, and he would have done the same for the minimum a procyclist of the World Tour is paid.

This year It was a pity his Broken weist at Tirreno. Maybe without that he would have been ok at Dauphine and be selected for le Tour. 2023 he should have been there but this year he has clear he was far of the level
He didnt had any continuity, but he has been working for the team quite well this last race. He has been in a break, pulling pelotón, today positioning Blackmore before they last climb...and today at least he didnt lose too much.

I understand Rasmusen words and till some point he ido right, but Froome did his best to come back to his level, he had a super palmares, and It was the team who took his risks. He has been a good teacher for new talent and helping them tk get results helping with hos experience and working in lot of key points. He give dome results as 3rd at Alp DHuez and in general It was a good Tour by hin self. He crashed or get sick by coronavirus in some important moments, but I think that he could be, at 2025, even with 39-40 years old, to get some decent result if he has the freedom for that and Focus in a race wich combine well his abilities and his currrent level...Potentially le Tour is the race wich suits him better, but maybe now he soudlntb focus just to perform at July. If he shows something before, there is time to let him a last oportunity to get a nice result in a race he has won 4 times. He IS not going to be close to Pogacar, Remco, Vingegaard, ...of course, but Who knows if he can reply what he did at Alp D Huez, and with almost 40 that has his mérit..but he shouldnt Focus at le Tour from the winter, he should focus in other races.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Froome didnt need that money, but his wife maybe yes 🤣

Anyway, I dont know exactly how Froome contract is, but I think he didnt continúe in Cycling for money, and he would have done the same for the minimum a procyclist of the World Tour is paid.

This year It was a pity his Broken weist at Tirreno. Maybe without that he would have been ok at Dauphine and be selected for le Tour. 2023 he should have been there but this year he has clear he was far of the level
He didnt had any continuity, but he has been working for the team quite well this last race. He has been in a break, pulling pelotón, today positioning Blackmore before they last climb...and today at least he didnt lose too much.

I understand Rasmusen words and till some point he ido right, but Froome did his best to come back to his level, he had a super palmares, and It was the team who took his risks. He has been a good teacher for new talent and helping them tk get results helping with hos experience and working in lot of key points. He give dome results as 3rd at Alp DHuez and in general It was a good Tour by hin self. He crashed or get sick by coronavirus in some important moments, but I think that he could be, at 2025, even with 39-40 years old, to get some decent result if he has the freedom for that and Focus in a race wich combine well his abilities and his currrent level...Potentially le Tour is the race wich suits him better, but maybe now he soudlntb focus just to perform at July. If he shows something before, there is time to let him a last oportunity to get a nice result in a race he has won 4 times. He IS not going to be close to Pogacar, Remco, Vingegaard, ...of course, but Who knows if he can reply what he did at Alp D Huez, and with almost 40 that has his mérit..but he shouldnt Focus at le Tour from the winter, he should focus in other races.

Thing is, saying that something *could* happen is fairly meaningless. There is no prediction implicit in that for what *will* happen.

So what would be your estimate for your estimate for how many points (UCI/CQ/PCS/whatever, you choose) he will get next year? And how many to have had an acceptable season? Or what minimum team goal should be achieved with him as a key domestique (relevant deep into the stage, not just someone who was nearby for half the distance)?

 

[SHAD0W93]

Thing is, saying that something *could* happen is fairly meaningless. There is no prediction implicit in that for what *will* happen.

So what would be your estimate for your estimate for how many points (UCI/CQ/PCS/whatever, you choose) he will get next year? And how many to have had an acceptable season? Or what minimum team goal should be achieved with him as a key domestique (relevant deep into the stage, not just someone who was nearby for half the distance)?

UCI 0
CQ 0
PCS <10

Team goal would be getting Froome to actually assist the team.

 

[RobertCrawley]

Froome made alot of money at SKY ...millions in fact . He didn't need the ISN money and no I do not agree anyone of us would have done it. I am sure Contador or Spartacus or Boonen could have kept on cycling for a team with a big pay check and dialled it in but they didn't. They were proud of their achievements and wanted to keep their legacy in tact. And I guess they knew not to promise a team results and then go no where near to delivering anything . This is distasteful

Maybe initially when he joined Israel ISN one could have forgiven Froome so soon after recovery in being optimistic that he could reach a certain level again but for the last 2 years he has been taking the piss , riding around without much effort ...seen specifically by weight for one thing. The old Froome would have been razor thin if nothing else. His excuses and performance is distasteful. He has checked out but is still cashing cheques. How many young riders could have used that money and gotten contracts . Froome has always been a strange character but this has shown just how strange. Maybe he doesnt want to go home ever

Froome's legacy will be just fine. After he retires, no one will give a thought to how long he stayed in the game. They'll remember his wild elbows and his dedication to his power meter. But mostly they'll remember his TdF victories and his friendliness.

 

[Unchained]

As someone pointed out in earlier post Froome did what 99% of us would do,
A team had interest, agreed to generous, non squirrelly multi year contract. I am not a Froome fan for sure, do more than some complaining about him.
That considered, statements that he doesn't need the money are silly. And in a strange 6 degrees of separation, just a few years ago I assumed that Stephen Roche was stable, Sir Bradley Wiggins did sound financial planning, all my assumptions were 1000% incorrect..guys are in financial purgatory..

 

[FroomeWagon]

I was watching Bruyneel's latest podcast and he talks about Froome for about 5 minutes. Says what he is doing is "sad" ... that he feels it is tarnishing his great legacy. Also mentioned that Froome told the team he wanted to go to the TDF and they told him he would first have to renegotiate his contract first. He told them no.

@ the 31 minute mark the talk about Froome.

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

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

I was watching Bruyneel's latest podcast and he talks about Froome for about 5 minutes. Says what he is doing is "sad" ... that he feels it is tarnishing his great legacy. Also mentioned that Froome told the team he wanted to go to the TDF and they told him he would first have to renegotiate his contract first. He told them no.

@ the 31 minute mark the talk about Froome.

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

Honestly I’ve never been a big Froome fan, but it’s disappointing hear that’d be rather make more money than ride the Tour.

 

[awavey]

Honestly I’ve never been a big Froome fan, but it’s disappointing hear that’d be rather make more money than ride the Tour.

I dont think Froome has said that, this is Rasmussen and Bruyneel making mischief about it if you like,

as Froome doesnt get to pick which races he goes to anymore, if it was his choice he'd have been at the Tour as I think he still wants one last final hurrah at it at least almost as a goodbye abit like Cav, all he acknowlegded this year I think was he wasnt in good enough form for it to be picked, but its down to IPT which races they send him to, whilst paying him the contract they agreed to.

I dont think however much theyre paying you, youd choose the lifestyle of a professional cyclist as a just going through the motions setup.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I think he has abandoned that ambition (after Contador's win on Angliru).

 

[Tim Cahill]

The Chicken was very active on social media 10 years ago when he wasn't really involved in cycling anymore, making all sorts of accusations, asking the hard-hitting questions of Sky and Froome.

I thought it was fair enough at the time. Now they're going 15% faster up mountains, his countryman is one of the two antagonists and he is appearing in the media a lot more doing paid appearances and analysis. Like a lot of people, he seems to have lost his voice though?

Whatever his price was, I imagine it was far less than Froome's. If someone puts £20 million on the table to ride around at the back seeing the sights for a few years, name one cyclist that wouldn't take it. Also, I'm not sure Johan Bruyneel is the kind of incorruptible Teófilo Stevenson type character that has the moral authority to be making such proclamations.

I never really thought much of Dawg in the first place to be honest, but like with UAE, Bahrain, the Saudis, the money Israel are paying him could be going to far more sinister causes than having a washed cyclist wear your jersey for a few years.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I think he has abandoned that ambition (after Contador's win on Angliru).

At least he doesn’t have a team, or any, hunt him down like Sky did to Contador.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

At least he doesn’t have a team, or any, hunt him down like Sky did to Contador.

My recollection at the time was that Froome and Poels rode to demonstrate their strength, while not challenging him for the win, but I can't remember it in enough detail to enter into argument over it. I just quoted it as a difference between the way he once said he would like to finish his career, and the way he is letting it peter out.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

I hope Froome finds a loophole in that contract and literally never ever retires. If Froome was gone who is left to drive forum posters crazy? This new generation Pogcar et al dont seem to trigger anyone emotionally.

 

[11-34]

And Masnada is out of contract soon. Bad times for the forum.

 

[Pozzovivo]

And Masnada is out of contract soon. Bad times for the forum.

I'm curious to knwo why people care so much about Masnada?

 

[Scarponi]

I hope Froome finds a loophole in that contract and literally never ever retires. If Froome was gone who is left to drive forum posters crazy? This new generation Pogcar et al dont seem to trigger anyone emotionally.

Bobby Bonilla Day, 23 years since he retired and the baseball team still pay him a million a year

 

[Izzyeviel]

At this rate he's going to end up at Ineos again

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I hope Froome finds a loophole in that contract and literally never ever retires. If Froome was gone who is left to drive forum posters crazy? This new generation Pogcar et al dont seem to trigger anyone emotionally.

Recently Chris said he isn't hoping to win anymore. He will help his teammates and enjoy traveling around the world. If he enjoys it a lot he may do what you said indeed!

 

[Squire]

I'm curious to knwo why people care so much about Masnada?

This statement betrays a severe underappreciation of what's great in cycling.

In any case, bringing Grande Fausto into the Froome thread is bordering on blasphemy.

 

[Pozzovivo]

This statement betrays a severe underappreciation of what's great in cycling.

In any case, bringing Grande Fausto into the Froome thread is bordering on blasphemy.

I tried to phrase it as a polite question. Would you please elaborate on why Masnada is such a talking point? Sorry for wrong forum but all discussions are kinda dynamic in topic.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I tried to phrase it as a polite question. Would you please elaborate on why Masnada is such a talking point? Sorry for wrong forum but all discussions are kinda dynamic in topic.

ask again here https://forum.cyclingnews.com/threads/fausto-masnada-king-of-the-mountains.37391/

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Did he manage to stay with the main group in the Saitama 'race'?

 

[Pozzovivo]

Did he manage to stay with the main group in the Saitama 'race'?

No, BUT HE GOT THE COMBATIVITY AWARD.

"BINI", VIDI, VICI - Critérium de Saitama 2024

ROGLIČ FLIES SOLO The Saitama Super Arena, which hosted the Olympic basketball events in 2021 after rolling out the red carpet for artists of the calibre of Mad

www.saitamacriterium.com

 

[Izzyeviel]

He got dropped. But he did get a top 40 result. there were 44 finishers. There is no shame in being beaten by dudes like Nibali & Peerapol Chawchiangkwang.