Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[RichieTheBest]

No one takes a risk on early stages. How do you see it? Astana and Movistar set a furious tempo at the front and Contador and Froome drop out the pack? It's impossible. It's absolutely the same if Astana and Movistar would try to distance top-duo on flat.

 

[ILovecycling]

No one takes a risk on early stages. How do you see it? Astana and Movistar set a furious tempo at the front and Contador and Froome drop out the pack? It's impossible. It's absolutely the same if Astana and Movistar would try to distance top-duo on flat.

Look at 2010,they can do it like Saxo did it

bolded: I hope you didnt mean it seriously,if so,I dont even know how to comment it

 

[RichieTheBest]

Look at 2010,they can do it like Saxo did it

bolded: I hope you didnt mean it seriously,if so,I dont even know how to comment it

They don't have Cancellara or Voigt. To be honest, I think the Tour 2010 stage would have ended up with nothing in terms of GC if Schleck didn't fall. Surely I agree with you there will be a big battle to be on the front on the last sections but I don't see who of Movistar and Astana can organize a carnage at the most decisive moment.

 

[rghysens]

They don't have Cancellara or Voigt. To be honest, I think the Tour 2010 stage would have ended up with nothing in terms of GC if Schleck didn't fall. Surely I agree with you there will be a big battle to be on the front on the last sections but I don't see who of Movistar and Astana can organize a carnage at the most decisive moment.

Even more so because it's only a 150km stage with only 15km of not too bad cobblestones. Barring crashes and mechanicals not much will happen. IMO possible echelons are way more dangerous in the first week.

 

[Netserk]

Yeah,this Tour has a huge potential so far.It can be the best GT since 2010 Giro imo.Question is if it will deliver...

I hope all four/five main conteders will be in top form,but like Kwibus said,we will say someone was not. Cobbled stage will be a fight between teams of GC conteders and GC conteders with themselves (punctures,splits,falls).
Sky and Astana probably have better teams than Saxo and Movistar for cobbles,but imo Astana and Movistar should ride it hard to distance Froome and Contador (like someone mentioned,if they will be in topform nobody will stay with Froome and Contador in high mountains).

Astana's Tour squad better than Tinkoff's on cobbles?

 

[phanatic]

I really hope so as 100% Froome v 100% Contador could be absolute carnage in the mountains in July. I cant see any others (Nibali, Tejay ect) getting close to them if they are at their best. The one thing I still believe will tip it in Froome's favour is the long iTT, however its not hard to see Contador gaining lots of time in the mountains.

I think Valverde is the third favorite for the podium this year. He was strong last year and has really been superb this season. He should be closer than last year.

 

[Kwibus]

Yeah I think the big problem could be the cobbled stage, however he will more than likely have Stannard, Thomas and Wiggins with him which should keep him supported so he shouldn't lose any time to his GC rivals.

They will defend him, but it will be more a matter of being able to follow on the stones.

 

[ILovecycling]

Even more so because it's only a 150km stage with only 15km of not too bad cobblestones. Barring crashes and mechanicals not much will happen. IMO possible echelons are way more dangerous in the first week.

But there will be crashes,punctures there probably will be even bigger chaos than 4 years ago.You are heavily underestimating this stage imo.

Astana's Tour squad better than Tinkoff's on cobbles?

If they bring best cobble riders than...yes, they have.
Grivko,gavazzi,bozic,muravyev and inglinskyi are pretty good,and they will be 100% dedicated to Nibali.
Saxo will have only Tosso,Benna and maybe Morkov/Sorensen and they have to cover 2 guys Alberto and Roman (most of them for Berto,but 1 has to be with Kreuziger).

 

[RichieTheBest]

But there will be crashes,punctures there probably will be even bigger chaos than 4 years ago.You are heavily underestimating this stage imo.

It was rather about bad luck 4 years ago. Schleck crashed, anyone can crash, but important thing is Saxo were at front not because they were going to put the time into other captains. They solved a desensive task primarily: to prevent their riders from being cut off from crashes in the middle of the group. So I think other teams (Sky and Saxo first of all) will do a similar job in the cobbled stage this year. But Astana won't be among them. Astana won't be equal to Saxo or Sky neither by names and cobbled riders nor by dedication to the leader.

 

[Jspear]

It was rather about bad luck 4 years ago. Schleck crashed, anyone can crash, but important thing is Saxo were at front not because they were going to put the time into other captains. They solved a desensive task primarily: to prevent their riders from being cut off from crashes in the middle of the group. So I think other teams (Sky and Saxo first of all) will do a similar job in the cobbled stage this year. But Astana won't be among them. Astana won't be equal to Saxo or Sky neither by names and cobbled riders nor by dedication to the leader.

I understand knowing the teams strengths on cobbles, but you can't just say they won't be dedicated to their leader. As of right now Astana is backing Nibali 100% in the Tour and the team will be very dedicated to protecting their leader.

 

[RichieTheBest]

I understand knowing the teams strengths on cobbles, but you can't just say they won't be dedicated to their leader. As of right now Astana is backing Nibali 100% in the Tour and the team will be very dedicated to protecting their leader.

Belief and dedication to me is confidence in one's leader and conviction that he can win. Nibali's team will lack this compared to Sky and Saxo.

 

[JRanton]

Anyone else think Froome will be under immense pressure in Romandie?

He's got to show form or the unthinkable may happen and we may see Wiggo looming up into view for the TdF

Sky had crap luck prior to 2012, pure luck in 2012, and in 2013 they got away with being a man down.

2014 is looking like it might turn out to be a damp squib for them. Part of their luck in the previous two years was the absence of an on form Contador.

Don't think it is going to work out for them this year.

What the hell?

Wiggins will have to do something slightly more impressive than 11th on the final mountain stage of the Giro del Trentino to take leadership off Froome!

 

[JRanton]

This is Dr Ferrari's verdict if both Froome and Contador are at 100%:

drferrari, Italy 15 Apr 2014

Let us wait to see Froome again before TdF...
But Contador was strong in TT too.
If both will be 100% at TdF , I see Contador more consistent and less fragile than Froome.
But they will be close.

 

[qwerty16]

I don't think a good Froome will lose time in the mountains vs a good Contador. It's hard to predict if both will be on their top, even if both will be and one dominates the other we will likely say that the other rider wasn't top.

Stage 2 will be tricky for Froome if it's raced hard. Specially if it's going to be wet. I doubt it will be raced hard though. Cobbled stage will be tricky as well since Froomes bike handling isn't really his specialty and he is soooo skinny. Will be a rough ride for him. I expect Nibali(no idea if he's capable of doing do on the cobbles, but I have a feeling he will due to his big cojones) and Valverde to put the pressure on him during that stage. Not so much from Contador since I don't think he fancies cobbles that much

Even if they would like to, Nibali and Valverde won't be the ones applying the pressure on the cobbles. They are not strong enough, neither are Astana and Movistar. Will be all about OPQS and Cancellara (plus individuals like Chavanel, Sagan, Degenkolb) that one if it's going to be hard-fought.

Sky and Belkin seem to have the best squads for the cobbles besides OPQS, but they will probably mostly look after Froome and Mollema.

 

[del1962]

Even if they would like to, Nibali and Valverde won't be the ones applying the pressure on the cobbles. They are not strong enough, neither are Astana and Movistar. Will be all about OPQS and Cancellara (plus individuals like Chavanel, Sagan, Degenkolb) that one if it's going to be hard-fought.

Sky and Belkin seem to have the best squads for the cobbles besides OPQS, but they will probably mostly look after Froome and Mollema.

I presume the steppers will take, Cav, Martin, Renshaw, Kwiatkowski, Bakelants, none of whom are part of the cobbles classics teams, so it depends who else they take.

 

[Rollthedice]

I presume the steppers will take, Cav, Martin, Renshaw, Kwiatkowski, Bakelants, none of whom are part of the cobbles classics teams, so it depends who else they take.

I'm fairly convinced Froome, Contador and Nibali are afraid of the cobbles. None of them have a distinct ability to handle the situation in their favor. I'd say it will be rather a fight for surviving intact and without a time loss than attacking the oposition.

 

[ILovecycling]

I presume the steppers will take, Cav, Martin, Renshaw, Kwiatkowski, Bakelants, none of whom are part of the cobbles classics teams, so it depends who else they take.

Uran,Boonen,Styby and Niki.

I'm fairly convinced Froome, Contador and Nibali are afraid of the cobbles. None of them have a distinct ability to handle the situation in their favor. I'd say it will be rather a fight for surviving intact and without a time loss than attacking the oposition.

Thats advantage for Piti,he is a gc cobbled specialist

 

[qwerty16]

I presume the steppers will take, Cav, Martin, Renshaw, Kwiatkowski, Bakelants, none of whom are part of the cobbles classics teams, so it depends who else they take.

Boonen and Terpstra are pretty much confirmed I think. Stybar stated earlier he wants to do the Tour but not sure he will. Will probably go between him, Petacchi, Steegmans, Keisse, Trentin and Vandenbergh for the remaining places. Besides Petacchi all part of the cobbled-squad. From what we saw last year Kwiatkowski is quite decent on the cobbles too.

 

[The Hitch]

I really hope so as 100% Froome v 100% Contador could be absolute carnage in the mountains in July. I cant see any others (Nibali, Tejay ect) getting close to them if they are at their best. The one thing I still believe will tip it in Froome's favour is the long iTT, however its not hard to see Contador gaining lots of time in the mountains.

I agree with you that Nibali is not going to match Contador or Froome, but did you really throw Vangarderen in there with Nibali for mountains?

Not saying he can't but so far in gts he hasn't shown anything near Nibali in mountains.

 

[The Hitch]

But there will be crashes,punctures there probably will be even bigger chaos than 4 years ago.You are heavily underestimating this stage imo.

After some of the races we've seen in the last 2 or 3 years, such as Alpe di Pampeago, the Pyranees stage last year or Liege this year, I don't think there is such a thing as underestimating anything anymore.

 

[Kokoso]

I agree with you that Nibali is not going to match Contador or Froome, but did you really throw Vangarderen in there with Nibali for mountains?

No, in fact he didn't.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I agree with you that Nibali is not going to match Contador or Froome, but did you really throw Vangarderen in there with Nibali for mountains?

Not saying he can't but so far in gts he hasn't shown anything near Nibali in mountains.

It was just an example, although with the long iTT in the Tour this year if he can limit his losses in the mountains he could get a decent place. All ifs and buts of course.

 

[ILovecycling]

After some of the races we've seen in the last 2 or 3 years, such as Alpe di Pampeago, the Pyranees stage last year or Liege this year, I don't think there is such a thing as underestimating anything anymore.

I understand you,but...

I believe in Cobbles

 

[TANK91]

Guess whose back!

 

[jens_attacks]

gotta say chapeau to the guy. never afraid of attacking