Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[MartinGT]

I doubt that Wiggins would have made the podium either with the Tour in his legs. As Froome said, he was going into unchartered territory and did not know how his legs would be after the Tour. It seems that a lot of people who said that Froome should have won the 2011 Vuelta and 2012 Tour are now happy to write him off altogether when almost everyone knows that it is almost impossible to be at your best for two grand tours per year.

Unless its the Giro & Vuelta IMO. That gives you time to recover between.

 

[Angliru]

He'll have to take it on the road, Wiggo will enter the next TDF as #1 for sure, then let the race decide like in 1997 with Riis/Ullrich. It will be interesting to see if Froome can sustain attacks...for all we know both on Toussuire and Peyragudes where he recovered after being in difficulty he could have faded like he did on the first Asturias stage. I like the guy but I'm beginning to have my doubts. Could be the next Jean-François Bernard...

I'm pretty confident that he'll be up there in the coming years with Contador and Andy at the Tour. The Tour simply took it's toll on Froome and his Vuelta performance shows that. It's been a steady downward slide in his form.

 

[Angliru]

I think i have read somewhere that Contador thinks Froome is mentally weak, something like "If I were Froome I wouldn't care if Wiggins is the leader, I attack by myself "

Froome seems a nice guy and a great rider, but he needs leaving sky to take his glory.

If you're basing this on the above quote you're really only creating drama where there is none. If that is in fact an accurate quote from Contador, we all know what is the basis for that statement and the circumstances aren't exactly the same for both parties (Contador and Froome).

I agree with your final statement completely. Froome shouldn't be relegated to super-domestique duties and/or focusing on Vuelta/Giro at the expense of him pursuing his own interests at the Tour.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Could it be Sky is beginning to implode:
Cav is in prison there
Wiggo doesn't enjoy himself in tdF
Froome is 9 mins adrift
Swift isn't swift enough.

 

[El Pistolero]

Could it be Sky is beginning to implode:
Cav is in prison there
Wiggo doesn't enjoy himself in tdF
Froome is 9 mins adrift
Swift isn't swift enough.

Cav is in a different prison for some years still.

 

[ferryman]

Think Sky will need both Wiggo and Froome aka The Praying Mantis to be at their best to beat Contador on this showing here, and the best from their team. Froome in the Vuelta has been undone by a combination of tired legs and tactical gaffs IMO. I hope he learns as much as he can from this race and applies it next time he gets the opportunity to lead a team in a GT, maybe the Giro?

Froome at his best in the TDF 2013 after leading in the Giro = Froome Vs Contador in this year's Vuelta

 

[Afrank]

Could it be Sky is beginning to implode:
Cav is in prison there
Wiggo doesn't enjoy himself in tdF
Froome is 9 mins adrift
Swift isn't swift enough.

You may be onto something there...

 

[Forunculo]

 

[Angliru]

Froome at his best in the TDF 2013 after leading in the Giro = Froome Vs Contador in this year's Vuelta

Exactly. I'd say in this year's Vuelta, Froome is definitely a victim of fatigue far more than his lacking in tactical savvy. He's almost 10 minutes down!

 

[Angliru]

Could it be Sky is beginning to implode:
Cav is in prison there
Wiggo doesn't enjoy himself in tdF
Froome is 9 mins adrift
Swift isn't swift enough.

Shack/Nissan/Trek, the UK version? They at least have a year of Wiggins' successes to ride on amidst the drama.

 

[Pulpstar]

I dont think he does. He can either ride the Giro or Vuelta next season if Wiggins is going to ride the Tour.

I dont think Wiggins will ride the Tour after next year, I think he will aim for PR as its a race he has always loved. If thats the case it will open the door to Froome.

If Wiggins were to aim for Paris-Roubaix, is there a possibility that he might bulk up a bit for it. Watched some PR on youtube last night, and it seems it is definitely a ride which larger riders (Boonen, Big George, Van Summeren) perhaps have the advantage. They are all > 75 KG-80+kg riding weight, with large frames whereas Wiggins is 69 KG (MAybe even less in TdF). So would he head up to ~ 75 kg maybe, or would he keep his weight where it is. He is 6'3 and seems naturally quite thin, but maybe ~75 kg would be best for PR ?

Or is it just that someone like a Boonen simply can not drop their weight below 80 Kgs because they have such a large frame.

(I'm 6'1 myself and have wide *** shoulders so I doubt I could really drop my weight under maybe 80kg currently 90) and not lose all my strength.

 

[Parrulo]

PR is not about weight, yes weight is important and having a bigger more powerful frame helps but PR is mostly about class on the cobbles and race awareness.

chavannel is only 70kg but is absolutely top class on the cobbles. he has been unlucky the past 2 years with miss timed punctures and stuff but there is no denying that he is one of the 10 best riders on the cobbles.

i wouldn't be surprised if wiggins managed to top 10 at PR if he gained weight but he would be completely out classed by boonen and Canc on the cobbles and would have no chance at winning.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

i wouldn't be surprised if wiggins managed to top 10 at PR if he gained weight but he would be completely out classed by boonen and Canc on the cobbles and would have no chance at winning.

But the beauty of PR is you can never predict what will happen e.g. punctures, crashes, etc... Sure to form those two are in a class of their own.

 

[webvan]

Wiggins at Paris-Roubaix ?
Dunno...check out this video 1'55" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BEvrM-2AyjM

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Great effort by him on the Bola, finishing with a flat tire no less. This guy is the real deal.

 

[icefire]

Great effort by him on the Bola, finishing with a flat tire no less. This guy is the real deal.

2nd at the Tour and 4th at the Vuelta: he's matched Evans 2007. Only Sastre 2008 has done better with the Tour-Vuelta double.

 

[dolophonic]

Exactly. I'd say in this year's Vuelta, Froome is definitely a victim of fatigue far more than his lacking in tactical savvy. He's almost 10 minutes down!

I understand but how many race days has he done this year?
No one was talking fatigue in the first week when he was rolling well. i think the racing at the Vuelta was a totally different level that the tour,much more attacking... we see the result.

 

[Angliru]

I understand but how many race days has he done this year?
No one was talking fatigue in the first week when he was rolling well. i think the racing at the Vuelta was a totally different level that the tour,much more attacking... we see the result.

Many here including myself were saying that they felt that fatigue would eventually play a part in his inability to compete with the elite contenders for the gc. Conversely many were saying that Froome skated through the Tour and would blow the Vuelta and his opponents apart.

 

[jens_attacks]

I understand but how many race days has he done this year?
No one was talking fatigue in the first week when he was rolling well. i think the racing at the Vuelta was a totally different level that the tour,much more attacking... we see the result.

still, it was the fatigue effect.you could have seen it after the first rest day.it was excellent though that he didn't crack to lose his place in the top ten the next two weeks.
it's impossible to know but in my opinion froomey, fresh, with le tour form could easily have beaten alberto
that's why le tour 2013 will be so big


props to froomey!
remember that in consecutive grand tours,last 14 years...only 3 guys did better than him.marco,beloki and sastre. even if he didn't win neither of them,it still is a very hard feat to achieve

 

[webvan]

No more back to back GTs for Froome in the future it seems : http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-reflects-on-leading-sky-at-vuelta

 

[Forunculo]

No more back to back GTs for Froome in the future it seems : http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-reflects-on-leading-sky-at-vuelta

So, Tour or Giro/Vuelta?

 

[User Guide]

Wiggins at Paris-Roubaix ?
Dunno...check out this video 1'55" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BEvrM-2AyjM

he lives in lancashire now so could train on the cotton famine road,Arrenberg smarrenberg.
http://www.dingquarry.co.uk/location--geography/cotton-famine-road.asp


SAVE THE PAVE.... stop ding quarry

 

[Angliru]

still, it was the fatigue effect.you could have seen it after the first rest day.it was excellent though that he didn't crack to lose his place in the top ten the next two weeks.
it's impossible to know but in my opinion froomey, fresh, with le tour form could easily have beaten alberto
that's why le tour 2013 will be so big


props to froomey!
remember that in consecutive grand tours,last 14 years...only 3 guys did better than him.marco,beloki and sastre. even if he didn't win neither of them,it still is a very hard feat to achieve

So a 2nd in the Tour and 4th (by 10minutes) in the Vuelta beats a 1st in the Giro and 5th in the Tour? I'm going to have to lean towards the latter. A victory has to give a boost to Contador in this comparison.

 

[Carols]

So a 2nd in the Tour and 4th (by 10minutes) in the Vuelta beats a 1st in the Giro and 5th in the Tour? I'm going to have to lean towards the latter. A victory has to give a boost to Contador in this comparison.

A first over the line in the Giro by 6+ mins; plus the Classification jersey, and a 5th in the Tour (3:57) is a better showing.

 

[webvan]

Yeah, 1+5=2+4 and the first trumps it. Now hopefully both of them (and the others) will be in top shape for the 2013 TDF!