Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[JRanton]

True. Froome rides almost overly aggressive (even compared with a notorious attacker like AC).

However, IF in form (and we should assume that he is right now) this usually works out. Point is: Nobody knows how strong Froome is this year. We have seen all from AC already, (improved compared to last year), but due to the illness in spring and the crash in the Dauphinée, Froome is a sphinx. It may well be that he will blow on the first serious challenge the course and AC throw at him.

Personally, I tend to take this sprint as a hint that he IS strong as hell. So I guess (and hope) the more likely scenario is that he will - again - crush AC i the mountains. But, unlike last year, only within the last 2 k of the respective stages. Let's wait and see.

Please re-watch yesterday's finish. Of course, Mick Rogers was 5th in the sprint yesterday (also due to the crash obstructing loads of riders) which must mean he's even stronger than Froome at this year's Tour!

Or maybe not based on Rogers' finish today.

 

[JRanton]

Seems to me he's off to a good start in the wasting energy department.

By chasing Fulgsang down for 10 seconds on a descent. Massive waste of energy there.

 

[Netserk]

By chasing Fulgsang down for 10 seconds on a descent. Massive waste of energy there.

I don't think it was a massive waste of energy, but he did also 'attack' on the climb and inside the final km. He was probably the most active GC rider today.

 

[Publicus]

By chasing Fulgsang down for 10 seconds on a descent. Massive waste of energy there.

Well he certainly looked the most exhausted of the big contenders (at the finale), but you're right. It's a 3-week race, what's the big deal of burning a few matches early on to close down a domestique when you have 2 other teammates with you.

 

[JRanton]

I don't think it was a massive waste of energy, but he did also 'attack' on the climb and inside the final km. He was probably the most active GC rider today.

Contador put a couple of little digs in on the climb too. If anything it was sensible racing from both of them to keep a good position going onto the descent.

God knows how Nibali will be able to recover from the energy he used up for 2 seconds benefit today. He'll hardly be able to get his leg over the bike in the third week!

 

[JRanton]

Well he certainly looked the most exhausted of the big contenders (at the finale), but you're right. It's a 3-week race, what's the big deal of burning a few matches early on to close down a domestique when you have 2 other teammates with you.

He finished last in the group because he made his big effort earlier than the others by jumping onto Rui Costa's wheel.

And closing a small gap on a descent (which actually made sense to keep a good position) is not the equivalent of burning a few matches! For goodness sake.

 

[Afrank]

Contador put a couple of little digs in on the climb too. If anything it was sensible racing from both of them to keep a good position going onto the descent.

God knows how Nibali will be able to recover from the energy he used up for 2 seconds benefit today. He'll hardly be able to get his leg over the bike in the third week!

He didn't use up energy to get any kind of GC gap. He used energy to win the stage. He didn't attack to try and take time in GC, but to get the win.

 

[Poursuivant]

He didn't use up energy to get any kind of GC gap. He used energy to win the stage. He didn't attack to try and take time in GC, but to get the win.

Are you under six years old?

 

[Walkman]

By chasing Fulgsang down for 10 seconds on a descent. Massive waste of energy there.

"Massive"?

He will ride 3500+ km and you think 10 seconds at the front will result in a massive loss of energy?

Get real.

 

[Publicus]

He finished last in the group because he made his big effort earlier than the others by jumping onto Rui Costa's wheel.

And closing a small gap on a descent (which actually made sense to keep a good position) is not the equivalent of burning a few matches! For goodness sake.

Again, what's the point of having teammates (Porte and Nieve) if you are wasting energy chasing down domestiques and guys that aren't going to figure in the overall GT. You're the person attempting to define how much of a waste of energy, I just noted he tends to waste energy unnecessarily. You obviously disagree apparently only on whether it was a material amount--which won't be clear for another week or so.

 

[Publicus]

"Massive"?

He will ride 3500+ km and you think 10 seconds at the front will result in a massive loss of energy?

Get real.

He was making a sarcastic response to me. So you should direct your incredulity my way

 

[Beech Mtn]

Froome was not all that good today - at least, not unbeatable at all. Will be interesting to see if this was just a flukey bad day or a sign of something more. Contador definitely appeared to have rattled him a little bit, and he made some bad decisions about who to chase or let go. Having Richie there helped.

The hill was too short to tell very much, but looking forward to the battles to come.

 

[red_flanders]

Froome was not all that good today - at least, not unbeatable at all. Will be interesting to see if this was just a flukey bad day or a sign of something more. Contador definitely appeared to have rattled him a little bit, and he made some bad decisions about who to chase or let go. Having Richie there helped.

He always does. My feeling is that it's because he has had so much power to spare over his rivals since Vuelta 11 that he's got no idea how to husband his resources. He's tactically the worst GT rider I've ever seen.

The hill was too short to tell very much, but looking forward to the battles to come.

Agreed.

 

[orangerider]

God knows how Nibali will be able to recover from the energy he used up for 2 seconds benefit today. He'll hardly be able to get his leg over the bike in the third week!

True, but Vino will be pleased. Don't want to get Vino mad for not producing.

 

[Cimber]

By chasing Fulgsang down for 10 seconds on a descent. Massive waste of energy there.

Thats not really the issue in my opinion. The issue is "why". Why the heck did he chase down one of his rivals domestique, especially when he had 2 domestiques of his own?

For me it isnt about him wasting energy or not, but more about him looking nervous, and/or unable to stay calm in a chaotic finish.

 

[Rollthedice]

Thats not really the issue in my opinion. The issue is "why". Why the heck did he chase down one of his rivals domestique, especially when he had 2 domestiques of his own?

For me it isnt about him wasting energy or not, but more about him looking nervous, and/or unable to stay calm in a chaotic finish.

As somebody said. He maybe thought Birdsong was Nibali.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

As somebody said. He maybe thought Birdsong was Nibali.

But Birdsong ain't the hungarian national champ (I know, awful joke, I feel ashamed already)

 

[Rollthedice]

But Birdsong ain't the hungarian national champ (I know, awful joke, I feel ashamed already)

Well, the Hungarian flag is so small on the back of Nibali that is hard to see.

 

[Cimber]

As somebody said. He maybe thought Birdsong was Nibali.

An when Nibali actually attacked he thought that was Fuglsang, hahaha

 

[Angliru]

Froome was not all that good today - at least, not unbeatable at all. Will be interesting to see if this was just a flukey bad day or a sign of something more. Contador definitely appeared to have rattled him a little bit, and he made some bad decisions about who to chase or let go. Having Richie there helped.

The hill was too short to tell very much, but looking forward to the battles to come.

Unless I'm mixing up my back to back viewing of stages 1 & 2, both Porte and Sagan had to chase back on to the peloton after either mechanicals (Sagan) or a crash (Porte), leaving them both with a little bit less in the tank to be amongst the final battle up Jenkins and what followed.

 

[Angliru]

As somebody said. He maybe thought Birdsong was Nibali.

I thought that I read that Froome stated he was just trying to stay near the front of the group on the descent and out of trouble. I don't think that it was that extreme in terms of the use of energy and I don't recall if Nieve or Porte were in the position to respond to Fuglsang at that point since Froome was the first over Jenkins. Still Froome does display either an uncontrollable need to emphasis what he believes is his superiority over his rivals coupled with, as is often mentioned, questionable tacticle instincts. Over the past two seasons he has been rarely challenged or matched (except by Nibali at T-A in 2013 and Contador at this year's Dauphine) and it seems to have given him a sense of invincibility.

 

[Hakkapelit]

Thomas Löfkvist was bysitter on swedish eurosport today, totally pricessless anecdotes from Vuelta 2011 when he was something of a roadcaptain for Sky and Froome had his breakthrough.

I suppose the one when Froomie started to sprint 2k out from an intermidate sprint for bonifications is known? But it was also something about attacking on a hill 150 km from finish. Seemed like he had full hands babysitting him from doing sucidal moves and not succeeding all the time.

 

[deValtos]

Thomas Löfkvist was bysitter on swedish eurosport today, totally pricessless anecdotes from Vuelta 2011 when he was something of a roadcaptain for Sky and Froome had his breakthrough.

I suppose the one when Froomie started to sprint 2k out from an intermidate sprint for bonifications is known? But it was also something about attacking on a hill 150 km from finish. Seemed like he had full hands babysitting him from doing sucidal moves and not succeeding all the time.

Well you can't say that and not fill us in on all the anecdotes Lofkvist had

 

[SeriousSam]

Has there ever been a Grand Tour winner with poorer tactics than Froome? Can't think of one.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Has there ever been a Grand Tour winner with poorer tactics than Froome? Can't think of one.

Won the Tour by minutes, could have been more but decided to slow and enjoy the moment with all his team on the last stage. His tactics last year were spot on. Destroy them on Ax-3 and then increase the gap in the TT, everyone else forced to race for 2nd. Also working with Quintana for a while up Ventoux wasn't exactly stupid was it? Meant they both gained even more time.