Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Criterium International 2013 was a Froome-Porte 1-2 against a pretty average field (in the top 10 were TJVG and Mollema but also Fedrigo and Bouet).

On the other hand, Romandie last year: remember the context, yes he had beaten Contador in Andalucia at the start of the season but then he had the weird Catalunya where he was awful and so kind of worked for Porte but not really and ended up 71st overall, then he crashed and finished 123rd at FW. At that point, the "Froome will never win a GT again, his body can't take it, Sky have overworked him, he's mentally weak, terrible bike handler, keeps crashing" school of opinion was rampant, and so he needed to do something in Romandie to prove he still had the ability of 2013. It was a Vuelta '14-esque yo-yoing effort at first but turned into him leading a group of the best climbers, including Quintana, at a high pace until the flat section at the end where, mission (of showing he was still able to dictate the pace of other GC contenders) accomplished, all the others in the group were easily able to pass him. Yes, he finished 7th, but if he'd kept up the effort/if there was no flat section he might have been 3rd. Consider also that his pace was too high for Nibali, Uran, Rolland, Fuglsang, Hesjedal, Costa, Peraud and many other good climbers.

And yes, I loved the whole ''Froome is mentally weak and will never win another grand tour'' crowd. Great fun.

Who said that of course didnt know anything about Froome

 

[rick james]

I'd love to call myself a fair weather cyclist, but being from Scotland I can't do that, how amazing must it be cycling wherever it is sunny, it's just getting above freezing during the day in Scotland and when out cycling at night and the sun goes down it is Baltic....praying for summer to come along

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

Criterium International 2013 was a Froome-Porte 1-2 against a pretty average field (in the top 10 were TJVG and Mollema but also Fedrigo and Bouet).

On the other hand, Romandie last year: remember the context, yes he had beaten Contador in Andalucia at the start of the season but then he had the weird Catalunya where he was awful and so kind of worked for Porte but not really and ended up 71st overall, then he crashed and finished 123rd at FW. At that point, the "Froome will never win a GT again, his body can't take it, Sky have overworked him, he's mentally weak, terrible bike handler, keeps crashing" school of opinion was rampant, and so he needed to do something in Romandie to prove he still had the ability of 2013. It was a Vuelta '14-esque yo-yoing effort at first but turned into him leading a group of the best climbers, including Quintana, at a high pace until the flat section at the end where, mission (of showing he was still able to dictate the pace of other GC contenders) accomplished, all the others in the group were easily able to pass him. Yes, he finished 7th, but if he'd kept up the effort/if there was no flat section he might have been 3rd. Consider also that his pace was too high for Nibali, Uran, Rolland, Fuglsang, Hesjedal, Costa, Peraud and many other good climbers.

And yes, I loved the whole ''Froome is mentally weak and will never win another grand tour'' crowd. Great fun.

Who said that of course didnt know anything about Froome

people are willing to make up anything just to reinforce their belief in something they'd like to see that much.

 

[ferryman]

The fair weather comment came from Froome himself. Not long back from the Canaries and it was hitting 26 degrees. But hell why not fly half way across the world for better weather and training conditions when Tenerife is virtually on your doorstep. Disingenuous as ever our Chris...

 

[pastronef]

Re:

The fair weather comment came from Froome himself. Not long back from the Canaries and it was hitting 26 degrees. But hell why not fly half way across the world for better weather and training conditions when Tenerife is virtually on your doorstep. Disingenuous as ever our Chris...

he lived and trained in South Africa before, knows the place.

it's funny how anywhere he goes, it is not good (before they blamed him for going to Tenerife, now he goes in South Africa and we ask him why not Tenerife...)

here's Tenerife this week

road closed: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCF_QJfNpEQ/?taken-by=kristijankoren

 

[rick james]

I see it now...just why wouldn't Froome prefer to cycle through snow covered roads instead roasting traffic free roads that he knows

 

[harryh]

Re:

I see it now...just why wouldn't Froome prefer to cycle through snow covered roads instead roasting traffic free roads that he knows

"Disingenuous as ever our Chris..."

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

And yes, I loved the whole ''Froome is mentally weak and will never win another grand tour'' crowd. Great fun.

Then it was "Froome will be caught out in the crosswinds" followed by "Froome will lose time on the cobbles" before finally "Froome will suffer on the steep Mur".

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

And yes, I loved the whole ''Froome is mentally weak and will never win another grand tour'' crowd. Great fun.

Then it was "Froome will be caught out in the crosswinds" followed by "Froome will lose time on the cobbles" before finally "Froome will suffer on the steep Mur".

Yes, who could have imagined Froome would turn into Superman.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

And yes, I loved the whole ''Froome is mentally weak and will never win another grand tour'' crowd. Great fun.

Then it was "Froome will be caught out in the crosswinds" followed by "Froome will lose time on the cobbles" before finally "Froome will suffer on the steep Mur".

Yes, who could have imagined Froome would turn into Superman.

Never said he was, his bike handling leaves much to be desired as does his riding style, however it was just funny when lots presumed they knew it all about him. As JRanton said, the whole "mentally weak" comment was laughable.

 

[rick james]

Miss bitter always knows best it seems

 

[LaFlorecita]

Miss bitter always knows best it seems

 

[Singer01]

Re: Re:

And yes, I loved the whole ''Froome is mentally weak and will never win another grand tour'' crowd. Great fun.

Then it was "Froome will be caught out in the crosswinds" followed by "Froome will lose time on the cobbles" before finally "Froome will suffer on the steep Mur".

Don't forget he can't descend, that was another biggie way back when. If I'm not mistaken he took time off various rivals on almost all of his allegedly weak stages.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Never said he was, his bike handling leaves much to be desired as does his riding style, however it was just funny when lots presumed they knew it all about him. As JRanton said, the whole "mentally weak" comment was laughable.

You can't blame fans for clutching at straws and looking for weakness, almost every rider has a weakness but clearly not mythical Dawg.

 

[buchanan]

I am not even a Froome fan, but I was rolling my eyes and laughing when last year his detractors on this forum were insisting that Contador and the others were going to take time out of him on the cobbles and descents in the Tour. Because apparently Froome can't ride cobbles, can't ride in the wet, can't descend well, etc. The reality was that he took the time on everyone pretty much everywhere - including the cobbles. And Contador crashed while struggling to keep up with Froome on one of the Alps descents at last year's Tour.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Contador crashed while struggling to keep up with Froome on one of the Alps descents at last year's Tour.

Oh really, interesting. I could have sworn there was no footage or anything of the crash so I always assumed we did not know anything about it and it could have been a slip of the wheel on a dodgy corner. Could you show me where you found he was struggling to keep up with Froome?

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

Contador crashed while struggling to keep up with Froome on one of the Alps descents at last year's Tour.

Oh really, interesting. I could have sworn there was no footage or anything of the crash so I always assumed we did not know anything about it and it could have been a slip of the wheel on a dodgy corner. Could you show me where you found he was struggling to keep up with Froome?

i think quite fair to assume that nibali and froome forced bertie to do that mistake on the descent. i'd like to know what froome's hypothetical weakness on descents was based on, though.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Contador crashed while struggling to keep up with Froome on one of the Alps descents at last year's Tour.

Oh really, interesting. I could have sworn there was no footage or anything of the crash so I always assumed we did not know anything about it and it could have been a slip of the wheel on a dodgy corner. Could you show me where you found he was struggling to keep up with Froome?

i think quite fair to assume that nibali and froome forced bertie to do that mistake on the descent. i'd like to know what froome's hypothetical weakness on descents was based on, though.

You can assume that but it is just that, an assumption, not a fact.
Froome's -assumed- weakness was based on the fact he looks unsteady even on a wide straight road and cause his whining about descents at the 2013 TDF was reminiscent of Candy Schleck "almost went over your head boohoo you should be more careful and you are not allowed to attack downhill and now I will complain about it in my book "

 

[rick james]

Re: Re:

Never said he was, his bike handling leaves much to be desired as does his riding style, however it was just funny when lots presumed they knew it all about him. As JRanton said, the whole "mentally weak" comment was laughable.

You can't blame fans for clutching at straws and looking for weakness, almost every rider has a weakness but clearly not mythical Dawg.

Well for me he's too thin and he pays for that in the 3rd week of le tour. not so much superman

 

[harryh]

Re: Re:

And yes, I loved the whole ''Froome is mentally weak and will never win another grand tour'' crowd. Great fun.

Then it was "Froome will be caught out in the crosswinds" followed by "Froome will lose time on the cobbles" before finally "Froome will suffer on the steep Mur".

Yes, who could have imagined Froome would turn into Superman.

At least not those who have created a kind of straw man Froome, who is untalented and a bit ***, who can't do this and that

 

[buchanan]

Re: Re:

Contador crashed while struggling to keep up with Froome on one of the Alps descents at last year's Tour.

Oh really, interesting. I could have sworn there was no footage or anything of the crash so I always assumed we did not know anything about it and it could have been a slip of the wheel on a dodgy corner. Could you show me where you found he was struggling to keep up with Froome?

i think quite fair to assume that nibali and froome forced bertie to do that mistake on the descent. i'd like to know what froome's hypothetical weakness on descents was based on, though.

I remember the stage quite well. Contador was hanging off the back of a descending group which included Froome, Nibali and Quintana. Possibly another rider or two in the group. Before he crashed, he appeared to be struggling to keep up with the group. Maybe he had a mechanical, but it didn't look like it. Certainly appeared that he was just struggling on the descent. By the way I am a Contador fan. But I try to be objective. I can acknowledge Contador has crashed 3 times on descents in his last 3 Tours. Yet Froome is the one who apparently is not a good descender.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

I remember the stage quite well. Contador was hanging off the back of a descending group which included Froome, Nibali and Quintana. Possibly another rider or two in the group. Before he crashed, he appeared to be struggling to keep up with the group. Maybe he had a mechanical, but it didn't look like it. Certainly appeared that he was just struggling on the descent. By the way I am a Contador fan. But I try to be objective. I can acknowledge Contador has crashed 3 times on descents in his last 3 Tours. Yet Froome is the one who apparently is not a good descender.

Yes, you've written several essays on his downhill crashes in the past, no need to go there again.

 

[buchanan]

Re: Re:

I remember the stage quite well. Contador was hanging off the back of a descending group which included Froome, Nibali and Quintana. Possibly another rider or two in the group. Before he crashed, he appeared to be struggling to keep up with the group. Maybe he had a mechanical, but it didn't look like it. Certainly appeared that he was just struggling on the descent. By the way I am a Contador fan. But I try to be objective. I can acknowledge Contador has crashed 3 times on descents in his last 3 Tours. Yet Froome is the one who apparently is not a good descender.

Yes, you've written several essays on his downhill crashes in the past, no need to go there again.

But can you at least admit that I made some valid points? Sometimes essays are required to persuade people who refuse to see.

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Never said he was, his bike handling leaves much to be desired as does his riding style, however it was just funny when lots presumed they knew it all about him. As JRanton said, the whole "mentally weak" comment was laughable.

You can't blame fans for clutching at straws and looking for weakness, almost every rider has a weakness but clearly not mythical Dawg.

Have you considered becoming a Froome fan? What's the plan post-Contador? I feel like this would be a less stressful path.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

But can you at least admit that I made some valid points? Sometimes essays are required to persuade people who refuse to see.

I can acknowledge Contador crashed on a descent 3 times in the last 3 Tours, anything else is pure speculation.