Seems that Froome wasn't too happy about the prologue being ridden today. Not great today, but what can you say, says nothing
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blackmamba said:Watching the dawg descend today was funny as ****
Põhja Konn said:He lost 6 seconds to Quintana, who had similar conditions, on the uphill part which hints at a lack of form. Although admittedly the longer ITT and coming mountains stages are much better for evaluating these things.
I am more and more starting to think he is very serious at going for Tour-Rio-Vuelta triple, as his spring schedule has been as light as it can be. And there have been no reports of injuries or illness, so the very light schedule must be a planned thing, not forced upon him by outside factors.
rick james said:That triple is just too hard, an amazing effort to attempt it but it's just too tough
It will be sunny but cold, on the 2nd MTF we should once again have bad weather.Taxus4a said:rick james said:That triple is just too hard, an amazing effort to attempt it but it's just too tough
It is too hard the first time you try something similar, but I think for him no now. Everything depends hom many people and his level fo to la Vuelta fresher.
Valverde has showed he can be at a very high and similar level in le Tour, San Sebastian and la Vuelta.
Of course is a challenging goal, but he has his best performance with good weather, so he has to give everything in the summer.
By the way, weather conditions for tomorrow and friday in Romandie will be ok, so we will see his true current level this first part of the season.
PremierAndrew said:
24km of descent/flat after the top of the last climb. The likes of Froome and Quintana, will probably be able to gap the others if it is all together at the bottom of the last climb, but I can't see them staying away on the descent with the likes of Nibali and Valverde behind, and it will probably come down to a sprint.
However, I think it's even more likely that the favourites will just mark each other out and not work together well enough to bring back a break. In fact, I'd say one of the Yates brothers is a better shout for the RR for GB.
But the TT gold is definitely possible
Mayomaniac said:It will be sunny but cold, on the 2nd MTF we should once again have bad weather.Taxus4a said:rick james said:That triple is just too hard, an amazing effort to attempt it but it's just too tough
It is too hard the first time you try something similar, but I think for him no now. Everything depends hom many people and his level fo to la Vuelta fresher.
Valverde has showed he can be at a very high and similar level in le Tour, San Sebastian and la Vuelta.
Of course is a challenging goal, but he has his best performance with good weather, so he has to give everything in the summer.
By the way, weather conditions for tomorrow and friday in Romandie will be ok, so we will see his true current level this first part of the season.
I don't believe the whole thing about Froome always fading in a gt, in the 2014 Vuelta he only hit peak shape in the 3rd week, it's more a chase of not being able to hold his peak shape for a longer time in a gt.
He already tried something like that last year, he was good but not great in Romandie.
Of course you can't plan those things exactly, but he should try to peak durning the 2nd week of the Tour (Ventoux and the long ITT are probably his best chances to gain a big amout of time).
in the 2013 tour froome looked noticably stronger than in 2015 imo. on alpe d'huez he was literally toying with the field,making little attacks for fun, hugging Porte. losing a minute was all about him forgetting to eat on time. in the penultimate stage dawg didn't seem to care about win too much as well. so if we take the 2013 tour as his absolute best, I don't really think he was at 100% in 2015.Jspear said:Mayomaniac said:It will be sunny but cold, on the 2nd MTF we should once again have bad weather.Taxus4a said:rick james said:That triple is just too hard, an amazing effort to attempt it but it's just too tough
It is too hard the first time you try something similar, but I think for him no now. Everything depends hom many people and his level fo to la Vuelta fresher.
Valverde has showed he can be at a very high and similar level in le Tour, San Sebastian and la Vuelta.
Of course is a challenging goal, but he has his best performance with good weather, so he has to give everything in the summer.
By the way, weather conditions for tomorrow and friday in Romandie will be ok, so we will see his true current level this first part of the season.
I don't believe the whole thing about Froome always fading in a gt, in the 2014 Vuelta he only hit peak shape in the 3rd week, it's more a chase of not being able to hold his peak shape for a longer time in a gt.
He already tried something like that last year, he was good but not great in Romandie.
Of course you can't plan those things exactly, but he should try to peak durning the 2nd week of the Tour (Ventoux and the long ITT are probably his best chances to gain a big amout of time).
You have to look at surrounding circumstances to see why he was just peaking then. He had crashed out of the Tour and was still getting back into top shape. If you want to see how he usually is in a GT (as far as when in the GT he peaks) look at the 2013 and 2015 Tours.
To win the Tour he will have to be in tip top shape. He can't come at 95%. Whenever he is just slightly off form, he performs poorly. When he comes to the Tour in top shape he will NOT be able to hold that form through to the end of the Vuelta. He could hardly hold that form through the whole Tour in 2013 and 2015. Could things be different this year?....perhaps, but historically he isn't super in the 3rd week of the Tour.
in the 2013 tour froome looked noticably stronger than in 2015 imo. on alpe d'huez he was literally toying with the field,making little attacks for fun, hugging Porte. losing a minute was all about him forgetting to eat on time. in the penultimate stage dawg didn't seem to care about win too much as well. so if we take the 2013 tour as his absolute best, I don't really think he was at 100% in 2015.dacooley said:Jspear said:Mayomaniac said:It will be sunny but cold, on the 2nd MTF we should once again have bad weather.Taxus4a said:rick james said:That triple is just too hard, an amazing effort to attempt it but it's just too tough
It is too hard the first time you try something similar, but I think for him no now. Everything depends hom many people and his level fo to la Vuelta fresher.
Valverde has showed he can be at a very high and similar level in le Tour, San Sebastian and la Vuelta.
Of course is a challenging goal, but he has his best performance with good weather, so he has to give everything in the summer.
By the way, weather conditions for tomorrow and friday in Romandie will be ok, so we will see his true current level this first part of the season.
I don't believe the whole thing about Froome always fading in a gt, in the 2014 Vuelta he only hit peak shape in the 3rd week, it's more a chase of not being able to hold his peak shape for a longer time in a gt.
He already tried something like that last year, he was good but not great in Romandie.
Of course you can't plan those things exactly, but he should try to peak durning the 2nd week of the Tour (Ventoux and the long ITT are probably his best chances to gain a big amout of time).
You have to look at surrounding circumstances to see why he was just peaking then. He had crashed out of the Tour and was still getting back into top shape. If you want to see how he usually is in a GT (as far as when in the GT he peaks) look at the 2013 and 2015 Tours.
To win the Tour he will have to be in tip top shape. He can't come at 95%. Whenever he is just slightly off form, he performs poorly. When he comes to the Tour in top shape he will NOT be able to hold that form through to the end of the Vuelta. He could hardly hold that form through the whole Tour in 2013 and 2015. Could things be different this year?....perhaps, but historically he isn't super in the 3rd week of the Tour.
dacooley said:in the 2013 tour froome looked noticably stronger than in 2015 imo. on alpe d'huez he was literally toying with the field,making little attacks for fun, hugging Porte. losing a minute was all about him forgetting to eat on time. in the penultimate stage dawg didn't seem to care about win too much as well. so if we take the 2013 tour as his absolute best, I don't really think he was at 100% in 2015.Jspear said:Mayomaniac said:It will be sunny but cold, on the 2nd MTF we should once again have bad weather.Taxus4a said:rick james said:That triple is just too hard, an amazing effort to attempt it but it's just too tough
It is too hard the first time you try something similar, but I think for him no now. Everything depends hom many people and his level fo to la Vuelta fresher.
Valverde has showed he can be at a very high and similar level in le Tour, San Sebastian and la Vuelta.
Of course is a challenging goal, but he has his best performance with good weather, so he has to give everything in the summer.
By the way, weather conditions for tomorrow and friday in Romandie will be ok, so we will see his true current level this first part of the season.
I don't believe the whole thing about Froome always fading in a gt, in the 2014 Vuelta he only hit peak shape in the 3rd week, it's more a chase of not being able to hold his peak shape for a longer time in a gt.
He already tried something like that last year, he was good but not great in Romandie.
Of course you can't plan those things exactly, but he should try to peak durning the 2nd week of the Tour (Ventoux and the long ITT are probably his best chances to gain a big amout of time).
You have to look at surrounding circumstances to see why he was just peaking then. He had crashed out of the Tour and was still getting back into top shape. If you want to see how he usually is in a GT (as far as when in the GT he peaks) look at the 2013 and 2015 Tours.
To win the Tour he will have to be in tip top shape. He can't come at 95%. Whenever he is just slightly off form, he performs poorly. When he comes to the Tour in top shape he will NOT be able to hold that form through to the end of the Vuelta. He could hardly hold that form through the whole Tour in 2013 and 2015. Could things be different this year?....perhaps, but historically he isn't super in the 3rd week of the Tour.
TMP402 said:If Froome is seriously targeting the road race, I think you will see him attack attack attack on the flat section.