Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[cantpedal]

Re:

Odds on Froome riding Paris-Roubaix before the end of his career?

I mean, I think he will get spanked but I also think he actually has the competitive spirit to have a go

If he gave up on GTs and put on power / weight he'd be respectable. I'm not saying he'd win but he'd be up in the standings for sure.

 

[TomLPC]

Re:

He can try, but he has about as good a chance as Mark Cavendish.

Yes probably, I think this TDF he sort of seemed a bit self conscious, looking to prove something regarding his legacy, not that it wasn't entertaining to see. That huge deal he made about the combativity award in Romandie as well, I can see it coming back to bite him in the future, as it almost did on the descent in the penultimate stage of the tour, but until then it will be interesting to watch.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

He can try, but he has about as good a chance as Mark Cavendish.

All he needs is a better finishing position than Wiggins.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Valverde ruining my enjoyment for the Giro and Froome for the Vuelta. The Armstrong era is looking very good right about now. At least he only ruined one race.

And why the **** are they giving Landa so many chances? Why not Poels? Being a Sky domestique must really pay well because that's all you're getting from that team if your name is not Froome.

How did Valverde ruin your enjoyment for the Giro?

By showing up. I hate cyclists who act like nice guys when they're not. He's insincere and you'd be hard pressed to get an honest answer out of him. I much prefer someone like Nibali then who says some stupid *** from time to time, but at least you can see he's being honest. Valverde is just boring on and off the bike. You can't get any drama out of him, he'll just tell you what you want to hear like a true politician. Contador is like this as well, but at least he's entertaining on the bike, which is the most important thing.

I still remember Nibali being frustrated when Contador was toying with him on the Monte Zoncolan, saying it was disrespectful. Was that a stupid thing to say? Yeah, but at least he didn't hold back his frustration or bruised ego. He caused some commotion and we need more of that in cycling (not the kind caused by crashes or doping though). Or when he just flat out stated that Aru was an angry little man that should listen to him. The start of a rivalry! The rivalries between Bartali-Coppi and Moser-Saronni are legendary. Or what about Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens. We don't have that in today's cycling anymore.

Hopefully Aru and Nibali get into some heated battles in the future, both on and off the bike.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

2014 Vuelta ws always in the planning I think, and wasn't the 2011 Giro already decided before the whole clinic saga?

What clinic saga and why do you refer to it?

You know, when Contador tested positive, was cleared at the beginning of 2011 and raced the Giro. It seems kind of relevant to the discussion because the CAS court date was originally set after the Giro, before the Tour.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Odds on Froome riding Paris-Roubaix before the end of his career?

I mean, I think he will get spanked but I also think he actually has the competitive spirit to have a go

Froome already rode Paris Roubaix or so he told me when i asked if he would ride it...its covered in his autobiography

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Odds on Froome riding Paris-Roubaix before the end of his career?

I mean, I think he will get spanked but I also think he actually has the competitive spirit to have a go

Froome already rode Paris Roubaix or so he told me when i asked if he would ride it...its covered in his autobiography

He did P-R and several other cobbled races in '08. He DNF'd in that race but came 22nd in Scheldeprijs two weeks before coming 5th in the Vuelta a Asturias ITT, 30 secs ahead of... Juan José Cobo! He also took Jonathan Castroviejo's scalp that day.

Unrelatedly, Froome appears to have used a phone during Stage 21:

 

[infeXio]

Re: Re:

2014 Vuelta ws always in the planning I think, and wasn't the 2011 Giro already decided before the whole clinic saga?

Now that I think about it, I think you are right. The grand idiot that was Riis told everyone that Contador would win all 3 GTs in 2011, so that was in the plans for sure.

Riis never mentioned 2011 in particular for the GT grand slam... Upon signing Contador, he merely stated that he'd like for Contador to try it at some point within the span of his contract.

Regarding the 2011 Giro, it was already in april 2010 stated by Zomegnan that Contador would ride it. Though, naturally that was before Contador switched teams, but the alledged plans were rumoured for quite a while before Contador ever signed for Riis.

 

[Ataraxus]

Re: Re:

Valverde ruining my enjoyment for the Giro and Froome for the Vuelta. The Armstrong era is looking very good right about now. At least he only ruined one race.

And why the **** are they giving Landa so many chances? Why not Poels? Being a Sky domestique must really pay well because that's all you're getting from that team if your name is not Froome.

How did Valverde ruin your enjoyment for the Giro?

By showing up. I hate cyclists who act like nice guys when they're not. He's insincere and you'd be hard pressed to get an honest answer out of him. I much prefer someone like Nibali then who says some stupid **** from time to time, but at least you can see he's being honest. Valverde is just boring on and off the bike. You can't get any drama out of him, he'll just tell you what you want to hear like a true politician. Contador is like this as well, but at least he's entertaining on the bike, which is the most important thing.

I still remember Nibali being frustrated when Contador was toying with him on the Monte Zoncolan, saying it was disrespectful. Was that a stupid thing to say? Yeah, but at least he didn't hold back his frustration or bruised ego. He caused some commotion and we need more of that in cycling (not the kind caused by crashes or doping though). Or when he just flat out stated that Aru was an angry little man that should listen to him. The start of a rivalry! The rivalries between Bartali-Coppi and Moser-Saronni are legendary. Or what about Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens. We don't have that in today's cycling anymore.

Hopefully Aru and Nibali get into some heated battles in the future, both on and off the bike.

Valverde after Bagneres de Luchon stage:

“The other GC contenders started to work when it was too late; everyone wants to win the Tour, but in the end, we always end up working alone. Froome took a beautiful victory - hats off to him.

Not that I disagree with you, but for once he included Nibaliesque stupid **** and sounds pretty sincere to me in that statement.

 

[PatrickLeeds]

Re: Re:

Unrelatedly, Froome appears to have used a phone during Stage 21:

If he had had an App that made you a faster rider that might be a biggy...if it wasn't stage 21. why on earth are 'phones still banned in the age of Radio?? To stop him placing a bet in play? To prevent them madly swerving to try and catch a Pokemon??

But I am sure I saw the Sky riders swigging beer from Glass bottles on stage 21? I understood Glass containers of any sort were strictly verboten.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Valverde ruining my enjoyment for the Giro and Froome for the Vuelta. The Armstrong era is looking very good right about now. At least he only ruined one race.

And why the **** are they giving Landa so many chances? Why not Poels? Being a Sky domestique must really pay well because that's all you're getting from that team if your name is not Froome.

How did Valverde ruin your enjoyment for the Giro?

By showing up. I hate cyclists who act like nice guys when they're not. He's insincere and you'd be hard pressed to get an honest answer out of him. I much prefer someone like Nibali then who says some stupid **** from time to time, but at least you can see he's being honest. Valverde is just boring on and off the bike. You can't get any drama out of him, he'll just tell you what you want to hear like a true politician. Contador is like this as well, but at least he's entertaining on the bike, which is the most important thing.

I still remember Nibali being frustrated when Contador was toying with him on the Monte Zoncolan, saying it was disrespectful. Was that a stupid thing to say? Yeah, but at least he didn't hold back his frustration or bruised ego. He caused some commotion and we need more of that in cycling (not the kind caused by crashes or doping though). Or when he just flat out stated that Aru was an angry little man that should listen to him. The start of a rivalry! The rivalries between Bartali-Coppi and Moser-Saronni are legendary. Or what about Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens. We don't have that in today's cycling anymore.

Hopefully Aru and Nibali get into some heated battles in the future, both on and off the bike.

Lol.

 

[barmaher]

Re: Re:

Valverde ruining my enjoyment for the Giro and Froome for the Vuelta. The Armstrong era is looking very good right about now. At least he only ruined one race.

And why the **** are they giving Landa so many chances? Why not Poels? Being a Sky domestique must really pay well because that's all you're getting from that team if your name is not Froome.

How did Valverde ruin your enjoyment for the Giro?

By showing up. I hate cyclists who act like nice guys when they're not. He's insincere and you'd be hard pressed to get an honest answer out of him. I much prefer someone like Nibali then who says some stupid **** from time to time, but at least you can see he's being honest. Valverde is just boring on and off the bike. You can't get any drama out of him, he'll just tell you what you want to hear like a true politician. Contador is like this as well, but at least he's entertaining on the bike, which is the most important thing.

I still remember Nibali being frustrated when Contador was toying with him on the Monte Zoncolan, saying it was disrespectful. Was that a stupid thing to say? Yeah, but at least he didn't hold back his frustration or bruised ego. He caused some commotion and we need more of that in cycling (not the kind caused by crashes or doping though). Or when he just flat out stated that Aru was an angry little man that should listen to him. The start of a rivalry! The rivalries between Bartali-Coppi and Moser-Saronni are legendary. Or what about Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens. We don't have that in today's cycling anymore.

Hopefully Aru and Nibali get into some heated battles in the future, both on and off the bike.

The Wiggins Froome rivalry was just as funny, too.

 

[SeriousSam]

All three of Froome's Tour victories (4 in the counterfactual world in which he leads Sky in 2012) were preceded with doing the Vuelta in the previous year.

My guess is that this a major reason as to why Froome will do the Vuelta this year too. However, since he's the greatest and boldest GT rider since Armstrong, he'll try be attacking and trying to win it too, even if it's unlikely he can recover from the Tour, the crits and the Olympics in Rio.

Would be fun if he rode the Vuelta with a gold medal around his neck

 

[cantpedal]

Re: Re:

Valverde ruining my enjoyment for the Giro and Froome for the Vuelta. The Armstrong era is looking very good right about now. At least he only ruined one race.

And why the **** are they giving Landa so many chances? Why not Poels? Being a Sky domestique must really pay well because that's all you're getting from that team if your name is not Froome.

How did Valverde ruin your enjoyment for the Giro?

By showing up. I hate cyclists who act like nice guys when they're not. He's insincere and you'd be hard pressed to get an honest answer out of him. I much prefer someone like Nibali then who says some stupid **** from time to time, but at least you can see he's being honest. Valverde is just boring on and off the bike. You can't get any drama out of him, he'll just tell you what you want to hear like a true politician. Contador is like this as well, but at least he's entertaining on the bike, which is the most important thing.

I still remember Nibali being frustrated when Contador was toying with him on the Monte Zoncolan, saying it was disrespectful. Was that a stupid thing to say? Yeah, but at least he didn't hold back his frustration or bruised ego. He caused some commotion and we need more of that in cycling (not the kind caused by crashes or doping though). Or when he just flat out stated that Aru was an angry little man that should listen to him. The start of a rivalry! The rivalries between Bartali-Coppi and Moser-Saronni are legendary. Or what about Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens. We don't have that in today's cycling anymore.

Hopefully Aru and Nibali get into some heated battles in the future, both on and off the bike.

The Wiggins Froome rivalry was just as funny, too.

Nibs and Froome have had a few moments with Froome actually getting on the Astana bus to sort him out at one point

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

2014 Vuelta ws always in the planning I think, and wasn't the 2011 Giro already decided before the whole clinic saga?

Now that I think about it, I think you are right. The grand idiot that was Riis told everyone that Contador would win all 3 GTs in 2011, so that was in the plans for sure.

That Contador, especially the one in '09 would have easily done any double he wished for, he was far far above anyone else. So i don't think that's stupid to think it's possible, not with that Contador.


If Astana didn't have all that trouble in '09, i think contador would have easily done and won the vuelta that year. He did 2 serious attacks in the tour, what a terrible tour that was, not as bad as this year though

 

[rick james]

Lol 09 contador bingo

 

[trucido]

When can one see this '09 Contador do the double? Next year?

 

[Taxus4a]

I am quite surprised Froome gots better results is one day races before 2011 than after when he is a more known rider.

12th in a hard classic day of this level is not a bad result, anyway.

He was wrog to change the bike, although they did a very good cobblle sections with the other bike.. at least compared to Porte...

 

[Red Rick]

Froome surprised me today. I expected he'd do better. It seemd like he ran completely empty at the end, as Alaphillipe did make it to the front group and he got dropped by Costa in the end.

I have no idea what this could mean for the TT though. I have to say he was definitely better than Tom Dumoulin today

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Dumoulin didn't try and never intended to try today since the decision was made yesterday to do nothing.. so that's a weird comparison

 

[Red Rick]

I'm not serious obviously

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Froome surprised me today. I expected he'd do better. It seemd like he ran completely empty at the end, as Alaphillipe did make it to the front group and he got dropped by Costa in the end.

I have no idea what this could mean for the TT though. I have to say he was definitely better than Tom Dumoulin today

He was here to win and he sprinted and won a faster man as Dan Martin for 12th. Watchinng the kind of names at the end, to be there with a Lieje ad Lombardie winer is good. I expected a different race, but the climb was no so selective, the first part of the race was most important.

 

[movingtarget]

I wonder if Froome will still do the Vuelta now. I think a few riders will be thinking the same thing.

 

[samhocking]

You saw how marked Froome was, he was even having to let huge gaps open up, just so riders would come past him so he could drop back into the bunch. The favourites had their eye on Froome too much I thought and paid for it. For Nibali, Valverde, Rodriguez, they all worried more than others as Froome in some ways ended up a being a bit of a spare passenger, much like Sagan is when marked out of the race or Cancellera & Boonen used to be too. This is the great thing with one day racing, the strongest sometimes can't win, no matter how hard they try unlike stage racing.

Personally, Froome should have tried to bridge upto Thomas and used his strength with him, but easy to say in hindsight.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Not sure what race you watched, but Froome definitely wasn't the strongest.