Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[glassmoon]

Re: Re:

Bookies still have Froome as marginal favourite. I just don't see it personally.

neither do I, he looks like he is labouring on the climbs and doesn't look good for next week

well he has a chance for double, 5th Tour and even a GT Grand Slam. i am pretty sure Sky will play it for his win (even if they will have to order Thomas to sit, fake trouble or mech if they have to). The only thing that can prevent it is if TD will stay too close to CHF to gamble

 

[dacooley]

get ready for froome pulling another rabbit out of his hat in the pyrenees in line with what he did in the giro. I have no clue how it's going to be executed with G going for the win, but big attempts definetely to come. that seems unavoidable. froome is too tempted (in all senses) to finish it off.

 

[Robert5091]

Stage 19 (as Sky's shareholders vote on their future) Froome attacks from top of the Tourmalet races 90 km to finish - G sits on Tommy D's wheel 5 minutes plus behind a charging, fuelling Froome. Tour/ Giro double done, onto the Vuelta!

 

[spalco]

Re:

get ready for froome pulling another rabbit out of his hat in the pyrenees in line with what he did in the giro. I have no clue how it's going to be executed with G going for the win, but big attempts definetely to come. that seems unavoidable. froome is too tempted (in all senses) to finish it off.

Froome doesn't even need a big gamble yet. If he gets 2 minutes on Thomas and 1 minute on Dumoulin, it should be enough. That's one stage where he's clearly the best; and if he can't find a single stage where he's the strongest in the peloton he doesn't deserve to win anyway.
(ok, 2 minutes on Thomas is maybe asking a bit much, that will be difficult)

 

[topcat]

Re:

Lucky for Chriss that Nibali crashed out
otherwise Sky would become toast this tour.
(takes a bow and leaves the thread)

Agreed. Lol

 

[kiszol]

Re:

Stage 19 (as Sky's shareholders vote on their future) Froome attacks from top of the Tourmalet races 90 km to finish - G sits on Tommy D's wheel 5 minutes plus behind a charging, fuelling Froome. Tour/ Giro double done, onto the Vuelta!

Why would history repeat itself? Imagination, where are you?
I think it's nearly impossible for Froome to win again ala Giro style.
It happened once, it won't happen at every race now...

 

[rick james]

Re:

Lucky for Chriss that Nibali crashed out
otherwise Sky would become toast this tour.
(takes a bow and leaves the thread)

yes, history shows Nibali can beat Froome

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

Stage 19 (as Sky's shareholders vote on their future) Froome attacks from top of the Tourmalet races 90 km to finish - G sits on Tommy D's wheel 5 minutes plus behind a charging, fuelling Froome. Tour/ Giro double done, onto the Vuelta!

Why would history repeat itself? Imagination, where are you?
I think it's nearly impossible for Froome to win again ala Giro style.
It happened once, it won't happen at every race now...

Yes, sure lesson has been learned and this time everybody is going to be ready. nonetheless, froome reaching thermonuclear shape is capable to put unsolvable tasks for pretty much anyone.

 

[Red Rick]

Tourmalet would be tactically different from Finestre, but with the strength Sky have, not impossible, and it would strongly depend on what happens behind.

 

[bigcog]

Re:

Tourmalet would be tactically different from Finestre, but with the strength Sky have, not impossible, and it would strongly depend on what happens behind.

Plus it would require Team Sky to want to do it. They may be happy with a Thomas win.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Tourmalet would be tactically different from Finestre, but with the strength Sky have, not impossible, and it would strongly depend on what happens behind.

Finestre worked because it effectively became Froome vs Dumoulin only, and if anything the ones who “helped” Dumoulin (Pinot, Reitenbach) slowed him down.

If Froome gets away on the Tourmalet alone, Dumoulin will mor than likely be with one, possibly 2 riders each from Movistar, LNL-J, AG2R, and possibly Fuglsang and Martin too. Most of those will have a motivation to chase Froome, so Dumoulin won’t be working alone. He’ll likely get caught on the Soulor and then risk getting dropped on the Aubisque.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

Tourmalet would be tactically different from Finestre, but with the strength Sky have, not impossible, and it would strongly depend on what happens behind.

Plus it would require Team Sky to want to do it. They may be happy with a Thomas win.

Plus they’re currently in yellow with a 1’50 lead over Dumoulin, not 3rd and 3’ behind; the big dis is not required at this point.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Tourmalet would be tactically different from Finestre, but with the strength Sky have, not impossible, and it would strongly depend on what happens behind.

Plus it would require Team Sky to want to do it. They may be happy with a Thomas win.

Plus they’re currently in yellow with a 1’50 lead over Dumoulin, not 3rd and 3’ behind; the big dis is not required at this point.

If Thomas does not collapse, they can cruise it home.

Stage 16 is a nothingburger, it's too easy. I think on Col de Portet Froome will get his chance to ride for himself but if he hasn't dropped Dumoulin by then and Thomas doesn't collapse that on the stage to Laruns Sky will fully support Thomas.

If anything Roglic has more options to try a big move than Dumoulin.

 

[Poursuivant]

Re:

ok, watched the highlights from ITV this morning, why the hell did Thomas jump on Froomes wheel when he attacked? he should have sat on Toms wheel

This is what he will do for the rest of the week now, I don’t see How Froome wins, outside of a Yates esque collapse, which is unlikely.

 

[huge]

Thomas would be totally dumb to just hand over the Tour to CF.
A once in a lifetime chance... all the narrative on they working together and not against each other will collapse the next two stages.

 

[King Boonen]

Until Froome puts himself in a position where Dumoulin is out of sight there’s no way Sky will sacrifice Gee. Bottom line they want to the win, be that with Froome or Thomas.

 

[Matteo.]

froome will have his chance in stage 17. i expect the all in on the second climb or on the first slopes of col du portet

 

[pastronef]

chatting and laughing with Thomas in the last km today

 

[del1962]

chatting and laughing with Thomas in the last km today

watch your friends even more than your enemies G

 

[Serpentin]

I really can`t see Froome "give" a tour win to G, friends or not. He will attack him no doubt. And harder and from further out than before. And before the TT. I can`t see it in another way.

 

[Lequack]

Yeah it's all fine working and wining as a team and all that, but obviously Froome also wants to win individually for himself. And having G win now might also rearrange the pecking order in the team.

 

[del1962]

Re:

Yeah it's all fine working and wining as a team and all that, but obviously Froome also wants to win individually for himself. And having G win now might also rearrange the pecking order in the team.

I doubt a G win would re-arrange the pecking order, its more about the double and 5 wins

 

[kiszol]

I really can`t see Froome "give" a tour win to G, friends or not. He will attack him no doubt. And harder and from further out than before. And before the TT. I can`t see it in another way.

Yeah, he must attack. And Stage 17 is way too hard to think this is a done deal already. Whichever rider is the strongest from the TOP4 might win the race on Col du Portet.

 

[mrbadog]

Sky will want Froome to attack and gain big time. The nightmare scenario for them is Thomas having his usual “jour sans” and dropping out of contention, then Dumoulin gaining 30 sec on Froome in ITT and winning. They need to have Froome 90-120 sec ahead of TD to insure that one of their riders will win.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Sky will want Froome to attack and gain big time. The nightmare scenario for them is Thomas having his usual “jour sans” and dropping out of contention, then Dumoulin gaining 30 sec on Froome in ITT and winning. They need to have Froome 90-120 sec ahead of TD to insure that one of their riders will win.

If Froome is more than 40s ahead of Dumoulin going into Saturday, I think he will be fine. He may well lose less, but to be safe he needs to find 30s somewhere over the coming days. He doesn’t need 2 minutes.

This is of course providing Thomas does indeed have his bad day.