Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Bonimenier]

But if he believes he is strong enough to win, only Ineos will not support him enough (I'm pretty sure they would support him if he was for instance Top 3 in the Dauphiné or showing on stage 2 that he's very strong again or something. After all he's already a legend in the general public, Bernal is one only in Colombia) - so if that is his believe, why would he go to Israel? Why not give up on the money and go to a team that looks like it can support him? I'm sure there must be other offers if he's putting the sportive aims above everything?

Israel and their owner seem quite ambitious though. I'm sure if they manage to sign Froome that they will try to sign some good domestics for next year.

 

[tobydawq]

Apart from UAE, Israel Startup Nation is the only team to have the maximum of 30 riders on their roster. I would imagine that is another hurdle (or maybe they can just fire one of their token Israelians).

 

[Koronin]

Apart from UAE, Israel Startup Nation is the only team to have the maximum of 30 riders on their roster. I would imagine that is another hurdle (or maybe they can just fire one of their token Israelians).

That does become an interesting question. No idea what the UCI rules on that are.

 

[Parker]

I'm not sure which outcome to root for in terms of my personal entertainment: 1) added excitement with Froome on Israel Cycling going on wild 50km-out attacks or perhaps getting away in the mountains with other non-Ineos/non-JV long-shots, or 2) the excitement from possible internal infighting at Ineos if Froome is more highly placed than Bernal or Thomas early in the Tour. He eventually slowed down for Wiggins on team orders back in whenever, not sure he would do so this year? As Bonimenier just mentioned, maybe that's what Ineos is concerned about.

If you're a Hollywood screenwriter, you have to go with option 1. The great champ, brought down by terrible injury, rejected by his evil boss. He finds refuge with a rag-tag team of misfits. He moulds them into a competitive outfit and triumphs against the money bags empire.

Ryan Gosling plays Froome
JK Simmons as Brailsford
Dustin Hoffman as Sylvan Adams
Iwan Rheon as Geraint Thomas
Saoirse Ronan as Dan Martin - she can pull it off

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That does become an interesting question. No idea what the UCI rules on that are.

Roman Kireyev - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Mayomaniac]

That does become an interesting question. No idea what the UCI rules on that are.

Can't they just send one of their younger guys down to their ct team if it happen?

 

[Merckx index]

I thought Ineos had to approve of any in-season transfer, and that they had stated previously that they were keeping Froome.

 

[Bonimenier]

I thought Ineos had to approve of any in-season transfer, and that they had stated previously that they were keeping Froome.

Yeah, they do, but for the right price they will, I suppose.

 

[Summoned]

I'm not sure which outcome to root for in terms of my personal entertainment: 1) added excitement with Froome on Israel Cycling going on wild 50km-out attacks or perhaps getting away in the mountains with other non-Ineos/non-JV long-shots, or 2) the excitement from possible internal infighting at Ineos if Froome is more highly placed than Bernal or Thomas early in the Tour. He eventually slowed down for Wiggins on team orders back in whenever, not sure he would do so this year? As Bonimenier just mentioned, maybe that's what Ineos is concerned about.

On second thought, I will just continue to root for the race actually happening and reaching completion. I'm already having to face a long summer mostly at home without a baseball season

As far as 50K attacks go, this is probably the worst possible edition of the Tour for Froome to need to make such a choice, as the other teams are going to be better-suited than usual to have a rider available to go with Froome because so many teams are expected to put multiple GC contenders and super-domestiques on their Tour squads. And Dumoulin knows better than anyone the risks of not putting someone in position to go with Froome.

 

[spalco]

I think the amount of money for the salary Israel cycling are offering is stupid because Froome hasn't proven he's recovered from the injuries. However, trying to sign him for media coverage to advance their goal of cycling growth would definitely be helped. On the Ineos side, it sounds like they haven't even offered him a contract at any price range. It also appears Froome is number 3 for the Tour. This would lead one to believe Inoes doesn't have much confidence in him.

It's possible ISN has an extra sponsor for hiring Froome or something and the money doesn't matter.

Froome wants to ride one race a year, everything else is for ISN to do whatever they were doing anyway. If such a hiring didn't bust their budget, I think at worst it's a wash.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

It's possible ISN has an extra sponsor for hiring Froome or something and the money doesn't matter.

Froome wants to ride one race a year, everything else is for ISN to do whatever they were doing anyway. If such a hiring didn't bust their budget, I think at worst it's a wash.

but i can't imagine that he can do it alone.. if they go for him they/he should bring +1(or +2) good helper.. and if so, replace +1 more people there and making it even more difficult for this year..

 

[Jungle Cycle]

Lefevere “no invertiría en Froome” y cuenta por qué no fichó a Contador

Por @pmpalermo Para algunos puede ser la pieza que falte de cara a crear un nuevo proyecto. Para otros, con más experiencia en el ciclismo, fichar Chris Froome sería una locura. Y Patrick Lefevere …

www.ciclismointernacional.com

 

[Rui Machado]

I could believe that froome goes to Israel team if they really offered 5 millions per year, and that they will bring 1 or 2 climbers to help froome, maybe nieve.

 

[Rui Machado]

I could believe that froome goes to Israel team if they really offered 5 millions per year, and that they will bring 1 or 2 climbers to help froome, maybe nieve.

Daniel martin, nieve,navarro and 1 more good climber is enough to help froome.

 

[Koronin]

Daniel martin, nieve,navarro and 1 more good climber is enough to help froome.

Dan Martin, like Valverde, is a puncheur. Puncheur's do not make for good climbing helpers. They are great for getting stage wins, but very poor as helpers. The type of climbs they are great at are the type that helpers aren't useful. Puncheurs are in their playground on very steep varied gradient climbs where it's everyone for themselves. They aren't as good good on the long steady climbers where the helpers are the most important. The best way D Martin could be used as a help is being there in the final selection and attacking. A puncheur is likely to make a better helper in a sprint train than they will make as a climbing helper.

 

[Koronin]

It's possible ISN has an extra sponsor for hiring Froome or something and the money doesn't matter.

Froome wants to ride one race a year, everything else is for ISN to do whatever they were doing anyway. If such a hiring didn't bust their budget, I think at worst it's a wash.

Hiring Froome would be for nothing but media attention/publicity without knowing if he's recovered physically from his injuries and without racing there is no way to know if he has or not.

Can't they just send one of their younger guys down to their ct team if it happen?

No idea.

 

[tobydawq]

Dan Martin, like Valverde, is a puncheur. Puncheur's do not make for good climbing helpers. They are great for getting stage wins, but very poor as helpers. The type of climbs they are great at are the type that helpers aren't useful. Puncheurs are in their playground on very steep varied gradient climbs where it's everyone for themselves. They aren't as good good on the long steady climbers where the helpers are the most important. The best way D Martin could be used as a help is being there in the final selection and attacking. A puncheur is likely to make a better helper in a sprint train than they will make as a climbing helper.

Do you even believe that yourself? If Dan Martin is willing to be a helper for Froome, he could obviously do a very good job.

 

[Koronin]

Do you even believe that yourself? If Dan Martin is willing to be a helper for Froome, he could obviously do a very good job.

Decent helper, but punchuers are never going to be the best of helpers due to their own abilities.

 

[Sciatic]

As far as 50K attacks go, this is probably the worst possible edition of the Tour for Froome to need to make such a choice, as the other teams are going to be better-suited than usual to have a rider available to go with Froome because so many teams are expected to put multiple GC contenders and super-domestiques on their Tour squads. And Dumoulin knows better than anyone the risks of not putting someone in position to go with Froome.

Solid point: I was mostly thinking fancifully about outlandish scenarios, but even in this strange year, it’s still the Tour, which is more predictable—less outlandish.

 

[tobydawq]

Decent helper, but punchuers are never going to be the best of helpers due to their own abilities.

Yes they will. Just think of Kwiatkowski. Good puncheur, extraordinary mountain train wagon.

And Dan Martin isn't just a puncheur (Valverde isn't either) and can obviously defend himself on long mountains...

 

[Koronin]

Yes they will. Just think of Kwiatkowski. Good puncheur, extraordinary mountain train wagon.

And Dan Martin isn't just a puncheur (Valverde isn't either) and can obviously defend himself on long mountains...

Yes they can defend themselves, but they need to climb those at their own pace to do so. That doesn't necessarily relate to be able to be a good mountain helper.

 

[Blanco]

Dan Martin, like Valverde, is a puncheur. Puncheur's do not make for good climbing helpers. They are great for getting stage wins, but very poor as helpers. The type of climbs they are great at are the type that helpers aren't useful. Puncheurs are in their playground on very steep varied gradient climbs where it's everyone for themselves. They aren't as good good on the long steady climbers where the helpers are the most important. The best way D Martin could be used as a help is being there in the final selection and attacking. A puncheur is likely to make a better helper in a sprint train than they will make as a climbing helper.

And this of course is not true at all!
Both Valverde and Dan Martin are not exclusively puncheurs, but also very good climbers, specially Valverde who during his career won on more than 20 mountain tops.
Valverde is also vey good in mountain ITT's,, so he can pace himself pretty good on the climbs.
Both Valverde and Dan Martin are much, much better as mountain doms than in the sprint train, although Valverde can be very useful there too, but he's a special case.
But let's get back on main topic of this thread.

 

[Koronin]

And this of course is not true at all!
Both Valverde and Dan Martin are not exclusively puncheurs, but also very good climbers, specially Valverde who during his career won on more than 20 mountain tops.
Valverde is also vey good in mountain ITT's,, so he can pace himself pretty good on the climbs.
Both Valverde and Dan Martin are much, much better as mountain doms than in the sprint train, although Valverde can be very useful there too, but he's a special case.
But let's get back on main topic of this thread.

Being able to pace yourself and being a helper are not the same thing.

ISU will need more climbing helpers or Froome would just have to latch onto another team's train. Pointed out, ISU doesn't exactly have any openings on their roster currently to add Froome let along climbing helpers without firing/moving to people somewhere else.

 

[Rui Machado]

Being able to pace yourself and being a helper are not the same thing.

ISU will need more climbing helpers or Froome would just have to latch onto another team's train. Pointed out, ISU doesn't exactly have any openings on their roster currently to add Froome let along climbing helpers without firing/moving to people somewhere else.

If froome is really going to isu, probably he have the guarantee that they will buy some climbers. The most important thing is that froome recovers from is injurys, and returns to is best shape, that s the most difficult thing, but if that happens, no one is at their level, and a couple of climbers, like martin, navarro and maybe nivel, is the enough to win the tour, even if ineos or jumbo have better team.

 

[Rui Machado]

If froome is really going to isu, probably he have the guarantee that they will buy some climbers. The most important thing is that froome recovers from is injurys, and returns to is best shape, that s the most difficult thing, but if that happens, no one is at their level, and a couple of climbers, like martin, navarro and maybe nivel, is the enough to win the tour, even if ineos or jumbo have better team.

Nieve*