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Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

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Is Froome over the hill?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 26 35.1%
  • No, the GC finished 40 minutes ago but Froomie is still climbing it

    Votes: 42 56.8%
  • No he is totally winning the Vuelta

    Votes: 17 23.0%

  • Total voters
    74
It's a dilemma, Froome, Thomas and Bernal are all champions. And for various reaons of these three, Froome is probably the one Ineos is least connected with. But he's still the most accomplished rider in the team (and the peloton, other than arguably Nibali). I agree with Rui Machado, Froome should be #1. Ineos owes him that.
 
It's a dilemma, Froome, Thomas and Bernal are all champions. And for various reaons of these three, Froome is probably the one Ineos is least connected with. But he's still the most accomplished rider in the team (and the peloton, other than arguably Nibali). I agree with Rui Machado, Froome should be #1. Ineos owes him that.


This isn't Unzue and Movistar, this is Brailsford and Ineos. They will go with whom they think gives them the best chance to win and will and have done that in the past. In pro sports, it's mostly what have you done for me/us lately. It's rare that a team/owner/coach ever thinks they owe an athlete much of anything.
 
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It's a dilemma, Froome, Thomas and Bernal are all champions. And for various reaons of these three, Froome is probably the one Ineos is least connected with. But he's still the most accomplished rider in the team (and the peloton, other than arguably Nibali). I agree with Rui Machado, Froome should be #1. Ineos owes him that.
I think Froome owes Ineos more than Ineos owes Froome.
 
I don't think they owe Froome anything either. This is the same team that pushed Wiggins out and didn't want to support Cavendish because it had no factor on overall win besides maybe tiring riders out. Froome had a big injury, older, and hasn't raced in a longer time compared to others. The races being pushed back could even the lack of racing if his rivals haven't trained as hard. Further you have a young rider that won the Tour and should be getting better plus a darkhorse that won it before. I think they should bring him because he has value but they don't owe him. Plus think how that'll look to their young talent.
 
I don't think they owe Froome anything either. This is the same team that pushed Wiggins out and didn't want to support Cavendish because it had no factor on overall win besides maybe tiring riders out. Froome had a big injury, older, and hasn't raced in a longer time compared to others. The races being pushed back could even the lack of racing if his rivals haven't trained as hard. Further you have a young rider that won the Tour and should be getting better plus a darkhorse that won it before. I think they should bring him because he has value but they don't owe him. Plus think how that'll look to their young talent.

Or he could have over trained as well, while other riders were treating the early part of the lock down as off season and only maintain a base level.
 
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I'm looking forward to the moment in the first big mountain stage when Sivakov or whoever the last domestique is peels off, and Bernal Thomas and Froome all look at each other and say - who pulls now?

Honestly I wouldn't be suprised if Froome attacks or is the first to attack out of his team. They could ride like Astana in 09 but then who will be Contador, Armstrong, and Kloden? Results wise I think it will be Bernal, Thomas, and Froome in GC placement barring injury. Side bet, Ineos ot TLJ who's 3 leaders will finish better places on GC.
 
I don't think they owe Froome anything either. This is the same team that pushed Wiggins out and didn't want to support Cavendish because it had no factor on overall win besides maybe tiring riders out. Froome had a big injury, older, and hasn't raced in a longer time compared to others. The races being pushed back could even the lack of racing if his rivals haven't trained as hard. Further you have a young rider that won the Tour and should be getting better plus a darkhorse that won it before. I think they should bring him because he has value but they don't owe him. Plus think how that'll look to their young talent.
They probably dont. Still I'm very surprised to see it happen if it does. I had thought no matter how good or bad Froome would be right now, his best shot or in case if that's no shot, his best contract would be with Ineos.
 
Even if they don't have him as leader, Froome brings something that the likes of Sivakov or Amador don't and that's fear. The other riders fear Froome while he is still in contention. If Froome moves, they move and that is something Ineos can use. If Sivakov moves the other riders shrug their shoulders (for now, maybe they shouldn't)
 
It's a dilemma, Froome, Thomas and Bernal are all champions. And for various reaons of these three, Froome is probably the one Ineos is least connected with. But he's still the most accomplished rider in the team (and the peloton, other than arguably Nibali). I agree with Rui Machado, Froome should be #1. Ineos owes him that.
They owed him and paid him handsomely.

I pretty much agree with what others have said but I want to emphasize the Bermal factor. If they screw this up enough, this could be the last year he races for them, contract or no. Anyway, I think they're too smart to mess that up. In sport, when you've got a chance to go from "the man" to the next "the man" you take it.
 
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You have to be a little bit delusional to have/expect the latest two winners of the TDF, ride as domestiques for the guy who won 3 years ago, is now 35, and has had a serious (possibly career ending) crash and hasn't raced since then.

There's nothing you owe in pro sports. You do whatever you think gives you the best shot at winning (hopefully within the rules). Anything else is romantic fans building their narratives.
That s what i said, everybody agrees with me that the best rider between thomas,bernal and froome, if all of them are at 100%, it s froome, so he is their best shot and should be the leader. But, i repeat, if froome recovers. If not, bernal should be the leader. Ineos will know before the tour, who is in best shape, they will have the numbers of froome and bernal. After that, they just have to chose the leader, and the other should be domestique.
 
That s what i said, everybody agrees with me that the best rider between thomas,bernal and froome, if all of them are at 100%, it s froome, so he is their best shot and should be the leader. But, i repeat, if froome recovers. If not, bernal should be the leader. Ineos will know before the tour, who is in best shape, they will have the numbers of froome and bernal. After that, they just have to chose the leader, and the other should be domestique.

We don't know what Froome's 100% can be anymore.
 
That s what i said, everybody agrees with me that the best rider between thomas,bernal and froome, if all of them are at 100%, it s froome, so he is their best shot and should be the leader. But, i repeat, if froome recovers. If not, bernal should be the leader. Ineos will know before the tour, who is in best shape, they will have the numbers of froome and bernal. After that, they just have to chose the leader, and the other should be domestique.


i thing they already have...
 
I'm looking forward to the moment in the first big mountain stage when Sivakov or whoever the last domestique is peels off, and Bernal Thomas and Froome all look at each other and say - who pulls now?
You've seen this play out at the last Tour and the one prior. Bernal can accelerate away from the others. He could do it before Froome was hurt in 2018 but instead took some turns to keep him in contact. Froome chased Thomas who had Dumolin on the ropes and GT was smart and strong enough to turn the last 2km into a track pursuit; taking the stage and valuable time. Froome was effectively done then.
Last year Geraint attempted the same strategy and Bernal had only Pinot to worry about. We're all still wondering how a full length Tour without Pinot's injury would have played out....All things being equal; Bernal is the best suited to a climber's Tour. The other two won't have the luxury of sitting until the last domestique pulls off as the competition has gotten better and will be even more aggressive.
 

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