Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Poursuivant]

Looked better today.

 

[Oldermanish]

What's to know ? He missed a lot of racing and training and had a serious accident....................he will probably be improving near the end of the season.

This is more likely and possibly better next year. I don't think he's too old but recovery from this injury will take time after being off the bike as long as he was.

 

[dutchdescent]

Looked better today.

agree. It will probably not be enough but it's pretty admirable he is this far with his recovery and training after what happened.

 

[Poursuivant]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1292490537057083392

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/1292490537057083392

 

[CyclistAbi]

Hard to say as TJV is obviously in Tour form already, Ineos on the other hand likely still gradually building up the form. Today Froome performed good. If he can add to it, on Critérium du Dauphiné, then likely his place in the Ineos Tour squad is secured.

 

[Oldermanish]

Hard to say as TJV is obviously in Tour form already, Ineos on the other hand likely still gradually building up the form. Today Froome performed good. If he can add to it, on Critérium du Dauphiné, then likely his place in the Ineos Tour squad is secured.

Dumoulin, Domoulin, Domoulin…..he'll get stronger.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Likely, but as this is Froome thread, the same can be said for Froome.

 

[CTQ]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...-from-final-stage-of-tour-de-lain-2020-462336


"While many are speculating about Froome’s fitness for the Tour de France later this month, these power numbers show he is still capable of some mind-blowing rides."

 

[Ted Striker]

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...-from-final-stage-of-tour-de-lain-2020-462336


"While many are speculating about Froome’s fitness for the Tour de France later this month, these power numbers show he is still capable of some mind-blowing rides."

I’d prefer him at the tour but he hasn’t show the form so far to suggest he’ll be there

 

[Red Rick]

He pulled off while there were the same 10 dudes left as when he started pulling. He's better than I thought the day before, but it's not exactly mind blowing.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Froome (almost) did drop Bernal. Critérium du Dauphiné should give the final answer. Still, on Critérium du Dauphiné Froome should likely be compared to his teammates, not to TJV riders. Both teams use different strategy, when it comes to "bulking" for the Tour.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Thomas may have soft pedaled as it was his first race in many months, however Froome was clearly going wayyyyy into the red, seemingly wanting to make things difficult for Bernal. Seemed a bit odd to me, seeing as it's such a minor race.

Would be quite shocking if Froome could ride a GC at the Dauphiné. Can't rule it out though since it's Froome and INEOS we're talking about, but I don't expect it to happen.

 

[Jspear]

I’d rule it out.....Froome could fully start the CD with the idea in his mind of going for GC but that will quickly change once they’re in the mountains. He won’t be able to begin to keep up with Roglic and Quintana that quickly.

 

[Red Rick]

A bad Froome is the best chance for action I see for stage 2 of the Tour

 

[Red Rick]

I’d rule it out.....Froome could fully start the CD with the idea in his mind of going for GC but that will quickly change once they’re in the mountains. He won’t be able to begin to keep up with Roglic and Quintana that quickly.

Every Dauphine stage is a mountain stage.

 

[Jspear]

Every Dauphine stage is a mountain stage.

Correct

 

[Escarabajo]

Froome (almost) did drop Bernal. Critérium du Dauphiné should give the final answer. Still, on Critérium du Dauphiné Froome should likely be compared to his teammates, not to TJV riders. Both teams use different strategy, when it comes to "bulking" for the Tour.

What are you talking about?
Nothing happened yesterday. Nothing. Froome is improving his form just like Thomas as well. I am not surprised at all.

 

[spalco]

Froome at least pretends to be very tranquilo for now.

I agree though that his form is questionable. I would expect that after what he's been through he would have tried to get to peak form earlier than usual. Does he even know for sure himself if he can get back to 100%?

He may get taken to the Tour regardless of what happens in the Dauphine, I don't know, but if he doesn't show up there, I wouldn't be confident of his chances to even challenge the contenders.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I am talking about Froome, his current form and chances to make it in the Ineos Tour squad. That is Froome didn't perform all that bad yesterday, compared to the Bernal. That was my point.

 

[Red Rick]

The biggest problem for Froome is the route. It's so hard he needs to not just be good/solid, but be on even ground in the mountains as Bernal.

2016/2017/most of 2018 climbing mostly doesn't cut it either.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Critérium du Dauphiné is such a suitable race, to determine the final strategy. It lasts long enough, one team likely won't be able to dominate the whole race, all stages end in a way they will expose favorites on the Tour.

 

[pink_jersey]

Froome really needs a incredible performance a la Pierre St Martin/Ax 3 to win the Tour and I'm not sure he still has it in him. Bernal and Roglic are tougher than any opponent he faced.
He should've been in better shape by now.

 

[memyselfandI]

I think Ineos could be fine with Froome in the team, if they can give him some slack in the first half and let him race steady to peak condition. Everybody knows he only improves during the race and may come out very valuable during last quarter. If he stays upright. If JV is peaked early as it looks, they probably hit hard right away and if they keep the jersey, it's even better.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

IMO, Froome showed enough to warrant a Tour spot, though not enough to be considered a contender. He put in some big turns at the front on multiple climbs during multiple stages, burned himself out for the team, showed he can still maintain a very high, consistent pace, critical to participate in the Ineos train, and a team first attitude.

I disagree that there was anything inappropriate about him nearly dropping Bernal. He was trying to drop the 4 TJV riders that remained.

I think there is a <10% chance he rides himself into podium condition but a >50% chance that he is in good enough shape to help Bernal and a 100% chance that the interest he brings enough value to Ineos to be worth the opportunity cost of a different rider and the small potential for enhanced intra-team conflict.

 

[Gigs_98]

Idk, slowly getting into shape usually hasn't actually been Sky/Ineos way of preparing for gt's. We tend to forget that because in froome's last two succesful seasons that is pretty much what he did, but in both cases Froome was going for a gt double and even then he finished 4th in the Dauphine 2017 and Trentino 2018.

Before that he won the Dauphine every time he won the tour, the same is the case for Thomas' and Wiggins' Tour wins for Skineos and while Bernal didn't win the Dauphine that's only because he didn't even race it, but he still won his last preperation race before the Tour in the tour de suisse.

There is still a preperation race to come for Froome and Thomas but if they don't perform there I don't see much reason for optimism. I doubt Skineos will change their approach to a slow build up before a tour with the hardest first week in ages.