Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.

[Froome]

Thank you. Addresses one of the questions to me above. One comment one could easily dismiss as hopeful. It's been a constant stream of inaccurate comments for over a year.

Certainly sometimes he repeted the same thing over and over again, or didn't tell the true about his recovery but ultimately he already said that he didn't know when he will be at great level, and he showed some analysis of the quads and hamstrings i think, showing that he didn't recover at 100% yet.

 

[Froome]

Chris Horner...

With 43 years, so froome still has 7 years to win a fifth tour france ahah.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Not always, my friend.

Giro 2010:
Richie Porte, 7th overall
Chris Froome, DSQ for holding onto a motorbike while >100th on GC

In 2011, though, Porte really does fall away such that he's not much better than Froome even before Froome's coming out party at La Covatilla.

I was talking about Froome's best years of course.

 

[lenric]

Richie Porte is the same age as Froome and has always been inferior yet he was on the podium at the TDF last year and is performing as well as ever.

not arguing wether that is true, or not, for each rider you can name +33 performing as well as ever one can name 5 others that are performing worse than at their peak.

 

[lenric]

I was talking about Froome's best years of course.

also about this, froome's best years were, in my view, between 2013 and 2015.

 

[Pinot's goat]

also about this, froome's best years were, in my view, between 2013 and 2015.

My point was that if Froome didn't crash he would likely be right at the front, people often say age is the issue but looking at Porte and other riders who were worse than Froome before the crash it suggest Froome would have been fine.

 

[lenric]

My point was that if Froome didn't crash he would likely be right at the front, people often say age is the issue but looking at Porte and other riders who were worse than Froome before the crash it suggest Froome would have been fine.

the problem is that 2020's particularities might have skewed people's vision on Porte.
I think Porte might have overperformed whilst having underperformed when in BMC.

 

[Pinot's goat]

the problem is that 2020's particularities might have skewed people's vision on Porte.
I think Porte might have overperformed whilst having underperformed when in BMC.

Porte in 2020 TDF was what I expected if he had not crashed in 2017 and 2018.

 

[lenric]

Porte in 2020 TDF was what I expected if he had not crashed in 2017 and 2018.

Doesn't mean if 2020 was normal he had performed as well as he did.
Neither does it mean if 2017/2018 were like 2020 he wouldn't have performed better.

As I said, 2020's particularities might have being skewing opinions.

 

[red_flanders]

With 43 years, so froome still has 7 years to win a fifth tour france ahah.

I know you're partially kidding, but I don't think age is the big issue. That's why I'm not ready to write him off yet. He's got a contract which keeps him around, and time to sort it out.

 

[Taxus4a]

He didnt show any improvement in ITT today. It was a similar one than in Catalonia, but at least today it was harder and he look to be stronger now in flat ITT, and his intermediate time shows that.

But there is a fact...he has improved a position in GC instead his bad ITT

And he lost less than one minute with people as Quintana, Valverde or Mas.

 

[fantomas]

And he lost less than one minute with people as Quintana, Valverde or Mas.

If I was a Froome fan still believing, this might be the most depressing statement I could imagine.

 

[PhiLiz]

One of the best images of his career:

Watch d1f6e29b-595b-40fa-ad40-665e79305386 | Streamable

Watch "d1f6e29b-595b-40fa-ad40-665e79305386" on Streamable.

streamable.com

 

[Taxus4a]

One of the best images of his career:

Watch d1f6e29b-595b-40fa-ad40-665e79305386 | Streamable

Watch "d1f6e29b-595b-40fa-ad40-665e79305386" on Streamable.

streamable.com

I couldnt see that part. Basque TV started just when both of then crossed the line. But I think Froome tried to follow Polits in that climb, wich wanst good at the end.

 

[PhiLiz]

I couldnt see that part. Basque TV started just when both of then crossed the line. But I think Froome tried to follow Polits in that climb, wich wanst good at the end.

He did, but failed miserably. He lost more than 20 seconds after the overtaking.

 

[jaylew]

But there is a fact...he has improved a position in GC instead his bad ITT

And he lost less than one minute with people as Quintana, Valverde or Mas.

I have to give it to you - only an eternal Froome optimist could spin staying within a minute of Nairo in a tt 17 months after returning from injury as a positive thing.

 

[Savant12]

He's clearly not in competitive form. He should use the Tour as another training block (try and get in a breakaway and win a stage) and then see what he can do at the Vuelta.

 

[gunara]

He's clearly not in competitive form. He should use the Tour as another training block (try and get in a breakaway and win a stage) and then see what he can do at the Vuelta.

It'd be really fun for other riders to have a superstar use up a space in the biggest race as a training block slot for a 'let's see what I can do' target.

 

[Froome]

He's clearly not in competitive form. He should use the Tour as another training block (try and get in a breakaway and win a stage) and then see what he can do at the Vuelta.

Exactly.

 

[jaylew]

"Things did not always go to plan. Riding for Kenya in the 2006 Under-23 World Time Trial Championships in Austria after hacking the official federation's email account so he could enter himself, he arrived at the event on his own as rider, team manager and mechanic, rolled down the start ramp... and crashed into an official on the first corner. Even so, he still finished 36th." - BBC sport

"Froome used Mwangi’s email login to surreptitiously enter himself for the UCI Road World Championships. It was a sneaky move but it paid off massively. A good showing at the race meant he was picked up by South African team Konica-Minolta, and the following season he secured a spot on the Barloworld Team (alongside Geraint Thomas), along with a call-up for the Tour de France in what was only his second season as a pro."

Interview: David Kinjah – the man who made Froome

It’s 2013. In the shade of a room crowded with innumerable bicycle parts, trophies, cycling magazines and soft toys, a

www.cyclist.co.uk

Thanks. Never been a big Froome guy but that article makes me like him more.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

It'd be really fun for other riders to have a superstar use up a space in the biggest race as a training block slot for a 'let's see what I can do' target.

Movistar have been doing that with Valverde for years.

 

[TMJ]

Vuelta 2013 champ Chris Horner is worse than us! Here's his latest Chris Froome pile-in after yesterday's time trial :
"He had a nightmare of a TT. 16k is not a very long TT. Chris Froome will take off from the ramp and get caught by his minute man. Froome will finish 2 minutes at least down.
"It's a nightmare scenario for ISN. Four time TdF winner, Giro, Vuelta winner, man we are talking about a legend here and he just keeps going bad.
"The first 3 stages went bad and today's TT.
"This is what he does. He's a big guy, powering through these 16k should be no problem and he's just losing more and more time.
"There's absolutely no doubt in my mind there's no way he'll be ready to take start at the TdF.
"Some people have asked should he switch and take stage wins at the TdF. He doesn't have the legs to even be in a breakaway and win from the breakaway, certainly he won't be capable of riding for GC.
"In my mind if ISN have a very solid eighth rider I don't think Froome should even be at this TdF.
"A heartbreak for us fans. We'd love to see Froome up there battling it out for a chance of winning a record 5th TdF, but I don't see it happening.
"At this point in time he's going to have to focus on his health, his recovery and I'd bring him in for races further down when his form is better and then bring him to the bigger races.
"You gotta believe ISN have other guys who can take his place, that could possibly win stages or help someone like Michael Woods when we get into the deep mountains at the TdF.
"I just don't see where Froome can be any kind of help for ISN at the TdF"

 

[bNator]

Vuelta 2013 champ Chris Horner is worse than us! Here's his latest Chris Froome pile-in after yesterday's time trial :
"He had a nightmare of a TT. 16k is not a very long TT. Chris Froome will take off from the ramp and get caught by his minute man. Froome will finish 2 minutes at least down.
"It's a nightmare scenario for ISN. Four time TdF winner, Giro, Vuelta winner, man we are talking about a legend here and he just keeps going bad.
"The first 3 stages went bad and today's TT.
"This is what he does. He's a big guy, powering through these 16k should be no problem and he's just losing more and more time.
"There's absolutely no doubt in my mind there's no way he'll be ready to take start at the TdF.
"Some people have asked should he switch and take stage wins at the TdF. He doesn't have the legs to even be in a breakaway and win from the breakaway, certainly he won't be capable of riding for GC.
"In my mind if ISN have a very solid eighth rider I don't think Froome should even be at this TdF.
"A heartbreak for us fans. We'd love to see Froome up there battling it out for a chance of winning a record 5th TdF, but I don't see it happening.
"At this point in time he's going to have to focus on his health, his recovery and I'd bring him in for races further down when his form is better and then bring him to the bigger races.
"You gotta believe ISN have other guys who can take his place, that could possibly win stages or help someone like Michael Woods when we get into the deep mountains at the TdF.
"I just don't see where Froome can be any kind of help for ISN at the TdF"

Yes that was a very fair assesment of what's going on. He's not a vulture of any kind, he seemed genuinely sorry to see Froome in such a condition but it is what it is and everyone should stop pretending he could be getting better anytime soon (or ever).

As for attending low profile races - well if he does that the ISN gets zero publicity. That's why the're not going to do that...

 

[geisterhome]

Doesn't mean if 2020 was normal he had performed as well as he did.
Neither does it mean if 2017/2018 were like 2020 he wouldn't have performed better.

As I said, 2020's particularities might have being skewing opinions.

He got through the 2020 Tour without any major hiccups for once, didnt crash, didnt get sick. Thats a big part of finishing 3rd. If, say a Quintana, Buchmann, Bernal or Pinot made it in top shape to Paris, he could have finished 7th and we would think finally he has managed to ride a decent, accident free GT but his 7th place indicates how he unfortunately is past his best now.

 

[ice&fire]

Movistar have been doing that with Valverde for years.

Valverde has only finished twice out of the top 10. In 2012 he gave up on GC after early crashes and mechanicals, but he won a stage and finished 20th. Last year he finished 12th riding in support of Mas.

If Froome was anywhere close to Valverde's worst level he'd probably still be at Ineos.