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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
March 24: Stage 3 of the Coppi e Bartoli today and Chris's improving "sensations" saw him finish an unsensational 22mins:36secs behind today's winner Ben Tulett of INEOS.

March 25: Chris still needs more time to get into the rhythm and regain top form. Pog & Rog don't have to lose their sleep over Chris...at least for now, who knows what will happen in a few months?

March 25: Come on Chris let's shoot for a top 50 today

March 25: After four stages of the Coppi e Bartali our Christopher Froome is residing at 106th place in a field of 115 riders and is 1hr 8mins 28secs behind current leader Eddie Dunbar.

March 25: It's kind of ludicrous to claim that your form is improving, then you finish 20 minutes down in a minor race. My internal "how did they do" meter is: Do I recognize any of the riders who finished below Rider X? I don't think I recognized a single name below Froome's in the results this week...maybe Tony Gallopin?

March 26: He has the level to finish a professional bike race (2.1 level like Coppi e Bartali), even if he's close to the bottom. Considering his age, history, form etc. this is probably his level.

(July 8: Finishes 41st and enters top 50 of TdF.)
 
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Not bad considering when he was on march and this is the best race in the world. If he can give another step ahead in the future evetything is possible. He is trying to do well, and I like this much that to lose time and get a stage like his team mate, becouse for me is easier to known his level, but I think sometimes he is not giving everything.ss he is thinking to help the team to get an stage
 
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Not bad considering when he was on march and this is the best RACE in the world. If he can give another step ahead un the future evetything id possible. He is trying to do well, and I like this much that to lose time and get a stage like his team mate, becouse for me is radier to knownhis level, but I think sometimes he is not gicving everythingas he is thinking to help the team ro get an stage
He is only making an effort to not get sued for breach of contract, because he certainly Is going nowhere.
 
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Froome has 18 UCI points for the past 12 months. That means, IPT is only paying $278,000 per point. At that rate, it might very well cost over $1 Billion for IPT not to be relegated.

I got to think that is a record in professional cycling. Never has a man been pain so much, to do so little.
I dont know what he get and I dont mind, but I think you mean un term of resukt, becouse on terms on effort and trainibg he is the Man Who more deserves to win in the pelotón...and I think that his progression is something to admire.
 
If you take a look at Froome's social media he seems absolutely giddy about today's 41st place finish, only 3mins and 48secs behind the winner.
Behind an históric Monster of this sport. And I follow him on the track and he was during 2 km in the dame place of Fulgsang, behind him..and latter he was better than Fulgsang..maybe he was helping and finally the team or Fulgsang told him to go alone
 
He had his best result in a long time, even better then the 11th earlier. But we need to stop with the idea that everyone is pushing their limit to the line so that clearly means he’s better then the vast majority. Every rider has their role and goal and Froome’s is to do as well as possible, that doesn’t mean others will be pushing as hard as he is. Anytime this was brought up with other riders it was always shot down by Froome’s fans. Let’s see how he does as the race progresses.
 
If we're being serious here I'll say (again) the man definitely has endurance qualities. He's still an athlete, he can still complete bike races. When there's a tempo, he can usually follow. Yesterday's moderately sustained tempo by UAE over those cat 3 climbs (very generously labelled cat 3 as well, considering the gradients & lengths) suited Froome.

But whenever there's a real change of pace on a climb, he'll get dropped. Whether this happens at kilometre zero or 7km from the finish, on a cat1 or cat 4, it'll happen anyway because he can't cope with the accelerations.

This will make winning a stage very, very unlikely. This is the TdF, i.e. the stages he will most likely target (rolling or mountains), will always also be targets for riders who're better than him at racing their bikes over all terrains & profiles. Whether they're stage hunters from a breakaway or the GC favorites.

He's good enough to complete the TdF, not good enough to race for wins or really make an impact.
 
If you take a look at Froome's social media he seems absolutely giddy about today's 41st place finish, only 3mins and 48secs behind the winner.

Well, I think that is fair enough.

That accident would have finished off most people for good, especially given the age he is and that even if he rehabilitated against the odds it would be rehabilitating into the twilight year(s) of his professional career.

Say what you like about the guy (and I have), but the last few years show that he has exceptional determination. Sure, all the questions remain as to why he didn't seem to have it 13 years ago, but he has it now.
 
Well, I think that is fair enough.

That accident would have finished off most people for good, especially given the age he is and that even if he rehabilitated against the odds it would be rehabilitating into the twilight year(s) of his professional career.

Say what you like about the guy (and I have), but the last few years show that he has exceptional determination. Sure, all the questions remain as to why he didn't seem to have it 13 years ago, but he has it now.
So, you really think his real level is not that of 13 years ago and today, but the improbable mutant alien transformation in between?
 
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So, you really think his real level is not that of 13 years ago and today, but the improbable mutant alien transformation in between?

What do you mean "his real level"?

It's not a static thing. I'm an athlete in my 50s. I don't have "a real level". My level depends on whether I train, if I get my training right (really hard), whether my nutrition is right, whether I get ill, the effect age has on me, and whether injuries play a part.

It's a dynamic thing, not a given.
 
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What do you mean "his real level"?

It's not a static thing. I'm an athlete in my 50s. I don't have "a real level". My level depends on whether I train, if I get my training right (really hard), whether my nutrition is right, whether I get ill, the effect age has on me, and whether injuries play a part.

It's a dynamic thing, not a given.
Oh, come on, his real level should be more or less consistent for a cyclist in his 20s and 30s, not going from average pro suddenly to the biggest name in the sport, then back to oblivion. The accident not withstanding, his career trajectory isn't credible or is in-credible.
 
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The statistics don't agree with you. Analysis of tour riders show peak at 28, and decline at 30. Chuck in a devastating crash and a long hard struggle to rehabilitate and Froome's current position looks right.
No, peak at 28 whilst having been competitive from your early 20s, not hanging on to motorcycles to finish the race. Miracles don't happen in cycling.
 
Peak at 28, regardless. We aren't talking about his rise. We are talking about his fall. You aren't accounting for his age and accident. I am.
Yes, but you don't go from nobody, I repeat nobody, at 23-24, to then by 28 be at the top of the cycling world. And I don't believe the accident, after 3 years, is the cause of his woefully inadequite state of form. And I'll just leave it at that.
 
Peak at 28, regardless. We aren't talking about his rise. We are talking about his fall. You aren't accounting for his age and accident. I am.
Professional sports careers are getting longer across the board, and cycling has always been a sport where peak ages were later than in other sports. Many sports now see world class athletes extending their careers and high levels into their mid to late thirties.

In reality I think Froome is getting dropped everywhere because he's just mentally weak.
 

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