Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[will10]

Not really, Bilharzia makes you pee blood, attacks your kidneys and / or liver and can give you sores and lesions where you really really don't want them.

It's not a convenient weight loss technique or a handy fat burner, and I'm also struggling to see it as a mildly inconvenient wattage reduction, especially when you suffer from it long term as Froome is said to have done.

Just think how good he could've been with a flawless buildup.

 

[Dr.Sahl]

Concerning Froome's Bilharzia diagnosis - a lot of people here simply seem to be regurgitating wiki and have become experts on it all of a sudden.
One of the biggest reasons why Bilharzia is so damaging is because like Malaria, most of those infected are from poverty stricken third world countries with little or no access to medical care of any decent standard. Thus the illness hits these populations hard and produced the most damaging symptoms.
What's deadly and debilitating to an African child during a famine isn't going to destroy a person such as Chris Froome by any stretch of the imagination for very very obvious reasons.
Claims by wiki experts that nobody whom has ever contracted the paradise would ever be able to compete at top level is utterly laughable!!

........ No because Chris Froome can survive anything, even if a bus hit him he would just laugh about it..... The illness is damaging and chronic in nature, not just to people with poor health condition.. I might even find your statement abit racist....

We can agree that if found fast and with good treatment, some of the more severe symptoms might be avoiding (Death, Organ failure, etc) but that does not mean that its not a chronic illness in nature or damaging to those organs, you have to remember, that Sky claims Froome had this illness for a long time actually!!!


BTW, Malaria is not "often" chronic its very rare actually and it works alot differently from Schistosomiasis in terms of cycle and effects.. so your malaria ref. is not a good one.

 

[Dr.Sahl]

Not sure about that, I knew a guy with Bilharzia here in Cape Town and he wasn't in good shape for a while. It's pretty nasty, and simultaneously odd that, given world-class medical attention, Froome is reported to have been still suffering from it at the beginning of this year, despite them supposedly picking it up when he arrived at Sky, or latest end of 2010.

Idd. But it seems like thats why they hired GL, because he is just so much better than the rest and found Schistosomiasis in Froome right away, actually he just had to look at him ^^

Ok, maybe that was to far for a joke..

But the timing and way Sky used this is very very suspect im0. Nobody is claiming that this is a truth, so no need for Sky fans to get offended.

 

[frenchfry]

Good thing the finish area is closed off or Froome might still be zooming along, flying up and down the cols until midnight.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Very surprised by Froome-dog's performance today. I thought for sure they were gonna flush his refill down the crapper after La Toussuire.

 

[thehog]

Concerning Froome's Bilharzia diagnosis - a lot of people here simply seem to be regurgitating wiki and have become experts on it all of a sudden.
One of the biggest reasons why Bilharzia is so damaging is because like Malaria, most of those infected are from poverty stricken third world countries with little or no access to medical care of any decent standard. Thus the illness hits these populations hard and produced the most damaging symptoms.
What's deadly and debilitating to an African child during a famine isn't going to destroy a person such as Chris Froome by any stretch of the imagination for very very obvious reasons.
Claims by wiki experts that nobody whom has ever contracted the paradise would ever be able to compete at top level is utterly laughable!!

But that’s exactly what you’re doing. Pretending also to be an expert in a disease you know nothing about. Especially with your expert knowledge you weren’t able to reference any studies that its only a damaging aliment in poor and 3rd world countries. Bravo!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Froome is amazing, he actually has no limit whatsoever. Id love to see him and ricco one on one, in full flight. At the end of a gruelling stage they can just chat casually without even needing to catch a breath, while experienced climbers struggle to the line

The reason Froome's a domestique and being forced to play wingman for Wiggins is that if he were truly let off the leash, the subsequent performance would make Ivaïlo Gabrovski look like David Moncoutié.

Actually the Parasite that Froome is infected with is often a chronic illness. It can even be fatal and there is no way that you would be able to perform well in pro sport with the infection (he might not have been top of the pop before)

It also damages organs etc. I have a hard time believing that he had this for a long time!! I also have a hard time believing that Froome was just one of the few lucky to get the parasite removed for good (remember this is often!! most cases chronic!! thats why its so feared)

He didn't get it removed for good. It cleared up just long enough for him to put in a career performance just before his contract was due, then came back to mean he could go back to sucking for another six months ready to come out of his cocoon as a beautiful butterfly come Grand Tour time again. These kind of reinventions were exactly the sort of thing the biopassport was meant to prevent, and the dearth of "do nothing then be amazing at the GT" guys (Andy Schleck excepted) and their comparatively disappointing performances as against the "all year round" guys (eg Contador, Evans, Valverde, and seemingly now Wiggins, who hasn't had a bad day all year, not that those are all shining examples of clean cycling of course) was seen as evidence of that.

What's to say that Froome won't dominate the Vuelta, then unfortunately the parasite will strike again until the next GT?

 

[Gregga]

Just skin & bones, that's frightening...

2007

2012

 

[will10]

Froome is an alien. That is all.

 

[Gregga]

From a healthy young man to a walking dead... there's something of Michael Jackson in that transformation, I hate this.

2008

 

[Dead Star]

From a healthy young man to a walking dead... there's something of Michael Jackson in that transformation, I hate this.

2008

+1. The skinny ways reminds me of Rasmussen.

 

[Bala Verde]

Since we are positing pictures of a general nature:

http://michellecound.tumblr.com/post/21656246919

 

[roundabout]

From a healthy young man to a walking dead... there's something of Michael Jackson in that transformation, I hate this.

2008

Look at the fat *******.

Also, black = slimming.

 

[Racelap]

Froome is riding high on that drug rush of invincibility. I bet every time Sky's had a meeting he's been asked to tone it down and he's smiled and promised to while he is just burning up inside. He's not thinking straight.

 

[Klima2012]

Well a few friends of mine knows Froom's family IRL, they told me he doped as younger aswell... but well.. thats the reality in many sports..

The only thing that annoys me is when the British claim, that nobody of their stars dope and that they win clean as the "only" ones.

Froome does seem to be a likeable guy, much more than Wiggins, who seems to have a bit of a potato factory on his shoulder - having said all that, I am British, and I find all this Brits are clean business a bit embarrassing. You only have to look at our political, and justice, systems to see we are as prone to being as shady as any country.

 

[TubularBills]

Andreu ripping SKY:

http://www.bicycling.com/video/racevideos/tour-talk/tour-talk-stage-17#/video/tour_talk/created/d/1

"What'd Sagan get? A Porsche. Wiggins needs to buy Froome a yacht!"

 

[UlleGigo]

I get the impression, could be wrong, you revere Contador (a proven doper) over Froome (possible doper). I mean if Contador was clean as whistle and out this year due to injury i can see why you might say our white knight is returning. Are you saying their all doped lets pick our fav dopers?

Your impression would be wrong. I was actually joking. I thought that would have been obvious since I started the sentence about Froome with, 'In all seriousness though'. Would have thought that was a pretty big hint but once again my under use of winky faces has confused the Sky lads. Unbelievable.

 

[131313]

Froome does seem to be a likeable guy, much more than Wiggins, who seems to have a bit of a potato factory on his shoulder - having said all that, I am British, and I find all this Brits are clean business a bit embarrassing. You only have to look at our political, and justice, systems to see we are as prone to being as shady as any country.

It's OK, you have no idea how many people said that about Tyler Hamilton. Armstrong was dismissed, since he's from Texas, not really part of America. But Tyler was a nice, humble young guy. He went to college, was too smart to put that crazy stuff in his body, too honorable. He wasn't some sleazy euro, he was an American. We're above that here.

Seriously, a lot of people really bought into that line.

 

[UlleGigo]

I agree. We've no idea what Froome was capable of on this tour over and above winning it. At no point has he been permitted to show his full potential so has looked less superhuman than the Vuelta.

If people want to see what Froome is capable of and are willing to hold your nose and watch the telly, check out the Vuelta with him, Contador and a Cobo who is unlikely to be in the shape where he is consistently getting dropped by EBH. It could be a circus as I think they are unlikely to be able to dominate eachother, so they'll push eachother to the limit, likely gapping the rest by minutes on individual stages.

Wiggins couldn't possibly let him go today. He could have got 30-40+ seconds and then who knows what he might do in the ITT with less than 90 seconds to make up.

Yep. I think its a shame that the best rider is not going to win because of team orders. I say 'best' because I think they are both doped. I know you don't agree but that's alright. Froome is simply lightyears ahead of anyone else in this year's Tour.

 

[Dead Star]

Froome does seem to be a likeable guy, much more than Wiggins, who seems to have a bit of a potato factory on his shoulder - having said all that, I am British, and I find all this Brits are clean business a bit embarrassing. You only have to look at our political, and justice, systems to see we are as prone to being as shady as any country.

Yep. The hypocrisy with our justice system and the media is horrible.

 

[thehog]

Froome is riding high on that drug rush of invincibility. I bet every time Sky's had a meeting he's been asked to tone it down and he's smiled and promised to while he is just burning up inside. He's not thinking straight.

This is very true. He's showing his immaturity with the high grade stuff. My concern is he's going to go out and win the time trial. Without Canc and Martin he could put 3 minutes into the field.

 

[The Chicken]

Froome is riding high on that drug rush of invincibility. I bet every time Sky's had a meeting he's been asked to tone it down and he's smiled and promised to while he is just burning up inside. He's not thinking straight.

Yup, agree also. Looked like he almost lost the plot today. He thought it was a show of strength, but he ended up just looking an idiot. You've got to laugh!

 

[JA.Tri]

Earlier upthread:

Someone has to be the best cyclist.

Agreed. In any given race PEDs or no someone has to be the best.

However, as much I admire the race, I cannot get my head around CF being:

. the dominant climber...by a country mile. On no day did I see any evidence that he was not a quantum level better than all other climbers
. in the top three ITT. Yes we are yet to see second ITT.

To excell in one or other... ok
To not have a sans jour... ok
His ungainly situation on the bike... ok
His unusual results progression... ok

To be so dominant...???

Yep, I accept it may all be due to his unique set of circumstances. He may be the best rider (or equal to BW) and be non PED assisted.

I still cannot get my head around it.
I look forward to future developments.

 

[simo1733]

Andreu ripping SKY:

http://www.bicycling.com/video/racevideos/tour-talk/tour-talk-stage-17#/video/tour_talk/created/d/1

"What'd Sagan get? A Porsche. Wiggins needs to buy Froome a yacht!"

Great videos from an otherwise crap magazine

 

[enCYCLOpedia]

Earlier upthread:

Someone has to be the best cyclist.

Agreed. In any given race PEDs or no someone has to be the best.

The main counter argument to that is: agreed, someone has to have the greatest talent and train the hardest. However, in a peloton where there are many talented and hard-working riders, and where at least a fraction of them still dope effectively, this most talented and hardest working rider will still not come out at the top, unless he also dopes (leaving aside the question of who is the best "responder").

It's just statistics, and looking at the palmares since the 1990s, it has always proved true (allowing for some time delay in the last few years).