Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[Kangert]

I never trusted this guy to begin with. I think he should explain why he never delivered results until the 2011 Vuelta. How could such a talented rider underperform so much? Before the Vuelta his DS considered him little more than a water-carrier and he didn't even have a contract for 2012. I've heard he had some kind of bug-related illness but I think he should explain his improvement for people to trust him. Very sketchy...

The last rider that had such a huge improvement in his performance was a guy named Bernard Kohl and you may recall that it didn't end up well.

 

[JA.Tri]

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).

Understand your position.

My original point was not to argue that CF was definitely doping but that I could not accept on the TdF evidence that he is clean.

My take is that occasionally a clean rider wins (naive maybe).

 

[maxmartin]

I never trusted this guy to begin with. I think he should explain why he never delivered results until the 2011 Vuelta. How could such a talented rider underperform so much? Before the Vuelta his DS considered him little more than a water-carrier and he didn't even have a contract for 2012. I've heard he had some kind of bug-related illness but I think he should explain his improvement for people to trust him. Very sketchy...

The last rider that had such a huge improvement in his performance was a guy named Bernard Kohl and you may recall that it didn't end up well.

SKY hard-working doctors discovered the perfect combination of wonder drugs around that time, probably thanks for Froom's anti-viral treatment serendipity

 

[the asian]

Garmin could'nt even afford him during the Vuelta last year and that was even with his contract running out. GreenEdge need a GC rider though. Could they?

They do have a good doctor!

 

[blackcat]

the question is not whether Froomie is a likable guy.
thr question is not whether Froomie is on gear.

He is both in the affirmative.

Is he a talented rider also? Compellingly so.

Is he any different to the top ten, on gear? no.

Is it the juice then? no.

Do reasons other than dope explain his obscurity since 2008? Yeah. He was coming off a tough race schedule in Barlowold, not the racing calendar that was suited to his potential.

Had he come through a system from a country outside the continent, like Australia, England, or US he would have got there much more quickly.

As it stands, he had to do it harder, he did the hard yards without much backing.

riders from Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, face much greater challenges. The riders from the other anglophone nations, get the advantage or a reverse discrimination. Call it a Liggett effect.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Andreu ripping SKY:

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

I am so bummed I didnt know about Tour Talk til I saw this post - thanks so much - its brilliant - actually deserves its own thread for the UK viewers who dont get to hear such great comments.

 

[sniper]

Blazin Saddles spot on:

It's fair to say that had Froome been allowed to actually treat the Tour de France as if it were a race and not a training exercise then he would have quite easily caught and passed the Spaniard to take his second stage win of the race.

What we saw on the final major climb of the Tour up the Col de Peyresourde to Peygagudes was essentially the maillot jaune being paced up by a rider so clearly stronger than him in the mountains.

It was a piece of "Froome Service" extraordinaire — and an incident which, quite frankly, made Wiggins look like a complete charity case. It wouldn't surprise Saddles if he were to learn that Chris Froome's middle name was, er, Keirin, given the amount of pace setting he was going.

Time and time again, Froome looked over his shoulder, spotted he had pulled out too far ahead, checked his speed and waited for his team leader in yellow. It was embarrassing to watch.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs...hakes-prove-decisive-mountains-231638925.html

 

[Cycle Chic]

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.

Genius comment and explains a lot of Froomes behaviour.

 

[thehog]

Hi I'm a long time lurker to these forums. I haven't had a chance to watch or see any of the Tour as yet. I'm looking forward to watching my recording on Tivo.

I'm big fan of Chris Froome. Last race I saw him was in the Tour de Romandie. I hope he improves just a little so he can maybe get in a break and win a stage at the Tour.

He's obviously a long way off form. So maybe next year will be better for him.
__

Tour de Romandie 2012 result

Prologue:

28. Christopher FROOME, Sky +13

Stage 1:
48. Christopher FROOME, Sky +11:17

Stage 2:
131. Christopher FROOME, Sky +6:35

Stage 3:
48. Christopher FROOME, Sky +6:33

Stage 4:
93. Christopher FROOME, Sky at 14:46

Stage 5:
39. Christopher FROOME, Sky at 1:45

GC:
123. Christopher FROOME, Sky at 41:10

 

[Cycle Chic]

Miss Ye and Mr Froome

‘Any time someone has looked like Superwoman in the history of our sport they have later been found guilty of doping.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rugs-row-supergirl-swimmer.html#ixzz22CAFLfa1

This comment reminded me of Mr Froome.

 

[The Hitch]

‘Any time someone has looked like Superwoman in the history of our sport they have later been found guilty of doping.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rugs-row-supergirl-swimmer.html#ixzz22CAFLfa1

This comment reminded me of Mr Froome.

I think you mean Mr Wiggins. Far more suspicious than Froome.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Froome Olympic ITT - Weight increase

Anyone notice that Froome looked A LOT heavier today ????? he looked like he had piled on some weight. S,pose it could have been the tv cameras....but his face looked filled out as well.

 

[armchairclimber]

Poppycock, really, ill-considered drivel. Especially you Hitch, you should know better.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Anyone notice that Froome looked A LOT heavier today ????? he looked like he had piled on some weight. S,pose it could have been the tv cameras....but his face looked filled out as well.

The only thing I noticed of 'likeable neighbourboy Froome' was his fitness after the race. T. Martin had to sit down for minutes to recuperate, mr Froome was clean as a fish. Just like his teammate of course.

Yep, this guy is the real deal. Best climber, third best TT'er. I have seen that before, in the lab of course.

Lab rat, all over it. The Chinese swimming girl is nothing compared to this dude.

 

[thehog]

The only thing I noticed of 'likeable neighbourboy Froome' was his fitness after the race. T. Martin had to sit down for minutes to recuperate, mr Froome was clean as a fish. Just like his teammate of course.

Yep, this guy is the real deal. Best climber, third best TT'er. I have seen that before, in the lab of course.

Lab rat, all over it. The Chinese swimming girl is nothing compared to this dude.

I am not a robot. I am human being.

 

[No_Balls]

I am not a robot. I am human being.

Mission selected: Vuelta España
Objective: Destroy everything in sight. Humiliate the opposition and annihilate Contador.

I Froome. Me smash.

 

[spalco]

Mission selected: Vuelta España
Objective: Destroy everything in sight. Humiliate the opposition and annihilate Contador.

I Froome. Me smash.

I hope.

 

[thehog]

Mission selected: Vuelta España
Objective: Destroy everything in sight. Humiliate the opposition and annihilate Contador.

I Froome. Me smash.

Me Froome. A sophicated space-age robot sent back in time to nullify Aberto Contador.

I will not stop until mission complete.

 

[Parrot23]

Selected colleagues and inmates at the Olympic Village. Team peloton.

 

[SpinToWin]

AICAR anyone?



Yeah, if one wants us to believe that Froome always looked like a potential GT contender, then Löfkvist and Uran must've looked like Eddy and Greg.

That's not Froome though - isn't that Cooke? Here is Froome in his Barloworld colours:

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=14058

 

[SpinToWin]

The thing with Froome is his exposure to pro tour level stage racing was, as far as I'm aware - fairly certain about this - zero pre his 2008 TDF showing.

In South Africa most of our races are one day events and way too short at that to prepare anybody for European racing. It's a huge jump to make and historically most of our guys really struggle to make it in Europe.

So with this in mind it kind of makes sense that he'd make a big leap over the course of two years.

That said his jump in performance from pre-Vuelta to leading that race was a little too staggering.

As for Bilharzia I'm still not convinced he's ever had it, especially given that there was absolutely no mention of it anywhere until the very day he started leading the 2011 Vuelta.

Reports seem to vary as to when he first got it - either pre-Sky or some time in 2010.

Well pretty much everyone in Kenya who has been outside Nairobi or the highlands around Mt. Kenya has had bilharzia. Indeed Froome's whole family have had it and are still trying to shake it - it's not an easy parasite to kill. For an athlete, as Froome points out, it's your worst nightmare as it attacks your red blood cells.

As for the cynics out there, ask Nairobi's "Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine", Dr Chunge, if he treated Froome for bilharzia.

 

[thehog]

That's not Froome though - isn't that Cooke? Here is Froome in his Barloworld colours:

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=14058

Did you schedule special training on your time-trial bike?

"I haven't had a time trial bike with me in South Africa but I look forward to focusing a lot more on time trialing when I get back to Italy. I think it's definitely something I need to work on for the future".


-This guy is the money! Who needs a TT bike? Just pick one up & beat Fabs!

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

As for the cynics out there, ask Nairobi's "Centre for Tropical and Travel Medicine", Dr Chunge, if he treated Froome for bilharzia.

Nice work by the doc getting Chris up and running just in time for the Tour this year, the Vuelta last year. That doc knows how to peak!

Did he have the parasite also in 2009 when he was climbing like a fool in the Giro?

 

[thehog]

Nice work by the doc getting Chris up and running just in time for the Tour this year, the Vuelta last year. That doc knows how to peak!

Did he have the parasite also in 2009 when he was climbing like a fool in the Giro?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/poz...&ns_source=cyclingnews&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

I hope someone told Pozzato about Godzilla. Everyone gets it.

 

[hrotha]

Well pretty much everyone in Kenya who has been outside Nairobi or the highlands around Mt. Kenya has had bilharzia. Indeed Froome's whole family have had it and are still trying to shake it - it's not an easy parasite to kill. For an athlete, as Froome points out, it's your worst nightmare as it attacks your red blood cells.

Makes you wonder, how does that affect his biological passport? Does he get a pass for funny blood values?