Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[LaFlorecita]

What's with the ridiculous #vavafroome hashtag on twitter? Cringeworthy.

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

i watch because i want to believe in this sport. this is a beautiful sport and a beautiful race.

I don't think the sport or the Tour has really changed much in terms of "beauty" over the years. As the old exchange between Coppi and his interviewer went:

Interviewer: Do you take amphetemines?

Coppi: Only when absolutely necessary.

Interviewer: How often is this?

Coppi: Most of the time.

What has changed is wall-to-wall TV coverage, so we can see what's happening in minute detail, rather than getting a rather biased/romantic/rose-tinted view through a few minutes of grainy highlights.

Cycling is what it is. I doubt it's going to change by anyone watching it in hope.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

It easy to watch a sport and be passionate about the sport but not be passionate about the participants.

If you are not emotionally invested in some of the participants in any way, shape or form then don't you find it a bit soulless?

 

[cycladianpirate]

What I cannot understand is why Sky are so unsubtle about it? In some ways it's the sheer audacity of what I'm seeing that gives me (some) doubts as to whether it is what it appears to be.

 

[purcell]

Superior training methods and equipment. Position, too.

And pillows.. Don't forget the pillows.

 

[DirtyWorks]

He was about 50 seconds down at the 2011 Vuelta over a longer course, same as the Dauphine this year. So an improvement but not the sort that deserves "The day Cycling died" thread, surely?

haha. Yes. It's ridiculous. These same kinds of comments were happening after the start of the Armstrong myth.

Like Armstrong's myth, eventually the fraud will be found out. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. But, wow this is all too familiar.

 

[hrotha]

What I cannot understand is why Sky are so unsubtle about it? In some ways it's the sheer audacity of what I'm seeing that gives me (some) doubts as to whether it is what it appears to be.

Froome and Porte are the cocky overambitious type. Brailsford has trouble managing them.

 

[sniper]

What I cannot understand is why Sky are so unsubtle about it? In some ways it's the sheer audacity of what I'm seeing that gives me (some) doubts as to whether it is what it appears to be.

Exactly by making the dumb mistakes he made, Lance has given everybody a manual of how to dope relentlessly without getting caught.
Lance has shown how dead-easy it can be, as long as you don't **** off too many people and don't overplay your cards.
Sky haven't overplayed anything, yet.

 

[meat puppet]

trouble is this myth is backed up by the murdoch empire.

gonna be long 10 years or so.

 

[lemoogle]

If you are not emotionally invested in some of the participants in any way, shape or form then don't you find it a bit soulless?

I don't think you need to be "invested" , pretty much all of us were excited about Betancur and Majka at the Giro due to the racing.

Like many of us can enjoy the voeckler breakaways without necessarily rooting for the guy overall.

 

[TheEnoculator]

What I cannot understand is why Sky are so unsubtle about it? In some ways it's the sheer audacity of what I'm seeing that gives me (some) doubts as to whether it is what it appears to be.

All teams that dope to the gills are never subtle. USPS is perfect example. They practically dared others to catch them.

 

[DirtyWorks]

What I cannot understand is why Sky are so unsubtle about it? In some ways it's the sheer audacity of what I'm seeing that gives me (some) doubts as to whether it is what it appears to be.

Like Armstrong, Sky has at least the UCI supporting the fraud. It's the same confidence. Do grand tour riders *know* the UCI is helping? I don't know. But, they have the exact same invincibility.

 

[jilbiker]

This post says it all...What a Joke! 3:25 on the next guy in two stages. One of them being a short TT as well.

Makes me think if the peleton maybe is getting cleaner, and Sky didn't get the memo.

I think the peloton is cleaner (dialled down). But sky/Froome/British cycling has something unusual, different. I don't think blood, but some custom juice. To produce 3 mins difference in effectively 2 stages you have to be a prodigy like Mcllroy or Tiger or Agassi, one of those exceptions but I won't classify Froome as an exception. Such talent is very clear even at an early age.

 

[sniper]

trouble is this myth is backed up by the murdoch empire.

gonna be long 10 years or so.

this.

In an ideal world, the Belgians do a USADA on Leinders and expose the whole circus, but otherwise i'm pessimistic.

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

It easy to watch a sport and be passionate about the sport but not be passionate about the participants.

But do you actually derive much enjoyment from watching the sport as it is?

The anti-Froome brigage (for want of a better description) are indeed passionate, but in an angry, negative way, with very little enjoyment apparent, the busting of Lance notwithstanding. Seems an odd set of emotions to choose to inflict on yourself, but each to his own.

 

[Gugashwill]

After today's time trial I really hope this Tour is conspiracy from the highest level.
I hope Froome (and Sky) is just a variable in IOC/UCI/ASO experiment.
A "rat" in police slang.
Let him (them) ride on a full program, while the others are under observation.

 

[Netserk]

Froome used to be a MO 72, HI 72, TT 74, now he's a MO 82, HI 80, TT 80.

Not even possible with training camps

 

[Logic Al]

Been reading for a while, but first post so please be gentle!

Reading this thread and others it seems to be taken as gospel that Froome is doping. Looking at what’s happened in the past and how dominant Froome has been it’s an obvious conclusion to make

But some things don’t make sense to me, and this and other threads are mostly just repetitive sly digs and insinuations without any detail/evidence. Found this a bit frustrating as reading this forum there’s some very knowledgeable guys. So few questions:

1. Is Froome doping more than anyone else in the TDF? If so, what’s he on and why isn’t anyone else on it? And if not, what causes the dominance if they’re all at it?

2. What evidence has there been? With Armstrong there was Bassons, O’Reilly, the ‘saddle sores’, accusations with some sort of evidence in L’equipe and Sunday Times. Has there been anything like that for Froome?

3. How far does it go in British cycling? If Froome is doping then that means Brailsford is on board (and a bigger hypocrite than anyone there’s ever been in cycling, including L.A.). So does that mean Wiggins, Cav, Thomas are all doping? And the track cyclists like Hoy, Pendleton and even young Trott? Or is there a ‘point’ where British cyclists become dopers and if so what is it

 

[Dalakhani]

If Martin's time was the 3rd fastest in Tour history (behind a downhill LeMond & a juiced up Millar), does that make Froome the 4th fastest?

 

[lemoogle]

If this is clean, then we're witnessing probably the greatest cycling performance of the sport....ever... Woohoo? no? anyone?

Now if we assume like the skyfans say that the other GC guys are all dopers, then this is the greatest sporting performance of all sports ever.

 

[Logic Al]

Like Armstrong, Sky has at least the UCI supporting the fraud. It's the same confidence. Do grand tour riders *know* the UCI is helping? I don't know. But, they have the exact same invincibility.

How do you know, but GT riders may not, out of interest?

 

[cycladianpirate]

Like Armstrong, Sky has at least the UCI supporting the fraud. It's the same confidence. Do grand tour riders *know* the UCI is helping? I don't know. But, they have the exact same invincibility.

Even if that is the case, I would have thought it was better PR (and, God knows, Sky like their PR) to rein it in a bit. Arrogance and over-confidence on the part of riders I can understand, but for the Management?

I don't know. Maybe it's all an elaborate double bluff: "we can't be dirty because, if we were, we'd be more careful about not being TOO good".

Anyway, maybe this will spur the other teams on to adopt an EVERYONE vs SKY mentality for the rest of the Tour. Kamikaze attacks anyone?

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

But do you actually derive much enjoyment from watching the sport as it is?

The anti-Froome brigage (for want of a better description) are indeed passionate, but in an angry, negative way, with very little enjoyment apparent, the busting of Lance notwithstanding. Seems an odd set of emotions to choose to inflict on yourself, but each to his own.

I do think there is some fake outrage. People could be pretty sure how Froome was going to go given his recent TT performances. And yet, like clockwork, the same people tune in and somehow seem surprised?

 

[Dalakhani]

To be fair to Froome, it's not like Tony Martin was even trying...

(Pic of Martin after the TT)

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Fact or fiction:

Servais Kraven, in the DS car behind the new TT king of the world named Christ de Vrome, is enjoying the ride of his pupil. Christ has about ten K to go and is just about 3 seconds faster than Toni der Bestellwagen Murtin, the 26 time World Champion TT' ing.

Servais' phone rings. He looks at the screen and it says Patrick L. and thinks fukc me, what does he want? You must know, Patrick was the man behind Kraven's carreer succes.

He picks up the phone.
''Hello Servais, it's me, Patrick. Say, Servais, do you remember that little anti - doping convenant you had to sign for Team Slick?''
Servais:
''Yes, of course Patrickske, why?''
Patrick:
''Well, Servais, we both know doc Yvan still has those 'training' schedules you used in the lead up to that magnificent Panis R. win, or did you forget that?You know what to do Servais.''

Patrick L. hangs up.

Servais picks up the intercom and tells Christ to slow down, Vulva and the other Spanish doper are at enough distance, Der Toni and not to forget d'n Patrick are very happy campers.

Only winners today.