Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[Dear Wiggo]

Now Chris looks pretty bad on his bike, however, that may be where he feels most comfortable. I dunno, haven't worked with him.

I've done one theoretical fit only, but Chris to me looks fine on the bike. If anything, Wiggins looks fat. ;-)

And I think you make the most important point: if you are comfortable, you are going to be all kinds of kicking *** for 5-6 hours on the bike vs someone who gets mewmewmew13's approval for aesthetics but feels like a pretzel.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Ahhh, so sky spent a couple years banking blood (when wiggins was crashed and Froome had Bilharzia), and then last year they were blood doping the entire year? That explains Wiggins run of form, but not what happenned to Froome at the Vuelta. Maybe the spaniards knew they could kick it up a notch for their home race.

You need to be consistent across the season but if they did not measure differences year on year that would be a pretty big gap in the BP, wouldn't it?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Isn't there an EPO epidemic or something in the local scene?

Is that due to the EPO outbreak?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

the problem with this is red blood cells can only be stored for forty two days and plasma up to a year.

Yeah they need to cycle through the bags regularly to keep it fresh in the fridge and also maintain Hgb levels to sustain the training intensity. Regular altitude camps either side of racing blocks would do the trick.

 

[The Hitch]

And we believe everything Wiggins says in here, right

Well yes. We take his words at value anyway, which is why it gets heated when contradictions are found. Its the fans that argue that wiggins comments can't be taken seriously

 

[The Hitch]

You need to be consistent across the season but if they did not measure differences year on year that would be a pretty big gap in the BP, wouldn't it?

Ill admit, that is a good point.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You need to be consistent across the season but if they did not measure differences year on year that would be a pretty big gap in the BP, wouldn't it?

Problem being, the bilharzia makes Froome's BP all but worthless. He has probably only just got to the point of putting together a credible baseline, as you previously only had his bilharzia-affected results and his hilarious GT results. I don't think this is a long-planned doping conspiracy thing, I believe the bilharzia was real, existed and goes some way to explaining his lack of performance from 2009 to August 2011... but I simply don't believe that it timed itself so perfectly conveniently for him to suddenly turn into a Cancellara-beating time triallist and Contador-beating climber at such convenient points in time. Putting together results in smaller races and not being such a ridiculous super-peaker that even Andy Schleck is left scratching his head would be a step towards credibility, or at least not being so pants-wettingly funny. Last year it took him until May to score a single CQ point (and even then he only got 5 for the brilliant achievement of not registering a DNF at Romandie), which stood to make his Dauphiné + Tour performances look ludicrous in comparison. Peaking for five or six months straight à la Wiggins can also be suspicious, but competing for the win in these less important races that he used to finish 85th in makes performing at the front in the major races more palatable to the sceptical-but-not-yet-fully-cynical fans.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Problem being, the bilharzia makes Froome's BP all but worthless. He has probably only just got to the point of putting together a credible baseline, as you previously only had his bilharzia-affected results and his hilarious GT results. I don't think this is a long-planned doping conspiracy thing, I believe the bilharzia was real, existed and goes some way to explaining his lack of performance from 2009 to August 2011... but I simply don't believe that it timed itself so perfectly conveniently for him to suddenly turn into a Cancellara-beating time triallist and Contador-beating climber at such convenient points in time. Putting together results in smaller races and not being such a ridiculous super-peaker that even Andy Schleck is left scratching his head would be a step towards credibility, or at least not being so pants-wettingly funny. Last year it took him until May to score a single CQ point (and even then he only got 5 for the brilliant achievement of not registering a DNF at Romandie), which stood to make his Dauphiné + Tour performances look ludicrous in comparison. Peaking for five or six months straight à la Wiggins can also be suspicious, but competing for the win in these less important races that he used to finish 85th in makes performing at the front in the major races more palatable to the sceptical-but-not-yet-fully-cynical fans.

I am not arguing for Froome one way or the other. However, if his blood condition causes his BP to be inconsistent then he should be targeted for more OOC tests.

The way I understood the BP is that it offers a threshold as to where someone is considered to be doping. That level is set well above 'normal' parameters so not to give false positives. But it is also meant to give an indication as to whom should be tested more if they have suspiciously high values.

The UCI list that was leaked a while back was based on whom should be tested more but also factored in other reasons e.g. i.e. You start winning but have not been tested that much you will be flagged (Even if you are not doping and have reasonable blood values).

It seems to me that although they have the information as to whom to target the UCI tend not to do much with this information. I am purely speculating here btw.

 

[gatete]

I am not arguing for Froome one way or the other. However, if his blood condition causes his BP to be inconsistent then he should be targeted for more OOC tests.

The way I understood the BP is that it offers a threshold as to where someone is considered to be doping. That level is set well above 'normal' parameters so not to give false positives. But it is also meant to give an indication as to whom should be tested more if they have suspiciously high values.

The UCI list that was leaked a while back was based on whom should be tested more but also factored in other reasons e.g. i.e. You start winning but have not been tested that much you will be flagged (Even if you are not doping and have reasonable blood values).

It seems to me that although they have the information as to whom to target the UCI tend not to do much with this information. I am purely speculating here btw.

This guy is dangerously getting at Armstrong's story, let's see:

From sucking and dnf before an illness, check
Coming back and at least podium or winning a gt at age 28, check
Tting a la indurain or cance, check
To be part of team train in the mountains, check
Did I miss any other ones?

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

This guy is dangerously getting at Armstrong's story, let's see:

From sucking and dnf before an illness, check
Coming back and at least podium or winning a gt at age 28, check
Tting a la indurain or cance, check
To be part of team train in the mountains, check
Did I miss any other ones?

Not sure why that is in response to my post?

 

[Ferminal]

This guy is dangerously getting at Armstrong's story, let's see:

From sucking and dnf before an illness, check
Coming back and at least podium or winning a gt at age 28, check
Tting a la indurain or cance, check
To be part of team train in the mountains, check
Did I miss any other ones?

Froome ain't a sociopath

 

[mewmewmew13]

Be aware that Retul is not some magical fit system. It is merely a tool, and a very good tool, to accurately measure body position. The fitter is still relied on to find the best position on the bike. For that said rider. Retul does not make a bad fitter into a good fitter. Now Chris looks pretty bad on his bike, however, that may be where he feels most comfortable. I dunno, haven't worked with him.

I do know something about fitting. I have been fitting riders in my store for years and am both FIST and Retul certified.

Maybe he got a great fit ..perfect ..but when the rider doesn't have a strong core, just for example, he/she might not ride the bike in an intended position or may simply get lazy and revert to poor form.

Like you say veganrob..with all your experience unless you have worked with the rider no one really knows.

He still looks bad on the bike...

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

He still looks bad on the bike...

 

[gatete]

Froome ain't a sociopath

Yes he's a good lad if I weren't a Contador fan, I see myself rooting for him, in fact I was rooting for him in the Vuelta 11.

 

[blackcat]

This guy is dangerously getting at Armstrong's story, let's see:

From sucking and dnf before an illness, check
Coming back and at least podium or winning a gt at age 28, check
Tting a la indurain or cance, check
To be part of team train in the mountains, check
Did I miss any other ones?

& Froome shoulda won last year.

had he been The Badger or Cancer Jesus, he would have attacked his leader and won the Tour.

 

[blackcat]

I've done one theoretical fit only, but Chris to me looks fine on the bike. If anything, Wiggins looks fat. ;-)

And I think you make the most important point: if you are comfortable, you are going to be all kinds of kicking *** for 5-6 hours on the bike vs someone who gets mewmewmew13's approval for aesthetics but feels like a pretzel.

but not as fat as Betsy. And thats what counts.

 

[BroDeal]

& Froome shoulda won last year.

had he been The Badger or Cancer Jesus, he would have attacked his leader and won the Tour.

Then Sky might cut off the juice and he would go back to zig-zagging up climbs. I have a feeling that he needs McQuaid's protection.

 

[blackcat]

I,m not following Oman but just saw Daryl Impey placed 4th. Immediately thought 'thats 2 south africans in the top 4'.....what ??

I then checked Impey's site and he was in South Africa from October 30th....wonder if he's about to start getting some unexpected results.


http://www.darylimpey.com/DisplayLink.aspx?group=Personal&name=Biography

team pursuit would be good in the paralympics.

Hunter
Pistolero
Froome
Impey

 

[blackcat]

the question mark was a kind gesture to those who haven't smelled the coffee yet.

like to see Augustyn back at Sky.

 

[blackcat]

Is he riding a camel or a bike?

camelback

for hydration

 

[jamesmasters]

One point to be aware of is that, if Froome is doping (and I'm not sure either way), we won't know exactly how strong he is because he could be holding something back to avoid suspicion. His ridiculous sprint up the mountain away from Contador in Stage 4 suggested that he was far stronger than Alberto - perhaps in the remaining stages he toned it down a bit to avoid looking like Armstrong.

 

[martinvickers]

Froome ain't a sociopath

Not that that is probative of doping either way, but it's a point worth making

 

[martinvickers]

This guy is dangerously getting at Armstrong's story, let's see:

From sucking and dnf before an illness, check
Coming back and at least podium or winning a gt at age 28, check

Well since he podiumed two years ago, and he's still but 27, that's some trick!

Tting a la indurain or cance, check
To be part of team train in the mountains, check
Did I miss any other ones?

He speaks english.

He doesn't have a groucho marx comedy mustache.

He pees, apparently, standing up.

the horror, the horror.

 

[zalacain]

He pees, apparently, standing up.

Not in Germany

 

[will10]

And of course a bio passport that is very stable is also indicative of blood doping. There should be some variation as the season progresses.

...but it won't get flagged.