Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[JosephK]

Re:

Any tour he's ever won he has dominated it from the very beginning and never had a truly bad day when it really mattered. The only possible exception being in this years tour where he lost about 20 secs on a 250m steep ramp. This Vuelta appears to be taking the same path because the majority of the other GC riders are effectively down 2:00+ minutes from the beginning due to time trialling.

Yes and yes. As a cycling fan, I have enjoyed several grand tours in recent years, classics races, etc., except for the TDFs where Froome was participating (starting with 2012, when he could have won), because in every one of those events, the outcome was very clear early on -- in those tours it was obvious that Froome was on a physiological level way above everyone else. Strategy is irrelevant because he's boatloads stronger than all other contenders. I maintain that he sandbagged it in this year's TDF to provide a semblance of legitimacy to the thing. The one grand tour where Froome had a competitor on a similar level was the 2014 Vuelta, but that must have an asterisk beside it because Froome was preparing for the TDF that year -- the Vuelta was a backup plan after he crashed out of the Tour. I can accept races where contenders are probably (almost certainly) doping, if the sporting element is there, but when the playing field is not level -- when one guy is playing on a completely different level -- then the event does suck.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Any tour he's ever won he has dominated it from the very beginning and never had a truly bad day when it really mattered. The only possible exception being in this years tour where he lost about 20 secs on a 250m steep ramp. This Vuelta appears to be taking the same path because the majority of the other GC riders are effectively down 2:00+ minutes from the beginning due to time trialling.

This Vuelta is taking the same path because Froome has finally realised that he needs to (somewhat) keep it in his pants at the TDF if he wants to win the double. Froome was never in any danger at all, even on the Peyresourde. He might drop seconds here and there to Chaves and Contador on the crazy steep stuff, but the 40km TT will set them straight.

As for the TTT, none of the real challengers lost more than 45 seconds, most less than 20. Don't try and tell us that's why he won in two weeks time.

 

[Cycle Chic]

WHY is Froome dropping to the back of the pack before a climb - commentaors shouting that Froomes in trouble - then proceeds to motor his way through them - sumets going on - he's either sucking on the inhaler or its sumet to do with the battery / motor.

After yesterdays stage I,ve not seen him looking so fresh

 

[oronet commander]

Re:

WHY is Froome dropping to the back of the pack before a climb - commentaors shouting that Froomes in trouble - then proceeds to motor his way through them - sumets going on - he's either sucking on the inhaler or its sumet to do with the battery / motor.

After yesterdays stage I,ve not seen him looking so fresh

At least his usual behaviour is consistent with the use of a motorized bike: he fights as he can during the first two thirds of the climb, usually supported by his team or suffering and yo-yoing if under attack and, at the end, he enters his '*** mode' and empties his battery in a brutal attack spinning up at unbelievably high rpms and looking fresh and strong. I like him very much -he seems polite and even sweet- but cannot believe him anymore.

 

[kingjr]

I suppose Yuriy Borzakovskiy ran with a motor in his shoes, too.

 

[rhubroma]

Froome was faster than Olano and Armstrong in 98, in the "full EPO era," and by 30 seconds!

 

[kingjr]

I'm sure they were loaded to the brim a month after the Festina bust.

 

[hrotha]

Re:

I'm sure they were loaded to the brim a month after the Festina bust.

Of course they were. Spain wasn't France.

 

[miguelindurain111]

Re:

Froome was faster than Olano and Armstrong in 98, in the "full EPO era," and by 30 seconds!

Froome and Contador were 25 secs faster than Olano and Armstrong in 1998 and 38 secs slower than Jimenez in 2000.

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/only-contador-can-follow-froome-on-cati.html?m=1

 

[DanielSong39]

Washing machine Froome is back!

 

[bigcog]

Re:

Washing machine Froome is back!

I didn't see any washing machine action, it was too steep for that. Today was all power.

 

[Marco Pantani]

Allowing this clown to keep winning on his motorbike is a complete farce, cycling is dead.

 

[rick james]

Re:

Allowing this clown to keep winning on his motorbike is a complete farce, cycling is dead.

he's on a motorbike?

 

[Benotti69]

Froome sets a new best time on Puig Llorenca. Another insane performance in Spain, Chris around 7 w/kg!

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/froome-new-best-time-on-puig-llorenca.html

A circus.

 

[DanielSong39]

Re: Re:

Allowing this clown to keep winning on his motorbike is a complete farce, cycling is dead.

he's on a motorbike?

That's old news; but better late than never!

 

[thehog]

Re:

Froome sets a new best time on Puig Llorenca. Another insane performance in Spain, Chris around 7 w/kg!

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/froome-new-best-time-on-puig-llorenca.html

A circus.

It was insane but to be fair they've only only climbed it twice, so a record was expected. The fact that it was done into a headwind made is suspect.

 

[bigcog]

Re:

Froome sets a new best time on Puig Llorenca. Another insane performance in Spain, Chris around 7 w/kg!

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/froome-new-best-time-on-puig-llorenca.html

A circus.

That is not an insane performance given the length of the climb is it.

 

[jilbiker]

Re:

Allowing this clown to keep winning on his motorbike is a complete farce, cycling is dead.

Indeed it is, at least to me. i cannot continue to watch or follow the sport at the pro level, at least not with the passion of before. Its really ridiculous. I thought about FloJo and her ridiculous records that stand till today and how she got away with it, one aspect of athletics that saddens me and then I thought about Froome and his getting away with it. Winning multiple GTs including 2 in a year is getting away with it. Its comparable to 7 TDFs by LA. An in your face move.

 

[miguelindurain111]

Re:

Froome sets a new best time on Puig Llorenca. Another insane performance in Spain, Chris around 7 w/kg!

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/froome-new-best-time-on-puig-llorenca.html

A circus.

Yeah, 7 secs faster than mountain goat Dumoulin in 2015 :lol:

 

[Irondan]

Re: Re:

Froome sets a new best time on Puig Llorenca. Another insane performance in Spain, Chris around 7 w/kg!

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/froome-new-best-time-on-puig-llorenca.html

A circus.

It was insane but to be fair they've only only climbed it twice, so a record was expected. The fact that it was done into a headwind made is suspect.

And considering the old record was set by Tom Dumoulin it shouldn't be a surprise since Dumoulin's not a climber... Right?

 

[Benotti69]

Re: Re:

Froome sets a new best time on Puig Llorenca. Another insane performance in Spain, Chris around 7 w/kg!

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/froome-new-best-time-on-puig-llorenca.html

A circus.

Yeah, 7 secs faster than mountain goat Dumoulin in 2015 :lol:

Into a headwind and given he's done the TdF as well, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.......

 

[thehog]

Re: Re:

Froome sets a new best time on Puig Llorenca. Another insane performance in Spain, Chris around 7 w/kg!

http://www.climbing-records.com/2017/08/froome-new-best-time-on-puig-llorenca.html

A circus.

Yeah, 7 secs faster than mountain goat Dumoulin in 2015 :lol:

Into a headwind and given he's done the TdF as well, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.......

In terms of brute power it was impressive as the climb was so super steep and into a headwind. The length was short so it was nothing like a Ventoux or PSM.

I wish you'd understand the difference in wattages per kilo rather than looking at the figure as an absolute.

 

[DanielSong39]

To be fair Nieve might have been the most impressive performer of them all today. The main point still holds, though.

 

[yaco]

Suppose we should be worried that Chaves and Woods also rode faster than Dumoulin in 2015.

 

[thehog]

Re:

To be fair Nieve might have been the most impressive performer of them all today. The main point still holds, though.

Agreed as even Bardet couldn't do much with Nieve driving the pace.