Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[vrusimov]

that acceleration by Froome so he could descend alone would certainly catch my eye if i were contador or another GC hopeful's DS! not because he made it look easy, but that he wanted to descend alone at all. maybe it's just the early-race nerves, and Froome can descend just fine, but taking some risks on a descent to try to split the bunch or let Froome self destruct like Wiggins is worth a shot, yeah?

is Froome typically a good descender?

Quite the contrary to journalistic opinion, what he did showed weakness rather than strength. However, there may come moments in the Tour (like in Tirreno-Adriatico] where he will be forced to grapple with his apparent deficiency in bike-handling skills. Van Impe's opinions on the neuroticism of Froome may yet prove prescient.

 

[fruit bars with eyes]

I don't think it had anything to do with descending. he was already at the front of the bunch- just roll over the top and off you go with clear road?

I think he made that up later to make it look like a stroke of tactical genius. I don't believe a word that he says. I think he just feels so strong that it's hard not to take the chocks off at the moment. I think it was just an impulsive act that later had to be rationalised. It reminds me of when Kimmage jumped a fence at the depart of some crit when charged, cleared it by two feet and fell flat on his jacksie in front of a bemused crowd. His team mates were all laughing nervously and telling him to calm down. I imagined the Sky guys s******ing and thinking 'jeez Chris what are you up to -turn it down man' ....

 

[Cycle Chic]

I don't think it had anything to do with descending. he was already at the front of the bunch- just roll over the top and off you go with clear road?

I think he made that up later to make it look like a stroke of tactical genius. I don't believe a word that he says. I think he just feels so strong that it's hard not to take the chocks off at the moment. I think it was just an impulsive act that later had to be rationalised. It reminds me of when Kimmage jumped a fence at the depart of some crit when charged, cleared it by two feet and fell flat on his jacksie in front of a bemused crowd. His team mates were all laughing nervously and telling him to calm down. I imagined the Sky guys s******ing and thinking 'jeez Chris what are you up to -turn it down man' ....

SPOT ON !! this the beginning of Froome going full genius.

 

[Galic Ho]

SPOT ON !! this the beginning of Froome going full genius.

That is exactly what I said as I watched it. "He's already going full genius." He wanted to let it all off tap last year. Now he can and watch as everyone wakes up to his little ruse.

Froome is dumb enough to keep pushing and pushing and pushing till it all goes POP!

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Brailsford just pushed the wrong button on his joystick. Instead of the ''stay steady, stay steady'' button he pushed the ''gungho, gungho, gungho'' button.

It was funny to see though.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Its KILLING him that he isn't in the Yellow Jersey from day 1 until the final day.

 

[MartinGT]

Not been on here for a while.

When I saq the Dawg attack on that section the other day I laughed my t!ts off, I really did.

Then hearing Brailsford saying it was it was "Implusive" and a joy to watch made me laugh too. If that had been someone else it would have been jumped on by all the Sky Fan bois.

Its not the first time the Dawg has put in a mad acceleration this year. Its also against what his master said was possible without dope. G'wan Dwag lad, go genius!

 

[ebandit]

seriously

Its not the first time the Dawg has put in a mad acceleration this year. Its also against what his master said was possible without dope. G'wan Dwag lad, go genius!

seriously? not possible without dope.......................a jump on a small
climb

if froomey has real pretensions of winning the tour it's going to take more than that

..............enjoy!

is hoggy currently on holiday .................in france........cheering on his team sky favourites?

Mark L

 

[MartinGT]

He..............may...................just be

 

[Dazed and Confused]

He..............may...................just be

a .... .. wonderdawg?

 

[ebandit]

me thinks

a .... .. wonderdawg?

me thinks he is hoping to see wonderdawg up close

Mark L

 

[ianfra]

That is exactly what I said as I watched it. "He's already going full genius." He wanted to let it all off tap last year. Now he can and watch as everyone wakes up to his little ruse.

Froome is dumb enough to keep pushing and pushing and pushing till it all goes POP!

Throughout this thread, I have never read so many dumb insults by people who know nothing about Froome's career. For you who want to know, Froome was bought up in an environment that most people would have run away from, with very little expertise to show him the ropes on how to ride - no club runs for example where people would help you as a youngster. His bike was way too small when he switched to the road - hence he developed a slightly ungainly riding style. Nevertheless, in his first contact with European styled elite riders he showed up well - particularly as a climber. So his history is quite unconventional but he still managed to impress riders around him, team managers, people who know about cycling (unlike some of the posters here) and the coaches at the UCI development centre. He had spectacular results for a rookie who's bike handling skills were, at the time, horrific and got placed at important world level races. The Tour of Japan, The Tour of Korea, Commonwealth Games, races in Italy, France and Belgium all featured in his development as a rider. He is also a highly intelligent and sensitive human being. His success has not come from "nowhere" as many here claim. But he was a late developer because of coming from a cycling backwater(Kenya). I can tell you about cycling backwaters as I race and coach in Thailand. And we here are way ahead of the Kenyans. I understand a book about Froome by an independent writer is due to be published and I think it will put some of the misery in the posts above to shame. The guy is a fighter and has overcome obstacles far larger than most of us have faced to get to where he is. This guy has guts and understands the work ethic.

 

[BYOP88]

Throughout this thread, I have never read so many dumb insults by people who know nothing about Froome's career. For you who want to know, Froome was bought up in an environment that most people would have run away from, with very little expertise to show him the ropes on how to ride - no club runs for example where people would help you as a youngster. His bike was way too small when he switched to the road - hence he developed a slightly ungainly riding style. Nevertheless, in his first contact with European styled elite riders he showed up well - particularly as a climber. So his history is quite unconventional but he still managed to impress riders around him, team managers, people who know about cycling (unlike some of the posters here) and the coaches at the UCI development centre. He had spectacular results for a rookie who's bike handling skills were, at the time, horrific and got placed at important world level races. The Tour of Japan, The Tour of Korea, Commonwealth Games, races in Italy, France and Belgium all featured in his development as a rider. He is also a highly intelligent and sensitive human being. His success has not come from "nowhere" as many here claim. But he was a late developer because of coming from a cycling backwater(Kenya). I can tell you about cycling backwaters as I race and coach in Thailand. And we here are way ahead of the Kenyans. I understand a book about Froome by an independent writer is due to be published and I think it will put some of the misery in the posts above to shame. The guy is a fighter and has overcome obstacles far larger than most of us have faced to get to where he is. This guy has guts and understands the work ethic.

Just a few things, just because you live in Africa doesn't mean you are poor. For instance Froome's older brothers attended the private school Rugby in England. Just looked and for full board it's £40,000 per year, as I'm guessing his brothers didn't travel from Africa everyday!

At age 14 Froome went to St John's College in South Africa which costs over 250,000 rand which is around £16,000 per year. So it's not as if Froome came from a poor family struggling to make ends meet, that's what £96,000+ a year on school fees alone.

Doesn't South Africa have a decent cycling scene? Granted he may have ridden in Kenya for 2 years, but how many 12 year olds get to 'train' with a pro on a daily basis? I'm guessing not many.

Froome started on the road at 14, doesn't seem that late in life to start riding on the road, Mollema (or another guy on Belkin, the name escapes me) I believe didn't start riding on the road until he was 18 or 19. Now if Froome came from the slums of Africa and his family didn't have a pot to pee in, then it could be said he had to overcome lots of disadvantages, but it doesn't appear he did come from the slums, but infact a very nice background.

 

[the sceptic]

cool story old chap

 

[blackcat]

Throughout this thread, I have never read so many dumb insults by people who know nothing about Froome's career. For you who want to know, Froome was bought up in an environment that most people would have run away from, with very little expertise to show him the ropes on how to ride - no club runs for example where people would help you as a youngster. His bike was way too small when he switched to the road - hence he developed a slightly ungainly riding style. Nevertheless, in his first contact with European styled elite riders he showed up well - particularly as a climber. So his history is quite unconventional but he still managed to impress riders around him, team managers, people who know about cycling (unlike some of the posters here) and the coaches at the UCI development centre. He had spectacular results for a rookie who's bike handling skills were, at the time, horrific and got placed at important world level races. The Tour of Japan, The Tour of Korea, Commonwealth Games, races in Italy, France and Belgium all featured in his development as a rider. He is also a highly intelligent and sensitive human being. His success has not come from "nowhere" as many here claim. But he was a late developer because of coming from a cycling backwater(Kenya). I can tell you about cycling backwaters as I race and coach in Thailand. And we here are way ahead of the Kenyans. I understand a book about Froome by an independent writer is due to be published and I think it will put some of the misery in the posts above to shame. The guy is a fighter and has overcome obstacles far larger than most of us have faced to get to where he is. This guy has guts and understands the work ethic.

i have been a defender of his, but how many of his formative years were in SA?

i know he had wins and del capo, and would have been prominent in argus and the intatech tour

 

[ianfra]

When I wrote about his background, I was not talking about economics. I was referring to opportunity where Kenyan cycling is on a shoestring, there are no races that would turn you into a world-class skilled rider and so on. Added to this he lived with his mother (a physiotherapist) and they were both quite naive about the sport. They lived in a black community. I agree that he did have a more hi-so education but that didn't give him the skills for cycling. He was then schooled in a boarding school in South Africa and finally made the grade in road cycling - on an old bike that was far too small for him. He had never been properly taught or coached on how to pedal, sit on a bike and so on. He was, and is, a determined individual and showed a lot of early talent for time trialling and climbing. Also, his youthful stage win in the Tour of Maurice showed that in fact his climbing and recovery were both outstanding. He rode with Minolta(?) and then Barloword - but even in this team he was a novice. Thrown into his first Tour de France, he has not trained for three weeks prior to the event due to his mother's untimely death. So his overall finishing spot of 89 (?) was a success and beat Indurain's first tour finish of 97. Also when one of the Colombian riders on Barloworld got thrown out for dope, Froome was furious and didn't hold back his comments - and these comments continued unabated when others (Ricco) also got done for drugs. No omerta with Froome. He's an interesting guy, loves his sport, he's quirky but whatever there is absolutely no need for the rudeness and unfounded allegations that I read in previous posts.

 

[Galic Ho]

Throughout this thread, I have never read so many dumb insults by people who know nothing about Froome's career. For you who want to know, Froome was bought up in an environment that most people would have run away from, with very little expertise to show him the ropes on how to ride - no club runs for example where people would help you as a youngster. His bike was way too small when he switched to the road - hence he developed a slightly ungainly riding style. Nevertheless, in his first contact with European styled elite riders he showed up well - particularly as a climber. So his history is quite unconventional but he still managed to impress riders around him, team managers, people who know about cycling (unlike some of the posters here) and the coaches at the UCI development centre. He had spectacular results for a rookie who's bike handling skills were, at the time, horrific and got placed at important world level races. The Tour of Japan, The Tour of Korea, Commonwealth Games, races in Italy, France and Belgium all featured in his development as a rider. He is also a highly intelligent and sensitive human being. His success has not come from "nowhere" as many here claim. But he was a late developer because of coming from a cycling backwater(Kenya). I can tell you about cycling backwaters as I race and coach in Thailand. And we here are way ahead of the Kenyans. I understand a book about Froome by an independent writer is due to be published and I think it will put some of the misery in the posts above to shame. The guy is a fighter and has overcome obstacles far larger than most of us have faced to get to where he is. This guy has guts and understands the work ethic.

Dude seriously. Nobody cares that you know Sky riders and buy their BS. Nobody except you.

But by all means, when one of the local Thai riders crosses over from Muay Thai, Tony Jaa style and becomes the next Sky rider, I am sure you'll have quite a tale to tell.

Short story ianfra. I am not picking on you, or your boys. Just calling it as it is. Go back a week and look at the articles cyclingnews posted about Froome and the comments on them! They weren't Clinic regulars ripping into Froome for being an 'obvious' doper, it was the general public. Nobody is buying it other than the faithful few like you and the lackeys who lie and you have placed on a pulpit.

Here is a quick question for you. What do you face to lose if Chris Froome is found doping? Would it hurt you? Wouldn't hurt me at all, but I sense it would damage you more than you let on. Seriously most of us here who say Froome is doping, have no qualms saying others dope. A spade is a spade. Difference is the Valverdes, Contadors, Schlecks, Gilberts, Kreuzigers, Cavendishs and Nibalis they ALL showed early talent. Heck ask Blackcat who at HTC in 2007 was the most talented sprinter. Wasn't Cavendish. Was Ciolek. Look at the palmares. This has been done so many times on Froome...you cannot rewrite history. He is the most unlikely GC candidate in such a long time given his entry to the sport it is beyond a laughing joke.

Enjoy your day ianfra and the Tour and I am being serious here...Froome is definitely going to try and go full genius. He did last year and had the biggest smug look on his face. He's bottled it up for over half a year now. He lacks the restraint to hold it in and yes, I think he will get popped this Tour.

You better hope Armstrong shuts his gob. You better hope the French politicians don't cause a ruckus with the 98 epo retests. You better hope Cookson gets in line. Everything is pointing to some major doping fireworks this year. It's not my fault you don't see the signs.

 

[Galic Ho]

When I wrote about his background, I was not talking about economics. I was referring to opportunity where Kenyan cycling is on a shoestring, there are no races that would turn you into a world-class skilled rider and so on. Added to this he lived with his mother (a physiotherapist) and they were both quite naive about the sport. They lived in a black community. I agree that he did have a more hi-so education but that didn't give him the skills for cycling. He was then schooled in a boarding school in South Africa and finally made the grade in road cycling - on an old bike that was far too small for him. He had never been properly taught or coached on how to pedal, sit on a bike and so on. He was, and is, a determined individual and showed a lot of early talent for time trialling and climbing. Also, his youthful stage win in the Tour of Maurice showed that in fact his climbing and recovery were both outstanding. He rode with Minolta(?) and then Barloword - but even in this team he was a novice. Thrown into his first Tour de France, he has not trained for three weeks prior to the event due to his mother's untimely death. So his overall finishing spot of 89 (?) was a success and beat Indurain's first tour finish of 97. Also when one of the Colombian riders on Barloworld got thrown out for dope, Froome was furious and didn't hold back his comments - and these comments continued unabated when others (Ricco) also got done for drugs. No omerta with Froome. He's an interesting guy, loves his sport, he's quirky but whatever there is absolutely no need for the rudeness and unfounded allegations that I read in previous posts.

Worst argument EVER. Indurain was the FIRST EPO WINNER IN THE TOUR. Where have you been?

Barloworld clean? Since when? Want a list of the dodgy riders on the team? Man why do you take a personal grudge about comments on a forum about an OBVIOUS doper? You related to him? He your bosom buddy?

Oh and regarding supposed BS anti-omerta talk. You should check what Wiggins said back in the day and contrast with what he did post 2009 and said, regarding Armstrong in particular. You really do believe don't you? A believer...that really is scary. Also sad as well (serious). When they fall you're not going to deal with this at all.

Literally, this is very sad. Most of the other fans are irrational nutters and people looking for an argument simply to argue OR they're Grade A trolls. You're actually a full blown believer who takes offense for these guys. This is really concerning...you should really stay away from this place. Seriously...stay away for your own good. It does not profit you to come here. Why come back? When you believe so fiercely? When you clearly have so much to lose on a very shady wager?

 

[Taxus4a]

Just a few things, just because you live in Africa doesn't mean you are poor. For instance Froome's older brothers attended the private school Rugby in England. Just looked and for full board it's £40,000 per year, as I'm guessing his brothers didn't travel from Africa everyday!


Froome started on the road at 14,

That is not true as far as I know.

Put me a proof of that.

14 (almost 15) is the age he went to Sudafrica, but he didnt start suddenly road. He was focused into collegue till 19 years old, when he start to think in road cycling. As far as I know ( I am not totally sure) he did MTB those years before 19, but nothing serious, just a game.
His first road team was Hi-Q, at 19 or even 20.

If you have another information, please, tell me. I d like to know.

Froome showed stronger than Mollema in Giro delle Regione in 2007. Froome did bad overall becouse he felt three times.

 

[Taxus4a]

Worst argument EVER. Indurain was the FIRST EPO WINNER IN THE TOUR. Where have you been?

Barloworld clean? Since when? Want a list of the dodgy riders on the team? Man why do you take a personal grudge about comments on a forum about an OBVIOUS doper? You related to him? He your bosom buddy?

Oh and regarding supposed BS anti-omerta talk. You should check what Wiggins said back in the day and contrast with what he did post 2009 and said, regarding Armstrong in particular. You really do believe don't you? A believer...that really is scary. Also sad as well (serious). When they fall you're not going to deal with this at all.

Literally, this is very sad. Most of the other fans are irrational nutters and people looking for an argument simply to argue OR they're Grade A trolls. You're actually a full blown believer who takes offense for these guys. This is really concerning...you should really stay away from this place. Seriously...stay away for your own good. It does not profit you to come here. Why come back? When you believe so fiercely? When you clearly have so much to lose on a very shady wager?

Read my article, in my sign, just read when you find a picture of Barlowold

You will see how after Dueñas positive some riders left the TDF, and other remains.

 

[the sceptic]

1. [CHN] MA Haijun - 34'45" 20
2. [KEN] FROOME Chris KON 15" 12
3. [KGZ] WACKER Eugen - 16" 9
4. [CHN] SONG Baoqing - 59" 7
5. [KOR] JANG Sun Jae - 01'03" 6
6. [CHI] CABRERA TORRES Juan Francisco - 01'44" 5
7. [NAM] CRAVEN Dan - 01'59" 4
8. [KOR] YOUM Jung Hwan - 02'19" 3
9. [UZB] HALMURATOV Muradjan - 02'26" 2
10. [SRB] DER Zsolt PNB 02'37" 1

Taxus was standing by the side of the road in this race, the UCI B world championships ITT, and he noted that Froome had a big engine and that he would win the tour one day

 

[ianfra]

As I said in my post and in others before it, I am not a stupid hooker who swallows everything on the line. However, I find it putrid that people can post, and indeed are ALLOWED to post bullsh** about people doping as fact. When in fact it is not facts that they post but allegations. If you post opinion as fact then you are just viewed as utterly stupid by most people. Because people can discern obvious prejudice. What I posted above, in two posts, is some historical facts about Froome. Yes, he did show early talent and his manager at Minolta (Robertson??) actually said that he;d finish high up in the Tour one day because these guys, who know their cycling, can spot talent. I wanted, in my posts above, to try and set the record sraight about Froome. He did not come from 'nowhere' as some ignoramous posters claim. He came from a difficult beginning and showed talent early on. He fought very hard to be where he is now. He has always had strong opinions about doping (and I'm not talking sociopathic distribes that come from people such as LA). That's all. You can argue what you like but you cannot deny facts. I don't believe this guy, or any of the Team Sky, are doping. That's my opinion. You can believe what you like. But for goodness sake, post your concerns as opinion, not as fact. We'd respect you far more for that.

 

[the sceptic]

As I said in my post and in others before it, I am not a stupid hooker who swallows everything on the line. However, I find it putrid that people can post, and indeed are ALLOWED to post bullsh** about people doping as fact. When in fact it is not facts that they post but allegations. If you post opinion as fact then you are just viewed as utterly stupid by most people. Because people can discern obvious prejudice. What I posted above, in two posts, is some historical facts about Froome. Yes, he did show early talent and his manager at Minolta (Robertson??) actually said that he;d finish high up in the Tour one day because these guys, who know their cycling, can spot talent. I wanted, in my posts above, to try and set the record sraight about Froome. He did not come from 'nowhere' as some ignoramous posters claim. He came from a difficult beginning and showed talent early on. He fought very hard to be where he is now. He has always had strong opinions about doping (and I'm not talking sociopathic distribes that come from people such as LA). That's all. You can argue what you like but you cannot deny facts. I don't believe this guy, or any of the Team Sky, are doping. That's my opinion. You can believe what you like. But for goodness sake, post your concerns as opinion, not as fact. We'd respect you far more for that.

lol

10 char

 

[airstream]

The sceptic, Froome obviously doesn't look like your the TdF 13 champion because he's a doper. Who would you admit as a legitimate Tour winner?

 

[Galic Ho]

Read my article, in my sign, just read when you find a picture of Barlowold

You will see how after Dueñas positive some riders left the TDF, and other remains.

Barloworld in 2008 had 5 riders abandon the Tour. Crashes. Crashes and more crashes. Their golden boy was Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez, who also was a horrible bike handler. Wanna take a guess how much drugs he was on in 2007? What he did looks tame next to what Froome has been doing. You won't find many who think Soler was clean then. Now? Well where is he? Where is Augustyn Actually besides Robbie Hunter most of Barloworld then were bad bike handlers. That is how Barloworld were. A disjointed and odd team. Hunter was the most gifted on the team off the juice.

At least in your first picture he looks healthy. That alone should set off EVERY alarm bell in any sane person's head.

As for his age and history. If your family has THAT MUCH money in Africa...yeah. Join the dots. Most kids cannot afford a road bike in western countries. They are not cheap. Or did you not hear Contador's story in the YouTube video the other day? He only started at 15 as well. Yet he was winning races well before Froome was getting a look in.

Selling Chris Froome as legit is nigh on impossible. Majority will never buy it. Least of all with what has been revealed the last few years regarding cycling as a whole. Only those so desperate to evade their daily life and find solace in someones antics on a bike will buy it. Those people are few and further apart today than ever before. People watch, but they know. They know the score.