Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[Bakhjulet]

So if his crisis wasn't food related in any sense (he just thought it was or maybe he faked it), wouldn't that mean that Quintana and Purito (and Porte) were just stronger than Froome today? That Froome might be tiring in the third week (ITT yesterday wasn't that impressive) and that he isn't so alienlike after all? That wouldn't suit in with the narrative here.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He's talking about the first climb in that post...

well the peloton didn't go full in the first alpe either, normal for tjvg to stay ahead somewhat in same time

 

[the sceptic]

Yeah the ITT wasnt impressive, he only won and beat all the spanish riders that had clearly "prepared" extra for the stage.

 

[Almeisan]

Froome rides up the Alp without glycogen doing about 5.8 watts/kg. Nice.

He would have had same time or faster than Quintana if he didn't forget to eat.


Does doping increase the size of the fuel tank alongside increasing engine output? Or are dopers more likely to bonk?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Yea, he only took the food because he was panicked?...

just like he closed gaps to everyone and rides like an idiot almost every day because he's in constant panick mode. he doens't sotp talking every 2 seconds in his radio either. see also his downhil crash with contador, any yellow jersey rider with a 4 mintue advantage that can't handle a bike would not have tried to follow

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

No one has a crystal ball. If someone was predicting 39 minutes, it has no bearing on the performances of Froome in the books.

Indeed no-one has a crystal ball. But there were the predictions of 38 minutes for Froome. I didn't make them; I just pointed out that the predictions were wildly incorrect and speculated as to the reasons why they might have been made. Wind up merchant is my best guess!

Obviously, only performances on the road count.

None of which has anything to do with my views on Froome, which haven't changed since he emerged from nowhere in the 2011 Vuelta. My comments were only to highlight the inaccurate predictions. It would be nice if the folks who made the predictions admitted they were wildly wrong rather than trying to adjust Froome's performance to make it faster than it was.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

just like he closed gaps to everyone and rides like an idiot almost every day because he's in constant panick mode. he doens't sotp talking every 2 seconds in his radio either. see also his downhil crash with contador, any yellow jersey rider with a 4 mintue advantage that can't handle a bike would not have tried to follow

Here is my question, if he hadn't fed, are you confident that Quintana wouldn't have gained any more time on him? Because I'm not. I wonder if Quintana could have used some food? Maybe Tejay? Wonder if he could have won if he's fed and then won by over 20 seconds? We'll never really know, but I don't think Froome asked for food as a prophylactic measure...call me crazy...

 

[the sceptic]

based on Madone, ax3 and ventoux i dont think it was that unreasonable to predict another Armstrong esque ascent

 

[Bakhjulet]

Yeah the ITT wasnt impressive, he only won and beat all the spanish riders that had clearly "prepared" extra for the stage.

You know this how? They were close to Froome? But then you totally disregard the possibility that Froome maybe didn't have his best day. Were Birdsong and Schleck also prepared?

 

[Frosty]

So the Froomster even bonks better than the pharmstrong?

I didnt say that. Just comparing it to an occasion when someone was reported to have bonked and yet didnt lose much time. Having bonked on a bike before i found the Lance one quite remarkable if true.

I am sorry u dont believe in miracles.

Just throwing some thoughts in there, i dont know proclaim to be certain whether he is doping or not. Could have guaranteed that the mention of Armstrong would give someone a chance to use a worn out smart-**** phrase that doesnt actually make much sense.

 

[Almeisan]

If Contador didn't trace his bloodbags with clen, he would have never been caught. So why wouldn't he do so? And it's not like Katusha and Movistar don't know about this.

 

[TheGame]

They did 39 for the first accent. Sky that is

For an ascent that was 1.5km shorter.

Vetoos timings for the second climb are based on 13.8km, a lot of the records are based on 14.4km a full 2km longer than that first ascent.

 

[the sceptic]

You know this how? They were close to Froome? But then you totally disregard the possibility that Froome maybe didn't have his best day. Were Birdsong and Schleck also prepared?

rest day refill. How is that not obvious?

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Indeed no-one has a crystal ball. But there were the predictions of 38 minutes for Froome. I didn't make them; I just pointed out that the predictions were wildly incorrect and speculated as to the reasons why they might have been made. Wind up merchant is my best guess!

Obviously, only performances on the road count.

None of which has anything to do with my views on Froome, which haven't changed since he emerged from nowhere in the 2011 Vuelta. My comments were only to highlight the inaccurate predictions. It would be nice if the folks who made the predictions admitted they were wildly wrong rather than trying to adjust Froome's performance to make it faster than it was.

Have u ever had a hunger knock? The dawg was able to put at least a minute into Quintana and Rodriquez. Talking on the radio in full climbing? Do you know what that means for ones heartbeat? 160 bpm normally, you do the math Wallace.

In a TT the Froomster might be able to match Pantani. But, why would he?

based on Madone, ax3 and ventoux i dont think it was that unreasonable to predict another Armstrong esque ascent

Forgot Armstrong 2003?

106. Lance Armstrong _____ USA | 41:21 | 2003

I didnt say that. Just comparing it to an occasion when someone was reported to have bonked and yet didnt lose much time. Having bonked on a bike before i found the Lance one quite remarkable if true.

Dont worry, we are almost at agreement. A bonk is a bonk, and not a faked one. Indurain did it often too.

 

[Alphabet]

Actually it looked a little mutanty to me. I mean, he crossed the finish line smiling and not even gasping for breath. And that attack on Van Garderen near the end, wow. Not sure about that. If that had been Froome instead of Riblon I think the perspective would have been different.

He rolled his shoulders through the whole climb. Plus he started with a 7 minute advantage on the GC guys, he lost 5 of those. Thus, if Quintana did it in 39, Riblon took 44 minutes- which seems pretty clean.

On that note, while the Brits will never doubt their athletes, the french go too far: half the comments on lequipe are how AG2R is doped, it was the same last time europcar won a stage.

That's an admirable sentiment from the French people, actually. They throw aside any national bias and scrutinise themselves as much if not more so than foreigners.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

You are right it won't change the quality of his earlier performances, but it shows that he can't keep up his superhuman* performances for 3 weeks, so therefore he in some sense becomes less superhuman than he could have been.

* Not superhuman. Close to the limits of known physiological science.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

rest day refill. How is that not obvious?

But there is no improvement in AC's climbing. Weird blood bag that only helps TT performance but not climbing.

 

[sublimit]

just like he closed gaps to everyone and rides like an idiot almost every day because he's in constant panick mode. he doens't sotp talking every 2 seconds in his radio either. see also his downhil crash with contador, any yellow jersey rider with a 4 mintue advantage that can't handle a bike would not have tried to follow

man... You maker that Oleg Tinkoff twitter clown look 4 real with those comments.

I get the feeling that you are the one panicking today yes? Slow down and type properly

 

[Bakhjulet]

rest day refill. How is that not obvious?

So the spaniards were closer to Froome than expected therefore it is obvious that they all refilled? And any other possibility, for example that Froome didn't have his best day, is just silly?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

But there is no improvement in AC's climbing. Weird blood bag that only helps TT performance but not climbing.

This is what confusing me, Do you have any theory?.

 

[Alphabet]

I'm not sure if Contador refilled. You would expect him to put serious time into the likes of Purito and Quintana, regardless of how many mountains there are, in a TT. But he only just scraped past their times- which were pretty suspect. Rodriguez's TTing not so long ago was like Frank Schleck with a parachute attached.

 

[el_angliru]

So the spaniards were closer to Froome than expected therefore it is obvious that they all refilled? And any other possibility, for example that Froome didn't have his best day, is just silly?

We have eyes. Froome took it easy. He said so himself in interviews. Even Ricco tweeted sarcastically that Froome won the TT going at 50%.

 

[thehog]

So the Froomster even bonks better than the pharmstrong?

I am sorry u dont believe in miracles.

@ammattipyoraily: #TDF, Alpe d'Huez (13.80 km, 8.11 %). Chris Froome ["67 kg]: 40:56.
DrF: 5.84 W/kg, CPL: 5.87 W/kg. BCR: 5.94 W/kg. rst: 5.96 W/kg.



Nice bonking!

 

[Bakhjulet]

This is what confusing me, Do you have any theory?.

Contador and Kreuziger's futile attack on the descent today sure didn't put them in an optimal situation when the last climb started. Kreuziger dropped way earlier today than on any other climb, Contador also faded quiet quickly.

 

[Wallace and Gromit]

Have u ever had a hunger knock?

I have. Not pleasant. Not entirely sure that Froome had hunger knock tbh. He kept going at a tidy pace, putting time into most, other than JRod and Quintana. My guess would be that he just overcooked things, as if he'd had a proper hunger knock he'd have lost a lot more time. The food he took from Porte would have had very little impact given how long it takes to digest stuff.

Re Armstrong's 2003 ascent, wasn't that the year where it was so hot that Motoman's refigerated panniers were not cold enough for the blood bags, so Lance rode the early stages of the Tour without much if any extra blood? He only really revived at Luz Ardiden when it was a fair bit cooler.