Teams & Riders Froome Talk Only

[DFA123]

Normally when riders pace themselves back there aren't 20% gradients.

There's a race every spring called La Fleche Wallonne. You should watch it. It ends in a very steep climb and every year people attack too early and then get overtaken by people who paced it better. This was just a longer version.

Agree with this; the only strange thing was that he appeared to be out of the back of the peloton and then was on Valverde's wheel about a minute later. Either the other GC guys slowed dramatically after the initial attack, or Froome really pushed the gas himself. The fact that no-one else got close to getting back on, and Caruso (?) was also dropped during this time suggests that it was the latter.

An off camera mutant attack sounds possible.

 

[Afrank]

We just don't know if the reports of Froome's demise were greatly exaggerated or not. I'm curious to hear the accounts from the other riders themselves.

Was Froome really "at the back of the peloton"?

Did anyone here have TV coverage that would confirm that?

When Valverde first attacked and Contador and Rodriguez chased him down and preceded to do battle up the mountain Froome was falling back and it looked like he wouldn't come back to the 3 at first.

 

[the sceptic]

Do you know him personally and do you know that he dopes for a fact ? No, you don't, pathetic.

Yes, I know.

Read the book to get a view into the personality of the Dawg. Its not pretty.

 

[SeriousSam]

Do you know him personally and do you know that he dopes for a fact ? No, you don't, pathetic.

Oh wow, probably the most idiotic response imaginable.

 

[Bexon30]

Normally when riders pace themselves back there aren't 20% gradients.

There's a race every spring called La Fleche Wallonne. You should watch it. It ends in a very steep climb and every year people attack too early and then get overtaken by people who paced it better. This was just a longer version.


(And yes it is ironic that this year's FW winner was the one who started the attacking and lost the most)

What makes you think I don't watch it?!

Anyway this climb is much longer and Froome was falling well behind, and he also battled back the other day. I'm impressed by it as it's not seen often. When a rider goes backward he usually doesn't put time into the best GC riders.

Comparing Froomes recent mountain performances to that of Flèche is strange to me. And bear in mind they'd already cycled up a big mountain earlier today, they don't do that in Flèche.

Apples and oranges really.

 

[thehog]

Normally when riders pace themselves back there aren't 20% gradients.

There's a race every spring called La Fleche Wallonne. You should watch it. It ends in a very steep climb and every year people attack too early and then get overtaken by people who paced it better. This was just a longer version.


(And yes it is ironic that this year's FW winner was the one who started the attacking and lost the most)

Agreed. I did think Contador went way too early as did Valverde. Today wasn't a day to gain big margins.

 

[bigcog]

Oh wow, probably the most idiotic response imaginable.

Sorry you've lost me. Must be a generational thing ...

 

[Donkey]

Agreed. I did think Contador went way too early as did Valverde. Today wasn't a day to gain big margins.

yes, I was very surprised by Alberto's attack. Might have been Riis's tragic idea.

"GO FOR IT, DAWG IS DISTANCED"

maybe he forgot ALberto's hematocrit is not as great as his own one

 

[Parker]

What makes you think I don't watch it?!

Anyway this climb is much longer and Froome was falling well behind, and he also battled back the other day. I'm impressed by it as it's not seen often. When a rider goes backward he usually doesn't put time into the best GC riders.

Before the stage Froome said that the final few kilometres need to be ridden like a time trial (because drafting is meaningless), to get the rider through it in the fastest time he can, regardless of others. He got distance by the Spanish riders attacking, but no-one rides like that in a time trial.

Comparing Froomes recent mountain performances to that of Flèche is strange to me. And bear in mind they'd already cycled up a big mountain earlier today, they don't do that in Flèche.

Apples and oranges really.

I'm only comparing today with Fleche. Because it was really steep. Everyone knows that timing and pacing are the key to Fleche. And today was longer so those aspects were more crucial.
And yes they did a big mountain earlier. The rode it so hard that Tom Boonen was leading the peloton after it.

 

[roundabout]

Before the stage Froome said that the final few kilometres need to be ridden like a time trial (because drafting is meaningless), to get the rider through it in the fastest time he can, regardless of others. He got distance by the Spanish riders attacking, but no-one rides like that in a time trial.


I'm only comparing today with Fleche. Because it was really steep. Everyone knows that timing and pacing are the key to Fleche. And today was longer so those aspects were more crucial.
And yes they did a big mountain earlier. The rode it so hard that Tom Boonen was leading the peloton after it.

Boonen was in the breakaway.

 

[Bexon30]

Before the stage Froome said that the final few kilometres need to be ridden like a time trial (because drafting is meaningless), to get the rider through it in the fastest time he can, regardless of others. He got distance by the Spanish riders attacking, but no-one rides like that in a time trial.
That interesting I hadn't heard the interview myself. I'm in agreement with Valverde and Contador attacking too early, but still think Froome is riding stranger than we've seen in the last 2 years. Also I think he's just getting into top shape once more but that's just me.

I'm only comparing today with Fleche. Because it was really steep. Everyone knows that timing and pacing are the key to Fleche. And today was longer so those aspects were more crucial.
And yes they did a big mountain earlier. The rode it so hard that Tom Boonen was leading the peloton after it.

As I'm sure your aware any big mountain before will have an impact. They rode hard enough for me for it to affect them on the last climb.
And Boonen is a monster as you know

 

[peloton]

When Valverde first attacked and Contador and Rodriguez chased him down and preceded to do battle up the mountain Froome was falling back and it looked like he wouldn't come back to the 3 at first.

This. That he recovered from being dropped to get to the front of the group and then on the very steep parts drop everyone, that was quite a comeback.

Maybe he needed a few puffs before doing that...

 

[BigMac]

This. That he recovered from being dropped to get to the front of the group and then on the very steep parts drop everyone, that was quite a comeback.

Maybe he needed a few puffs before doing that...

Actually Froome dropped the rest with an accelaration in a less steep part of the climb. It even looked flat.

 

[go crazy]

This is one day where Froome actually out-tacticalled (made up word, I know) the other riders. On grades this steep, where no one apparently had pre-ridden it, the smartest way to ride it is to ride it like a TT, setting an even tempo and ramping it up slowly as you get closer to the end. So, seeing him come back looked unpossible (yes I know...) but the Spanish guys played it bad, because of the in-fighting. Today wasn't too alien from Froome. Doesn't mean he's not a massive raging doper, which he is IMO. Looking forward to the next MTF's where his full-*** mode will be on display.

 

[TailWindHome]

I'd like to see if Froome was really positioned as reported by CN during its live feed.



then

Would the CN 'live' feed not be based on the TV feed we were watching.

I would assume that..

18:37:10 CEST
Incredibly Froome has also comeback with a late charge. He was at the back but has found some power and speed.

...is assumption and 'commentators' hyperbole.

 

[Granville57]

Would the CN 'live' feed not be based on the TV feed we were watching.

I really have no idea, but this:

18:31:17 CEST
Froome is at the back of the peloton and is suffering.

Seems to imply that either video images were providing that info, or it was coming from some sort of "official" channel such as the race radio reports.

It's been my understand that the live video feeds were the same for every broadcaster, provided by the host nation. Only the commentating itself changes from one station to another.

I did not see any footage of Froome at the back of the peloton. Did you?
I was watching a spotty, pirated internet feed, so I really don't know what television viewers may have seen with less interrupted footage.

 

[roundabout]

Would the CN 'live' feed not be based on the TV feed we were watching.

I would assume that..

18:37:10 CEST
Incredibly Froome has also comeback with a late charge. He was at the back but has found some power and speed.

...is assumption and 'commentators' hyperbole.

I can post a video where he was about 15 riders back when the hard part of the climb started, but I don't want it to be taken down.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I did not see any footage of Froome at the back of the peloton. Did you?
I was watching a spotty, pirated internet feed, so I really don't know what television viewers may have seen with less interrupted footage.

I saw him at the back of the group and dropping with others passing him, however it is a serious exaggeration to call the group at the time a péloton.

 

[doperhopper]

Anyway this climb is much longer and Froome was falling well behind, and he also battled back the other day. I'm impressed by it as it's not seen often. When a rider goes backward he usually doesn't put time into the best GC riders.
.

out-of-camera inhaler shot?

looking forward to more vrooooooom moments

btw, what the hell were two Bertie's mountain doms doing in the break - afraid of skyborg Dauphine trick?

 

[Benotti69]

Froome putting out big numbers...

ammattipyöräily @ammattipyoraily · 1h
#LaVuelta, Stage 14: La Camperona. According to prov. calculation, Chris Froome at 6.40 - 6.50 W/kg for 12 mins.

 

[deValtos]

I did not see any footage of Froome at the back of the peloton. Did you?
I was watching a spotty, pirated internet feed, so I really don't know what television viewers may have seen with less interrupted footage.

Yeah they had one very brief 5 second clip (eurosport) where Froome looked to be a long ways behind. It'll be up on a "last few km" vid in a few hours.

 

[Granville57]

Yeah they had one very brief 5 second clip (eurosport) where Froome looked to be a long ways behind. It'll be up on a "last few km" vid in a few hours.

Thanks

I saw him at the back of the group and dropping with others passing him, however it is a serious exaggeration to call the group at the time a péloton.

The bolded is exactly what I'd been wondering about. Makes a bit more sense now.

 

[the sceptic]

Froome putting out big numbers...

only 12 minutes though

 

[No_Balls]

Why is there so often an assumption that all people who don't want to see Froome win are Contador fans?

Two reasons: 1) He is the best example to use as a smokescreen for their false statement that they care about doping. A good cover so to speak. 2) By this he is also working as a perfect tool to create a diversion when their god is up for scrutiny.

They also often comes in that passive-aggressive manner happychappy did. Same old stuff the Lance zombies used to pull, inherited by this british mob.

 

[The Hitch]

Do you know him personally and do you know that he dopes for a fact ? No, you don't, pathetic.

Yes to the second question.