Froome Vs. Contador

[del1962]

You do know Lance Armstrong I suppose?

Which rider in the poll rode on the same team as Lance?

 

[Roderick]

Which rider in the poll rode on the same team as Lance?

Not even close to being the point. I was just referring to the whole 'never tested positive = proof of clean riding', which was more or less written on LA's forehead

 

[del1962]

Not even close to being the point. I was just referring to the whole 'never tested positive = proof of clean riding', which was more or less written on LA's forehead

Well he did test positive, backdated TUEs and all that, anyway you should make your insinuations soemwhere else.

 

[Roderick]

Well he did test positive, backdated TUEs and all that, anyway you should make your insinuations soemwhere else.

I'm not insinuating the slightest thing. Just responding to another member that brings up the whole never positive= clean-thing.

and eventhough LA backdated TUE's, he and JB kept saying never positive and blablabla

 

[The Hitch]

Another example of del being very fair and openminded. Sky fan introduces clinic into discussion, del sees it as perfectly kosher. Then non sky fan responds to the clinic comment, del tells him off for talking clinic in the road section

 

[LaFlorecita]

Another example of del being very fair and openminded. Sky fan introduces clinic into discussion, del sees it as perfectly kosher. Then non sky fan responds to the clinic comment, del tells him off for talking clinic in the road section

The problem being..??

 

[King Boonen]

I agree with all.

If SKY use a tactic, that Brainsfold have said is going to be very different than last year, others must use his own tactic to defeat that SKy tactic.

Yep. Although I'm not sure the tactics will be that different. Froome is currently expected to dominate the ITT's and the long dragging climbs the Tour is famous for suit a tempo pace being set up them. The only difference I could really see is allowing Froome to chase the top guys on his own if he feels it's close enough to the line to either catch them and hold on or catch and pass them.

 

[wwabbit]

Yep. Although I'm not sure the tactics will be that different. Froome is currently expected to dominate the ITT's and the long dragging climbs the Tour is famous for suit a tempo pace being set up them. The only difference I could really see is allowing Froome to chase the top guys on his own if he feels it's close enough to the line to either catch them and hold on or catch and pass them.

In all likelihood I think Froome would try to pass them at Ax3 which is before the ITT, but probably not for the other MTFs if he has a decent lead over the other contenders.

 

[airstream]

Another example of del being very fair and openminded. Sky fan introduces clinic into discussion, del sees it as perfectly kosher. Then non sky fan responds to the clinic comment, del tells him off for talking clinic in the road section

My dear guy, believe I can tell non Sky fans' 100 discrepancy discrepancies

 

[Taxus4a]

Another example of del being very fair and openminded. Sky fan introduces clinic into discussion, del sees it as perfectly kosher. Then non sky fan responds to the clinic comment, del tells him off for talking clinic in the road section

I have responded at all the things already. It is not a question of SKY fan, a lot of people are not SKy fans and believe they are clean, the same the opposites, but the SKY haters use to think they are right and sure, and dont argue more.

Here is not the place, I started writting, but then realize this is not the clinic and delete the message.

 

[Taxus4a]

Yep. Although I'm not sure the tactics will be that different. Froome is currently expected to dominate the ITT's and the long dragging climbs the Tour is famous for suit a tempo pace being set up them. The only difference I could really see is allowing Froome to chase the top guys on his own if he feels it's close enough to the line to either catch them and hold on or catch and pass them.

I agree again.

I think the team is a little bit weaker this year, and the rivals are more and stronger, but tactic are going to depend on what other teams try.

Anyway, they dont rule out the possibility of 1-2 with Porte, so if they can, they will try. I think that if everything is normal and his rivals are as I expected: Valverde, Purito, Contador, Evans, Pinot, Hesjedal, Mollema, JVdB, Dan Martin, Quintana,...try that would be a suicide.

And I think would be difficult that they changed so much tactics to put Porte in breakaways. We will see, but if Froome attack without Porte have worked, as in Ospedale (he worked just a little), Porte could take advantage at the end...
But for that both of them must be very strong over his rivals, and I dont think so. This is not Niza, CI or Dauphiné.

 

[EnacheV]

In all likelihood I think Froome would try to pass them at Ax3 which is before the ITT, but probably not for the other MTFs if he has a decent lead over the other contenders.

good prediction so far

 

[wwabbit]

good prediction so far

Not sure it will hold. I don't think Froome will be comfortable with the current gap after this stage where he lost time, and with the Sky team proving to be weaker than expected, I think he will have to take matters into his own hand and try to gain even more buffer time at Mont Ventoux over his rivals. If Contador is planning to peak in the final week, then Froome is going to need all the buffer he can get.

 

[murali]

today's stage proves why AC is better than froome.

AC is yet to learn to give up.

 

[EnacheV]

today's stage proves why AC is better than froome.

AC is yet to learn to give up.

I think you make a confusion

correct is

today's stage proves why Riis is better than Sir whatever is Sky DS. team selection and training methods 1 step above.

 

[Pricey_sky]

today's stage proves why AC is better than froome.

AC is yet to learn to give up.

What about the 2 minutes Contador lost on the TT, or being blown away on Ax-3?

Contador had a good day today no doubt and his team is stronger than Sky, however he will still need to raise his climbing another notch to trouble Froome.

 

[ThirdWorld]

I think you make a confusion

correct is

today's stage proves why Riis is better than Sir whatever is Sky DS. team selection and training methods 1 step above.

It was no Riis, but M. Rogers idea!

 

[murali]

today's stage proves why Riis is better than Sir whatever is Sky DS.

Riis, the tactician, gets lesser credit today, as Rogers had already clarified tht part.

What about the 2 minutes Contador lost on the TT, or being blown away on Ax-3?

Contador had a good day today no doubt and his team is stronger than Sky, however he will still need to raise his climbing another notch to trouble Froome.

But Froome was not reading the race today. Also, even in the stages that contador lost to froome, he was still capable of limiting his losses.(keeping loss @ 2min on an unfavourable day)

AC was able to coerce the cannondale, opqs and the mighty fugslang to work with him. Froome on the other hand was relying on the GC/stage aspirations of other teams to limit his losses.

in the mountain stage, when AC was losing time, he had the only surviving team mate to nurse him. he never lost touch with kreuziger till the end of line. Also, he immediately cross checked the amount of time he has lost. Froome was easily languishing in the middle of the chase group while his team mates were doing work in the front. Froome sort of had given up by the time he reached the finish.

 

[Le Baroudeur]

It was no Riis, but M. Rogers idea!

BS, the team has a DS 30km up the road mapping wind... Nico made the suggestion, Mick checked the troops, and Alberto made the call. It's a TEAM sport, and you can bet this was a plan on the cards deployed when the opportunity was right.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Froome 2 - Berto 1

 

[Jelantik]

Riis, the tactician, gets lesser credit today, as Rogers had already clarified tht part.

But Froome was not reading the race today. Also, even in the stages that contador lost to froome, he was still capable of limiting his losses.(keeping loss @ 2min on an unfavourable day)

he was lucky again, because BMC and kathusha rode hard. Dunno what they are protecting, like.. what.. 17th position or something?? So he definitely was lucky. *dunno how many time he'll have his luck with him*. BMC eventually eased, but katusha still rode hard. If everyone sorta wait until sky finished pulling, they could have taken advantage of possibly dropping froome. So in hindsight, he's luck he didn't loose 2 min. If he is... we got a ball game for ventoux.

 

[Publicus]

he was lucky again, because BMC and kathusha rode hard. Dunno what they are protecting, like.. what.. 17th position or something?? So he definitely was lucky. *dunno how many time he'll have his luck with him*. BMC eventually eased, but katusha still rode hard. If everyone sorta wait until sky finished pulling, they could have taken advantage of possibly dropping froome. So in hindsight, he's luck he didn't loose 2 min. If he is... we got a ball game for ventoux.

I thought it was dumb riding by BMC, Katusha primarily but Garmin, AG2R and Europcar get a special mention as well.

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Marginal pains from TST. THey want it more.

 

[Afrank]

Speculation time!

Today we had two races.
In one...

And in the other...

Both were the big two favorites for the Tour last year. Froome won out in the end. Now in 2014 Froome's looking to repeat, while Contador looks to show a return of his old self again.

So many factors we can look at here to speculate about, scrutinize, and over-analyze. Quality of race, quality of competition, difficulty of climb, race situation, how each won, past performances; it's enough to make any cycling fan salivate. Can Contador do it this year? Or will it be another walk for Froome?

In the long run it's redundant though, because both are peaking too early. Come July Nibali will be in form and crush them both.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

well said. Froomes victory was lightyears over ACs though