Froome vs wiggins: hinault vs lemond?

[Polyarmour]

I just read this

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-i-could-win-this-tour

I think this young man is living in la-la land. I cannot believe that he signed that 2/3 yr contract with Sky on the "pre-aggreement" that Wiggins will pull for him next year. Absolute rubbish. Once you taste the lore of the yellow Jersey, standing on the highest podium on sunday, there is no turning back rather a desire to return to that power spot. I have never heard of ANY TDF winner that WILLINGLY gave up defending the jersey the following year in order to pull for team mate.

He better take it next year, else he will be serving Mr. Wiggins next year as he defends the Jersey. Unless Froome does something smart like grab this jersey somehow, I rate him as a 5/10 in the brains department. Great champions are not those with just the skills (thats actually 40%) but those with the smarts. The difference is the smarts. And telling me Wiggins will pull for you next year ain't no smarts.

Well that's your interpretation but when I read it I thought it was a VERY smart move from Mr Froome. He has just hit the ball right into Mr Wiggins court and I'm now wondering how Mr Wiggins will respond. Picture this. How long now will it be before a journalist asks this question of Mr Wiggins?

"Mr Froome says he is 100% committed to riding for you this year, he says you are an honourable guy, will you be riding for him next year as he expects?"

If Mr Wiggins falters in any way answering this one, Mr Froome has his "Casus Belli"

 

[blackcat]

Froome will have to move teams.

It will be "old boys" all the way. Wiggins on his way to the 20th year in the British Cycling program. Politically, this will never occur. Though I do see some machiavellian talents with the interviews and the attack the previous day

No chance he can be leader at Sky.

Greenedge anyone? If Goss cant beat the current corps of sprinters, best he attempt to ride Spring. Should not be too difficult to get some support. Is Rogers up for a new contract for next year?

 

[ingsve]

Froome just needs to get off his high horse martyr-fetish and be grateful for all that Sky has done for him. They don't owe him anything but he sure owes them his whole career resurgence. He should just fall in line and wait his turn and most importantly shut the frak up. If there's one thing I can't stand it's egotism and that is all this is, and not only that it's disloyal as well. If Froome were to go against team orders and not help Wiggins if he's ordered to then I hope they just kick him off the Tour right there and then have him ride out his contract doing nothing higher than 2.2 races as a domestique.

 

[blackcat]

Froome just needs to get off his high horse martyr-fetish and be grateful for all that Sky has done for him. They don't owe him anything but he sure owes them his whole career resurgence. He should just fall in line and wait his turn and most importantly shut the frak up. If there's one thing I can't stand it's egotism and that is all this is, and not only that it's disloyal as well. If Froome were to go against team orders and not help Wiggins if he's ordered to then I hope they just kick him off the Tour right there and then have him ride out his contract doing nothing higher than 2.2 races as a domestique.

you are kidding me.

Froome has shown he is the most talented rider in the Vuelta 2011, and this years Tour, but he has to lump it. I do not have a simple solution, but your solution about a rider forced to not fulfill thei potential, certainly contradicts a founding axiom of sport and competition.

Where it does get murky, is that it is the second most talented rider, who is the team leader on his own team.

A similar situation occurred but a few years ago in the Vuelta with Discovery. If you "net out" the bonifcations (time bonus) for winning stages, Leipheimer would have beaten Contador, and LL had worked for him the entire race.

Also the year Contador won the Tour, I think Evans was second, and LL won a final tt. I think if you net out, the bonuses, LL is second, and mighty close to his team leader that he worked for (Contador). Was that the Rasmussen year, or the next year.

Yeah, the decisions that are made re: leadership, and support, who rides for whom, gotta be made in planning and before the time on the road. which makes this all 'iffy" and less of a planning science. And here enters the political realm

 

[Fergoose]

While it must be a thrill to have the legs to race away for odd 20 second gaps here and there at the end of summit finishes, Froome needs to realise he's TWO MINUTES down and his team leader, a superior TT man, hasn't really faltered at all. He need to ask himself, why should Sky risk on him when they've already built such a meaningful lead over the field for their main guy?

Froome took 40 seconds off Wiggins in the last km of the decisive climb of the 2011 Vuelta (Stage 17). His off-message attack in the TdF showed he could effortlessly gap Wiggins in a very short period of time. 2 minutes is a huge gap and I doubt anyone else in the peloton this year is capable of pulling that out on Wiggins, but for Froome it is recoverable on one mountain stage. The lad is riding well inside his limits nursemaiding Wiggins up climbs and his frustration is starting to bubble a bit. If Wiggins shows any sign of fatigue (which seems unlikely to me as it's been quite a gentle race) then I fancy Froome to pip him in the ITT too.

I think he should start doing a TJVG; deliberately drop Wiggins by a couple of bike lengths and look back at him to make himself look good. After his aborted attack and his L'Equipe article I don't think he and his ambitious girlfriend are going to settle for a meek ride to Paris. He'll find some other way to make a point I think.

But yes, from a team perspective a class rider in his position would do their job quietly and effectively.

 

[doperhopper]

Froome took 40 seconds off Wiggins in the last km of the decisive climb of the 2011 Vuelta (Stage 17). His off-message attack in the TdF showed he could effortlessly gap Wiggins in a very short period of time. 2 minutes is a huge gap and I doubt anyone else in the peloton this year is capable of pulling that out on Wiggins, but for Froome it is recoverable on one mountain stage. The lad is riding well inside his limits nursemaiding Wiggins up climbs and his frustration is starting to bubble a bit. If Wiggins shows any sign of fatigue (which seems unlikely to me as it's been quite a gentle race) then I fancy Froome to pip him in the ITT too.

I think he should start doing a TJVG; deliberately drop Wiggins by a couple of bike lengths and look back at him to make himself look good. After his aborted attack and his L'Equipe article I don't think he and his ambitious girlfriend are going to settle for a meek ride to Paris. He'll find some other way to make a point I think.

But yes, from a team perspective a class rider in his position would do their job quietly and effectively.

maybe he's just talking up his price for the coming bids (Astana?)

 

[johnnycash]

Perhaps it should be considered that the guy has respect for his employers and while previous domestiques may throw unprofessional tantrums, he's just getting on with the job he is paid (and contracted) to do.

I respect Froome but there were too many questions about his form, fitness and health before the tour is expext any kind of leadership issues and I expect he appreciates that.

Sky are lucky he punctured early on or the ITTs could have been interesting/embarassing but at the end of the day Wiggo did beat him and probably will do again in the next ITT, so the 'ifs' about what Froome could do in the mountains are largely irrelevant. Remember he may consider that his current performance is thanks partly to Skys preparation and lets face it, the majority of other big teams just simply have not got their acts together.

Forget Froome/Wiggo, I'd like to see Tejay Van G set loose on Tourmalet, Cadel's done.

 

[ingsve]

you are kidding me.

Froome has shown he is the most talented rider in the Vuelta 2011, and this years Tour, but he has to lump it. I do not have a simple solution, but your solution about a rider forced to not fulfill thei potential, certainly contradicts a founding axiom of sport and competition.

Where it does get murky, is that it is the second most talented rider, who is the team leader on his own team.

A similar situation occurred but a few years ago in the Vuelta with Discovery. If you "net out" the bonifcations (time bonus) for winning stages, Leipheimer would have beaten Contador, and LL had worked for him the entire race.

Also the year Contador won the Tour, I think Evans was second, and LL won a final tt. I think if you net out, the bonuses, LL is second, and mighty close to his team leader that he worked for (Contador). Was that the Rasmussen year, or the next year.

Yeah, the decisions that are made re: leadership, and support, who rides for whom, gotta be made in planning and before the time on the road. which makes this all 'iffy" and less of a planning science. And here enters the political realm

No, I'm not kidding you. Cycling is a team sport and you do the job the team tells you to, end of story. Even if he feels that he is stronger that is no reason to go against team orders in any way. There are no two ways about it. If he is unhappy with not getting a shot of his own then that is something that should be brought up in private with the team leaders and not in a French newspaper.

 

[robert_c]

But for sky to win the tour with wiggans will be a massive step forward for british and world cycling...

And then back it up with a gold in the Olympics.

 

[robert_c]

Forget Froome/Wiggo, I'd like to see Tejay Van G set loose on Tourmalet, Cadel's done.

Exactly! Cadel seems to be able to attack, but can't hold it.

 

[BotanyBay]

I think Froome should send an email to Greg Lemond and ask him about regret. I think Greg regrets not riding up to his own abilities and settling into some false sense of duty. If the duty is for Sky to win the TDF, then whomever is best in a position to do it... should do it.

If Wiggins is meant to be champion, then he should earn it. Perhaps that means clawing back and physically prying it out of Froomie's little hands.

 

[Pantani_lives]

I don't believe Lemond could have won in '85, but Froome could have won this year.

I look forward to seeing them hand in hand on l'Alpe d'Huez next year, Froome in yellow!