Sky/Froome Talk Only (No Way Sky Are Cleans?)

[EderShamir]

I don't like to call somebody a cheater when I have no proofs, but Froome's performance it too unbelievable for my taste. Well, at least he won't win the Vuelta (or I hope so!)

 

[ak-zaaf]

I don't like to call somebody a cheater when I have no proofs, but Froome's performance it too unbelievable for my taste. Well, at least he won't win the Vuelta (or I hope so!)

Yes, Cobo would be a much better option

 

[Parrulo]

The field is not weak. Two guys are performing at a wildly unexpected level.

and several others under performing at a wildly unexpected level.

and bit of both and we have this.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I hope that is what clean racing bring us, because wow, it was brilliant.

Yes, exactly.
It also shows that how Cobo looks when he is climbing is meaningless; not a sign of doping, at all.

 

[roundabout]

I disagree. He (Cobo) looked under pressure today compared to Angliru.

but anyway...

It's not a perfect comparison but I wonder how much slower/faster(?) they were than Rodriguez final km last year.

 

[EderShamir]

Yes, Cobo would be a much better option

At least Cobo is known to be a good climber. With some lesser results, but a good climber. Froome's performance is just nonsensical.

And obviously I prefer to see a Spanish rider winning over a Kenyan-turned-Brit.

 

[richtea]

The field is not weak. Two guys are performing at a wildly unexpected level.

Weak in the sense that the big favourites are not performing at their expected levels, allowing riders that would normally place lower come to the fore.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Weak in the sense that the big favourites are not performing at their expected levels, allowing riders that would normally place lower come to the fore.

Not really that relevant. The likes of Froome wouldn't be expected to be in the top 30 climbers in this Vuelta, by anybody except his mother. Yes a few of the big names have underperformed, but there would normally be a huge chunk of the field before we get to Froome. And a not much smaller chunk before we get to post Saunier Duval Cobo.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Wiggins still needs to podium - if he is to inherit the GC wins when Froome & Cobo both get disqualified (fun though it is)

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It is hard not to wonder.

 

[Ferminal]

Weak in the sense that the big favourites are not performing at their expected levels, allowing riders that would normally place lower come to the fore.

Mollema and Nieve are both performing well. Going into the race you would have said that they would finish higher than both Cobo and Froome if all were at their best.

That Wiggins guy seems to be at his best too.

 

[spalco]

I'm still in awe. Anyway, Froome and Cobo have guts aplenty, I'll give them that, if they are doped they are at least entertaining.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I disagree. He (Cobo) looked under pressure today compared to Angliru.

but anyway...

It's not a perfect comparison but I wonder how much slower/faster(?) they were than Rodriguez final km last year.

So, he was doping on the Angliru, but not today?
Or else, like I say, how a rider looks is pretty irrelevant, to the doping debate.

 

[La Canaja]

Mollema and Nieve are both performing well. Going into the race you would have said that they would finish higher than both Cobo and Froome if all were at their best.

Menchov as well. And most of the top twenty for that matter.

 

[webvan]

Wow, what a finish, don't ever remember seeing that! Too bad for Froome there weren't 200 extra meters...

Saw Froome in the interview and he struck me as a pretty skinny guy, good climbing material, no?

 

[Fergoose]

If Froome & Cobo head off into the clouds together next week and:
- time bonuses are available on the line that might jeopardise Cobo’s lead
AND
- Cobo can’t shake Froome (or heaven forfend, is dropped by Froome and loses red)

then I’ll be extremelysuspicious of Froome, despite him not having a 2008 TdF moment like Cobo. We just need to be patient about what the next week will bring.

Well, it doesn't get much clearer than that to me - it's like I wrote the bloody script! I have to believe that Froome should be given the same consideration as Cobo despite not having quite as chequered a past. I'm sorry, but underperforming favourites or not, I cannot swallow that being an honestly earnt result (although I'll reserve judgement until we see the the power to weight calculations). They massively gapped a much improved Anton, a quality Menchov, a clearly recovered Van den Broeck and the in form Martin & Mollema (and I'll not even speculate what is going on with Bruseghin!).

I'm sure Mr Froome will resolve his contract issues, but if Mr Brailsford wants to be consistent, then he should treat Froome the same as this "mystery Italian" Brailsford refused to sign when he saw the passport. I still have every confidence in Wiggins though.

In summing up, I'll leave the last word to a UK TV presenter about the stage:

"What an epic duel, and almost unnatural..."

(he was talking about how Cobo could crack and make it back to Froome and how Froome could then get caught, but still muster a burst at the very end).

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Saw Froome in the interview and he struck me as a pretty skinny guy, good climbing material, no?

Reasonably good climbing domestique material. Until this Vuelta.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Menchov as well. And most of the top twenty for that matter.

It would be easier to find guys in the top 25 who wouldn't have been favoured to finish ahead of Froome, a domestique who had never made the top 20 in a GT mountain stage.

 

[Moller]

Froome is out of contract, Goes to the Vuelta does a tt that raises eyebrows, but now this!
Seriously, has there ever been a more laugable performance than this?, 3 weeks ago if you asked anyone who Chris Froome was they'd say he was they guy that fell off and rolled down the Bonette in '08

Never, ever in 25 years of following cycling have I ever seen such a literally overnight transformation.

Next year he'll have a nice big contract on the back of this and people will still wonder why riders dope.

 

[La Canaja]

It would be easier to find guys in the top 25 who wouldn't have been favoured to finish ahead of Froome, a domestique who had never made the top 20 in a GT mountain stage.

Not sure what you're trying to say here.
I mean, look at the top ten without Cobo and Froome:

WIGGINS, Bradley SKY + 1' 41''
MOLLEMA, Bauke RAB + 2' 05''
MENCHOV, Denis GEO + 3' 48''
MONFORT, Maxime LEO + 4' 13''
NIBALI, Vincenzo LIQ + 4' 31''
VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen OLO + 4' 45''
MORENO, Daniel KAT + 5' 20''
NIEVE, Mikel EUS + 5' 33''
POELS, Wouter VCD + 5' 43''
FUGLSANG, Jakob

Considering how bad the ones who rode the Giro performed, and the lack of hard mountain stages in this Vuelta, this is a legit top ten. Most of them would have been considered GT material before the start, a couple are youngster supposed to emerge as GT contenders at some point in their careers.


I think it's definately easier to find guys who were favoured to finish ahead of Froome.

 

[patterson_hood]

Not sure what you're trying to say here.
I mean, look at the top ten without Cobo and Froome:

WIGGINS, Bradley SKY + 1' 41''
MOLLEMA, Bauke RAB + 2' 05''
MENCHOV, Denis GEO + 3' 48''
MONFORT, Maxime LEO + 4' 13''
NIBALI, Vincenzo LIQ + 4' 31''
VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen OLO + 4' 45''
MORENO, Daniel KAT + 5' 20''
NIEVE, Mikel EUS + 5' 33''
POELS, Wouter VCD + 5' 43''
FUGLSANG, Jakob

Considering how bad the ones who rode the Giro performed, and the lack of hard mountain stages in this Vuelta, this is a legit top ten. Most of them would have been considered GT material before the start, a couple are youngster supposed to emerge as GT contenders at some point in their careers.


I think it's definately easier to find guys who were favoured to finish ahead of Froome.

Maybe a language issue here. he means it'd be easier as the list would be smaller.

 

[webvan]

What's his VO2Max?

It's not unheard of superchamps to come out of nowhere like Thurau in 1977, Fignon in 83, Ullrich in 1996 and...of course some others like Ugrumov in 1993, LA in 1999, Rumsas in 2002.

Call me naive but at this point I'm a believer.

 

[roundabout]

Froome is out of contract, Goes to the Vuelta does a tt that raises eyebrows, but now this!
Seriously, has there ever been a more laugable performance than this?, 3 weeks ago if you asked anyone who Chris Froome was they'd say he was they guy that fell off and rolled down the Bonette in '08

Never, ever in 25 years of following cycling have I ever seen such a literally overnight transformation.

Next year he'll have a nice big contract on the back of this and people will still wonder why riders dope.

That was Augustyn so Froome doesn't even get to claim that.

 

[patterson_hood]

What's his VO2Max?

It's not unheard of superchamps to come out of nowhere like Thurau in 1977, Fignon in 83, Ullrich in 1996 and...of course some others like Ugrumov in 1993, LA in 1999, Rumsas in 2002.

Call me naive but at this point I'm a believer.

Haven't all of those guys either tested positive or been heavily accused of doping?

 

[Moller]

That was Augustyn so Froome doesn't even get to claim that.

Apologies!! you're right, he's even less well know than I thought!