The Climb (Froome's first autobiography)

[More Strides than Rides]

Saying this as an Irishman, maybe its the generations of poverty but when they finally get their snouts in the trough it is a revolting spectacle. Sorry but that's it.

Not trying to nitpick, but poverty in Kenya is very different than poverty in England. The fact that he could afford to purse cycling (and those "sandshoes", nonetheless) shows he was well-off enough.

 

[ScienceIsCool]

The man is dipped, basted and slow-roasted in narcissism. The excerpts have him pitted against anyone who might have challenged his world view that he is exceptional.

Take the Henderson incident as an example. You're at a race and you find yourself well and truly off the back with only one other teammate to work with. Anyone who's raced knows how that feels. You've had an awful day and you're about as low as you can go. Meh. So you work together to salvage whatever you can.

At the top of a climb, you struggle a bit and your teammate finds himself down the other side in a good position to catch the last grupetto. What goes through your mind is:

- Good on him. At least someone on our team can catch a break. I'm stuffed. Wonder if I should keep going or abandon? About as memorable as last Tuesday's commute.

or

- ******* left me behind! Why didn't he wait for me? Why didn't he help tow me to the finish!? I'm foiling this away and will not forget or forgive his betrayal.

Chris Froome: Drugged up narcissist cheat. He and Armstrong should go in on a business venture together. That'd be great entertainment.

John Swanson

 

[Saint Unix]

If anything this book will bring out the snitches quicker. He's definitely made some enemies with it.

How long until the Sky bubble bursts?

 

[thehog]

If anything this book will bring out the snitches quicker. He's definitely made some enemies with it.

How long until the Sky bubble bursts?

Another one from the book.

Froome claims that Belkin attacked Valverde when he punctured because of Operation Pureto.

Appently they told him that. He's a doper so should be attacked.

 

[Nathan12]

The man is dipped, basted and slow-roasted in narcissism. The excerpts have him pitted against anyone who might have challenged his world view that he is exceptional.

Take the Henderson incident as an example. You're at a race and you find yourself well and truly off the back with only one other teammate to work with. Anyone who's raced knows how that feels. You've had an awful day and you're about as low as you can go. Meh. So you work together to salvage whatever you can.

At the top of a climb, you struggle a bit and your teammate finds himself down the other side in a good position to catch the last grupetto. What goes through your mind is:

- Good on him. At least someone on our team can catch a break. I'm stuffed. Wonder if I should keep going or abandon? About as memorable as last Tuesday's commute.

or

- ******* left me behind! Why didn't he wait for me? Why didn't he help tow me to the finish!? I'm foiling this away and will not forget or forgive his betrayal.

Chris Froome: Drugged up narcissist cheat. He and Armstrong should go in on a business venture together. That'd be great entertainment.

John Swanson

Great post. I can (sort of) understand the digs at Wiggins, though they're unwise and unnecessary. But the personal stuff re Henderson shows Froome to be a deeply unlikeable and downright nasty character. ****. i really hope he gets popped soon, though I fear it will be years.

 

[roundabout]

The man is dipped, basted and slow-roasted in narcissism. The excerpts have him pitted against anyone who might have challenged his world view that he is exceptional.

Take the Henderson incident as an example. You're at a race and you find yourself well and truly off the back with only one other teammate to work with. Anyone who's raced knows how that feels. You've had an awful day and you're about as low as you can go. Meh. So you work together to salvage whatever you can.

At the top of a climb, you struggle a bit and your teammate finds himself down the other side in a good position to catch the last grupetto. What goes through your mind is:

- Good on him. At least someone on our team can catch a break. I'm stuffed. Wonder if I should keep going or abandon? About as memorable as last Tuesday's commute.

or

- ******* left me behind! Why didn't he wait for me? Why didn't he help tow me to the finish!? I'm foiling this away and will not forget or forgive his betrayal.

Chris Froome: Drugged up narcissist cheat. He and Armstrong should go in on a business venture together. That'd be great entertainment.

John Swanson

Eh? Froome shouldn't have brought this up, but Henderson was a **** if Froome indeed waited for him on the climb

 

[mattghg]

Another one from the book.

Froome claims that Belkin attacked Valverde when he punctured because of Operation Pureto.

Appently they told him that. That's he's a doper so should be attacked.

Actually I can kind of picture this.

Other teams: Hey Belkin! Attacking a guy when he's had a puncture? Not cool.
Belkin: Nah it's OK because ... uh ... Puerto?

 

[bigcog]

"Eh? Froome shouldn't have brought this up, but Henderson was a **** if Froome indeed waited for him on the climb"

Don't you know, Froome is the anti-christ incarnate. Very unwise of him to be this frank in my opinion, just look at the reaction here, although whatever was in it would be used as fodder for character assassination especially here

 

[More Strides than Rides]

"Eh? Froome shouldn't have brought this up, but Henderson was a **** if Froome indeed waited for him on the climb"

Don't you know, Froome is the anti-christ incarnate. Very unwise of him to be this frank in my opinion, just look at the reaction here, although whatever was in it would be used as fodder for character assassination especially here

Sure, there is a strog reaction here. Can someone with more awareness talk about how its being recieved by the larger community? Did Froome really shoot himslef in the foot, or just stir up a bee hive he doesn't really care about.

 

[thehog]

Actually I can kind of picture this.

Other teams: Hey Belkin! Attacking a guy when he's had a puncture? Not cool.
Belkin: Nah it's OK because ... uh ... Puerto?

Well the truth is that Valverde and Movistar did the same to Belkin and it was pay back.

Nothing to do with Puerto. But Walsh has never been one to let the facts get in the way if talking utter crap.

 

[bigcog]

Sure, there is a strog reaction here. Can someone with more awareness talk about how its being recieved by the larger community? Did Froome really shoot himslef in the foot, or just stir up a bee hive he doesn't really care about.

From what I've read in the UK media most just say he has stirred the conflict with Wiggins with the book - which is a risk I suppose in the UK, given Wiggins status. Apart from that it hasn't generated much coverage at all.

 

[JimmyFingers]

The media hasn't reacted to the Froome book, it was overshadowed by Wiggins' interview. I watched the Facebook comments build on Sky's page and the reaction there was vitriolic and highly critical. British fans in the large part are very angry: the feeling is that everyone want Wiggins there in Yorkshire, on merit he should be, and that it was Froome's veto and weak management from Sky to blame.

Carefully stage-managed by Wiggins? By far the more popular rider here, he's stirred up the fans, made Froome look vindictive and Brailsford weak. The sponsors will be twitchy, ASO will want Wiggins there. He may have created a perfect little storm for himself.


Given the nature of Froome's paranoid and narcissistic personality, he will be putting himself under massive pressure in the Dauphine to prove he deserves his pre-eminence. Already we're seeing an 'amazing' performance, big time grab fir such a short TT.

 

[the sceptic]

The media hasn't reacted to the Froome book, it was overshadowed by Wiggins' interview. I watched the Facebook comments build on Sky's page and the reaction there was vitriolic and highly critical. British fans in the large part are very angry: the feeling is that everyone want Wiggins there in Yorkshire, on merit he should be, and that it was Froome's veto and weak management from Sky to blame.

Carefully stage-managed by Wiggins? By far the more popular rider here, he's stirred up the fans, made Froome look vindictive and Brailsford weak. The sponsors will be twitchy, ASO will want Wiggins there. He may have created a perfect little storm for himself.


Given the nature of Froome's paranoid and narcissistic personality, he will be putting himself under massive pressure in the Dauphine to prove he deserves his pre-eminence. Already we're seeing an 'amazing' performance, big time grab fir such a short TT.

I get the impression that Froome is bitter because he isnt getting the same hype and recognition as Wiggins. No matter what Froome does, the british public doesnt really care about him at all, meanwhile Wiggins became a national hero after getting towed around France by Froome.

 

[The Hitch]

If Belkin said that then they are weak. Tell people it's for Puerto in private. But I don't recall them standing so tall in front of the press.

They did it purely to get their riders up on gc.no morals about it.

 

[mattghg]

I get the impression that Froome is bitter because he isnt getting the same hype and recognition as Wiggins. No matter what Froome does, the british public doesnt really care about him at all, meanwhile Wiggins became a national hero after getting towed around France by Froome.

There is the small matter of Wiggins' 7 Olympic medals, 4 of them gold, contributing to his "national hero" status...

 

[Saint Unix]

There is the small matter of Wiggins' 7 Olympic medals, 4 of them gold, contributing to his "national hero" status...

There's also the fact that Wigg's an actual Brit, and not a Kenyan who changed federations for convenience's sake.

 

[mattghg]

There's also the fact that Wigg's an actual Brit, and not a Kenyan who changed federations for convenience's sake.

Yeah, that too.

 

[The Hitch]

There is the small matter of Wiggins' 7 Olympic medals, 4 of them gold, contributing to his "national hero" status...

Wiggins really wasn't that famous pre 2012. Sure, more than all sans hoy and Cavendish. But it definately took off with 2012.

 

[nomapnocompass]

Froome and Porte as pictured in The Climb while TT training.

What stands out is just how awful Froome looks on the bike. His left leg flying out to the side and his upper body pushed off to the left. Contrast with Cancellara, Martin or Wiggins... yet Froome is apparently as good if not better!

 

[JimmyFingers]

Quantify 'that' famous exactly? That's an odd thing to say: he was very famous post Beijing 2008, and famous after Athens.

 

[armchairclimber]

Wiggins really wasn't that famous pre 2012. Sure, more than all sans hoy and Cavendish. But it definately took off with 2012.

In terms of profile with Joe Public he was probably better known than Cav. Certainly a more recognisable face. Aside from anything else, Cav never courted publicity.

 

[ScienceIsCool]

The one that kills me is where he slags Henderson for disrupting the Sky "train" during a lead out. Someone needs to take him aside and explain how bicycle racing competitions are waged by men who know what they are doing.

So Henderson is able to insert himself in third to fourth position and Froome is ****ed that Henderson won't say "Pardon me. This must be your spot. By all means good man, I'll just pull to one side and let you in". Ha ha ha ha. But no. If you're too stupid to let him take your wheel, then suck it up. Or... like an experienced Cat 2, take second to last wheel and push Henderson back one position.

Good lord, it's Henderson's *job* to grab a wheel and wreak havoc with Sky's plans.

John Swanson

 

[deValtos]

The one that kills me is where he slags Henderson for disrupting the Sky "train" during a lead out. Someone needs to take him aside and explain how bicycle racing competitions are waged by men who know what they are doing.

So Henderson is able to insert himself in third to fourth position and Froome is ****ed that Henderson won't say "Pardon me. This must be your spot. By all means good man, I'll just pull to one side and let you in". Ha ha ha ha. But no. If you're too stupid to let him take your wheel, then suck it up. Or... like an experienced Cat 2, take second to last wheel and push Henderson back one position.

Good lord, it's Henderson's *job* to grab a wheel and wreak havoc with Sky's plans.

John Swanson

I can't find the text again (hog posted it earlier) but from what I remember you have the story a bit mistaken *according to Froome*.

He said Henderson got in the way of thier mountain train, not during a lead out. He did it because Froome had got in the way of one of Henderson's leadouts, not because Henderson had some GC guy to protect on the climb or something. Basically saying Greg had zero reason to be there and was just being a ******.

 

[The Hitch]

Froome and Porte as pictured in The Climb while TT training.

What stands out is just how awful Froome looks on the bike. His left leg flying out to the side and his upper body pushed off to the left. Contrast with Cancellara, Martin or Wiggins... yet Froome is apparently as good if not better!

Richie is smiling.

For the camera.

They probably took that pic, then went to have cofee.

 

[The Hitch]

Tbf to froome, I never liked Henderson neither.

Mainly because he disrespected the giro by saying after winning a stage at Paris nice was by far the biggest win of his career.