Froome with a view to ditch BW?

ratsbeyfus

Just had a read of inrng stage 14 preview and one of the posters at the end has translated a L'equipe interview with Froome... makes for interesting reading if it's accurate:

I know I would be capable of winning this Tour, but not with Sky. We have defined the strategy around BW and everyone respects this.
...I won’t lie it is hard(difficult even), but it is my job.

Having sacrificed the vuelta last year to protect BW (“I could have won, it’s true”) he hopes that in the long term he will be rewarded . The tour 2013? ” if there are cols then I hope Sky will be honest and that all team mates will be of service to me, With the same loyalty that I am demonstrating today.”
... if I sense that we could lose the Tour, if will follow the better ones, wether this is Nibali or Evans , to preserve our chances, reassure the Sky prescence”.

So, if Evans and/or Nibs try a massive attack on one of the slopes today, Froome's inner calculating chimp may decide to latch on to their wheel rather than pace Bradley back. Surely such a comment is going to give Nibs and Evans teams the green light for an all out attack on the Mur de Peguere or am I reading this wrong? I guess it also depends upon whether Froome would make the decision/calculation himself (naughty but fun to watch) or leave it up to the DS in the car.

Rigga

Interesting. The big climb today though is a long way from the finish so would take a big break to win it.

Turfle

Not good Froomey. Not good. Did you not have an inkling that Sky would be riding for Wiggins when you re-signed?

Of course interviews are often spun towards being more controversial, but some of the quotes don't read well.

RichN95.

If you want to read what he actually said rather than someone on the internet's altered version, you can find it here:

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/ne ... ty-in-2013

Turfle

RichN95 wrote:

If you want to read what he actually said rather than someone on the internet's altered version, you can find it here:

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/ne ... ty-in-2013

Thanks for that. It really is amazing how different two publications can make one quote sound.

SBS: "I know I'm capable of winning the Tour de France one day," Froome said to L'Equipe. "But not this Tour, and perhaps not with Sky. We have a defined strategy that is centred on Bradley Wiggins, and I will of course respect that. I won't lie, that's sometimes been hard, but that's my job."

Velonation: “I know I would be able to win this Tour, [but] not at Sky. We have defined a strategy around Wiggins and everyone respects that,” he told L’Equipe. “I can not lie to you, it's difficult, really, but it's my job.”

ratsbeyfus

Yep just found it on Velonation:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12401/Froome-says-he-wants-Sky-to-ride-for-him-in-2013-if-theres-a-hilly-Tour.aspx

The point I raised is the same though, as the article states:

However he’s not completely ruling out winning this year’s race. He said that if it is clear that Wiggins is faltering in the Pyrenees, that he will play his card to ensure the team keeps yellow.

“If I feel that we can lose the Tour, I will follow the best, either Evans or Nibali, to preserve our chances,” he said. It is unclear if this is an agreed team strategy, or if Sky will want him to continue to pace Wiggins if he is faltering.

nweststeyn

"If the race is out of our control, and I need to follow Evans or Nibali, then I will to keep us represented at the front. But as I've said before, I'm here to help Bradley win the Tour, and that remains the plan."

VS.

“If I feel that we can lose the Tour, I will follow the best, either Evans or Nibali, to preserve our chances".


Both very different interpretations of one sentence.

ratsbeyfus

I assume Froome gave the interview in English, so it'd be interesting to know which of the above (if any) are his actual words before they were translated into French, and which are translations of his translated interview.

If that makes sense in a Donald Rumsfield kind of way.

phreak

Ordinarily you'd imagine Froome would get the Vuelta, but having ridden the Tour and then the Olympics its surely a big ask to do all three isn't it?

tailwindhome

Froome with a view?

Top work!

inkyfingers

It would certainly liven up the race if Froome did decide to do a Hinault. Can't see it happening though, unless Wiggins has a really bad day and the team decide to change their plans. It would seriously blot his copybook, not just at Sky but wherever else he went.

My personal view is that Sky made the right decision to stick with Wiggins this year. Froome is a huge talent but how sensible would it be to build your whole year around a guy who will either be brilliant or come down with some obscure African virus the week before the Tour. Wiggins may not be spectacular (apart from in the TTs), but for the couple of years he's ridden consistently well, and this year he's been exceptional pretty much all year.

I am looking forward to a fit Froome getting a chance in a GT, we can see whether his racecraft matches his undoubted talent.

ratsbeyfus

Eurosport discussing the prospect of Froome vs Shandy vs Contador at the Vuelta at the mo... issue is whether or not Froom will be fresh enough after Tour and Olympics to put up a decent fight.

brookter

OK... assuming that the text on L'Equipe website is what Froome actually said, and is not already a translation from English, or a cut down version... Here's the original:

« Je sais que je serais capable de gagner ce Tour, pas chez Sky. Nous avons défini une stratégie autour de Wiggins et tout le monde la respecte. » [...] « Je ne peux vous mentir, c'est difficile, vraiment, mais c'est mon métier.»

Déjà sacrifié l'an dernier pendant le Tour d'Espagne (2e) pour avoir longtemps protégé Wiggins (« J'aurais pu gagner, c'est vrai »), Froome espère néanmoins être récompensé sur le long terme puisqu'il reste engagé chez Sky en 2013. Le 100e Tour de l'histoire sera-t-il pour lui ? « S'il y a des cols, j'espère que la Sky sera honnête et que tous les équipiers se mettront à mon service, avec la même loyauté que je démontre aujourd'hui. » A moins que la traversée des Pyrénées fasse exploser la hiérarchie établie : « Si j'ai le sentiment qu'on peut perdre le Tour, je suivrai les meilleurs, que ce soit Evans ou Nibali, pour préserver nos chances, assurer la présence de Sky. »

My (deliberately as literal as possible) translation...

"I know I would be capable of winning this tour [but] not with Sky. We've defined a strategy around Wiggins and everybody respects it..." "I can't lie to you, it's difficult, really, but it's my job."

Already sacrificed last year in the Tour of Spain (2nd) for having protected Wiggins for a long time ("I could have won, it's true"), Froome nonetheless hopes to be recompensed in the long term, since he remains engaged with Sky in 2013. Will the 100th TdF in history be for him? "If there are any cols, I hope that Sky will be honest and that all my teammates will put themselves in my service, with the same loyalty I'm showing today." Unless the passing through the Pyrenees explodes the establish hierarchy: "If I feel that we could lose the Tour, I'll follow the best, whether that's Evans or Nibali, to preserve our chances and ensure the presence of Sky."

The English quotes I've seen (Guardian, Velonation etc) all give slightly different variations on this, but this is basically what the French says. Eurosport have just said that part of the interview was in Italian, so who knows...

DeadCalm

I'd like to see Froome go to a different team for next year's tour. A Contador / Schleck / Froome / Wiggins / Evans / Nibali battle on a route with more (but less steep) climbing should be awesome.

Who would be favourite to sign Froome if he were to leave? Liquigas?

rick_chasey

DeadCalm wrote:

I'd like to see Froome go to a different team for next year's tour. A Contador / Schleck / Froome / Wiggins / Evans / Nibali battle on a route with more (but less steep) climbing should be awesome.

Who would be favourite to sign Froome if he were to leave? Liquigas?

Radioshack.

d4evr

He should have went to Lampre when he could have, instead of re-signing for TS for 10x the money Lampre offered!

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

DeadCalm wrote:

I'd like to see Froome go to a different team for next year's tour. A Contador / Schleck / Froome / Wiggins / Evans / Nibali battle on a route with more (but less steep) climbing should be awesome.

Who would be favourite to sign Froome if he were to leave? Liquigas?

Radioshack.

As a shop assistant? Because there isn't going to be a team next year.

Turfle

Someone with enough money to buy him out of a big contract + give that tiny little bit extra compensation that Sky will want.

Narrows it down to BMC, OPQS, Orica maybe, and..........?

He's going nowhere.

rick_chasey

RichN95 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

DeadCalm wrote:

I'd like to see Froome go to a different team for next year's tour. A Contador / Schleck / Froome / Wiggins / Evans / Nibali battle on a route with more (but less steep) climbing should be awesome.

Who would be favourite to sign Froome if he were to leave? Liquigas?

Radioshack.

As a shop assistant? Because there isn't going to be a team next year.

Ah.

Ignore me.

WIll there actually be any teams left?

Le Commentateur

The "not with Sky" reference is a come hither call for teams to buy him out of his Sky contract. Plenty of teams' GC riders have under-performed this tour for a round of clearing of the dead wood to be in order. That may be simply to remind Brailsford and others in the Sky team that Froome wants his chance at the 2013 course.

ratsbeyfus

Surely a young Froome can offer Sky more GC wins than an ageing Wiggins. Wiggins may well be happy with his place in history to be the first Brit to win the Tour, and more than happy to ride for Froome next year... bit like Riis winning his tour and then happy to support the stronger Ullrich the following year. Perhaps Froome wants an even bigger contract with Sky, or just a public word from the management that he'll be supported in a future Tour.

Who knows... it certainly has the potential to liven up today's stage and tonights press conference with Twiggy.

DeadCalm

Why not Liquigas? With Spaghetti Man Mr Nibbles going to unmentionable turquoise team, who will be their GC man?

Le Commentateur

Would probably have to be a team that uses English as its core language.

I still think its a tactical position, planning longer term within his Sky contract, rather than any actual disenchantment or ambition to be elsewhere. If he spends too long as trusty lieutenant at Sky he could end up pigeon-holed in that role for the next couple of years.

menchovʹsstabilisers

The other thing to throw in the mix is Cav. No Olympics for him to focus on next year, so that's a further change in team dynamics.

Maybe Cav is team leader and Froome GC rider in the Tour whilst Wiggins concentrates on the Giro?

Le Commentateur

Godd point. Maybe Froome's concern is that the sponsor will in future prefer a team focused around serial stage-winner Cavendish.

Reminds me of the dynamic in office environments when incumbents and newbies don't settle in together and start positioning themselves to seek reassurance of their status.

flasher

Froome knew full well what his role in the team would be once the Tour route was announced. He will be Sky's GC contender in the coming years.

donrhummy

anyone else think this is Greg Lemond 1985?

ratsbeyfus

donrhummy wrote:

anyone else think this is Greg Lemond 1985?

Yep. As long as Wiggo doesn't do a Hinault '86!

Le Commentateur

Wiggins isn't quite the egomaniac that Hinault was.

mididoctors

Le Commentateur wrote:

The "not with Sky" reference is a come hither call for teams to buy him out of his Sky contract. Plenty of teams' GC riders have under-performed this tour for a round of clearing of the dead wood to be in order. That may be simply to remind Brailsford and others in the Sky team that Froome wants his chance at the 2013 course.

its a deliberate mistranslation designed to promote drama by L'equipe

not with sky this year

plectrum

Any article like this is a slight and perhaps Froome should really look at the whole picture. Whilst he has rode for Wiggins in the last 25% of the stage he has also benefited massively from EBH, Porte, Rogers cycling for both him and Wiggins prior. At any other team currently he wouldn't have that strength. Froome was also a very average cyclist prior to Sky and so again without the team's expertise in training and preparation he again may not perform as he is doing currently. Finally Froome performed well above expectations in the 1st TT and still finished 30 odd secs off, without the puncture he would have been around 40 secs back from Wiggins and he most likely will lose 30-45 secs in the final TT hence Froome would need to put ~1m 30 secs into Wiggins over the mountains to beat him.

Sure he can climb better but in last year's Vuelta in the two big climbs he only took 20 odd secs in one and 50 in the other from a rider who was just back from collar bone break. I do realise he was helping Brad in stage 15 but even taking that into account.

Also in stage 15 the first where Cobo broke Wiggins did have mechanical prior to the start of the climb : The Sky head coach, Shane Sutton, said: "Brad dropped his chain coming in to the foot of the climb, he went a bit into the red to get back up there. Chris did a fantastic ride and it is all still to play for. It's not over by any means."

So I think SKY have made completely the correct decision this year even if it is 50/50 between who is the better rider and I'm do not think it is even close to that then still at present they are in Yellow and dominating the race. Froome should really learn to shut up especially as both Brad and Dave Brailsford have made it very clear that the decision about who is race leader in each event is purely down to scientific evaluation alongside mental strength of the rider to determine who is best placed and so he should have all the confidence, that this team will bring him some great victories during his career.

I guess the issue comes if Sky know Froome will win next year's Tour de France but Brad as the holder must go in as a team leader to defend it.... looking at how ruthless Sky are, I could actually see Brad Wiggins joining another team and not Froome!