Froome with a view to ditch BW?
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If Wiggins wins this year, I reckon Sky will let them duke it out next year (depending on the parcours, obviously). Defending champ vs. potential next big thing would be great to see, as long as they acknowledge Sutton/Brailsford has final call on tactics if and when calls need to be made on-the-fly.
Might be tricky to do though, assuming they also have to factor Cav into the equation. Nice problem to have though.0 -
In a way, I'd like them to fight it out this year because I still think Wiggo is the better all rounder. OK, he attacked and won on a MTF, but surely Wiggo was only concerned about Evans? A part from that he had one other attack before being told to wait by Sean Yates but how can we say that he wouldn't have been caught the same way Nibali was?0
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I don't think Froome has actually said anything procovative, its being translated badly. From what I gather, all the SKY team know exactly what they are doing at the moment, and the management team are well aware of what the riders want and SKY can deliver to them.
Its ridiculously stupid to assume SKY will change tack at this stage, just because Froome is stong. Froome is MEANT to be strong, as he is the last man on the leadout train. Of course they aren't going to 'fight it out' this year.
Its like the nitwits who think Cav's career is over. Not really. He's not a plank, and is well aware of the deal. He gets the work for the Olympics, and gets nothing for the TdF as ALL the team know, they have been specifically selected to help Wiggo get the yellow.
Will be interesting for next year. I for one would like to see what Froome is capable of, and what Liquigas do with Sagan.0 -
I'd love to see Froome v Contador slugging it out, especially if it's true that there will be a double ascent of l’Alpe d’Huez on one stage.0
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Le Commentateur wrote:I'd love to see Froome v Contador slugging it out, especially if it's true that there will be a double ascent of l’Alpe d’Huez on one stage.
That rumour excites me very much.
As for Froome V Contador at the Vuelta, it probably won't be a contest. Contador fresh from 6 months training without racing, Froome battered by a Tour and the Olympics...only one winner there.0 -
LeicesterLad wrote:Le Commentateur wrote:I'd love to see Froome v Contador slugging it out, especially if it's true that there will be a double ascent of l’Alpe d’Huez on one stage.
That rumour excites me very much.
As for Froome V Contador at the Vuelta, it probably won't be a contest. Contador fresh from 6 months training without racing, Froome battered by a Tour and the Olympics...only one winner there.
I think you're confusing the next year's tour with this years Vuelta.0 -
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Who would be favourite to sign Froome if he were to leave? Liquigas?
Rabobank? One of the few teams with a budget bigger than Sky's; in need of a good GC man, and I'd expect he already speaks Dutch*.
Andy
*OK, Afrikaans, but it amounts to the same thing0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:RichN95 wrote:I would have thought Froome's main target after the Olympics would be the Worlds rather than the Vuelta.
Why?
He won't be winning anything in the olympics.
Well, he's in the team for the Olympics and he has to be a possibility for a medal in the Time Trial. And after all that he'll probably not be in top condition for the Vuelta, but could be for the World's which has a suitable course and another time trial.Twitter: @RichN950 -
So, if Wiggins cracks in the Pyrenees and can't win the Tour, Froome will be Sky's backup plan for GC. Once you take away the media trying to twist it to mean something else, this really isn't much of a story, is it?brookter wrote: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."0 -
esspeebee wrote:So, if Wiggins cracks in the Pyrenees and can't win the Tour, Froome will be Sky's backup plan for GC. Once you take away the media trying to twist it to mean something else, this really isn't much of a story, is it?
With the proviso that Froome may not have said what they said he said (or at least not in the way they say he said it!), this does seem quite a significant story to me. He didn't have to do this interview, at least not during the race. He may be only saying what a lot of people are thinking but by doing so it strikes me that he is giving ammunition to the opposition - I know I'd be trying to exploit the Wiggins-Froome dynamic if I was NIbali or Evans.0 -
That's just it though. It looks to me as though what he said is that he's the backup plan for GC if Wiggins cracks and can't win, which is no surprise to anyone. The rest is just quote mangling and spin from the media trying to make a story.Paulie W wrote:With the proviso that Froome may not have said what they said he said (or at least not in the way they say he said it!), this does seem quite a significant story to me. He didn't have to do this interview, at least not during the race. He may be only saying what a lot of people are thinking but by doing so it strikes me that he is giving ammunition to the opposition - I know I'd be trying to exploit the Wiggins-Froome dynamic if I was NIbali or Evans.0 -
Since they are owned by the same company as the Tour is it possible this is to create interest in a race with an otherwise predictable result?mididoctors wrote:its a deliberate mistranslation designed to promote drama by L'equipe0 -
Le Commentateur wrote:
Since they are owned by the same company as the Tour is it possible this is to create interest in a race with an otherwise predictable result?mididoctors wrote:its a deliberate mistranslation designed to promote drama by L'equipe
Yup.
Some things never change.0 -
Surprised that no-one has mentioned that if he wasn't at Sky he would probably be having a harder time as he is also getting a fairly armchair ride from Rogers, Porte and EBH. There's not many other teams that look like they could offer him similar levels of support.0
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Spot on.Pross wrote:Surprised that no-one has mentioned that if he wasn't at Sky he would probably be having a harder time as he is also getting a fairly armchair ride from Rogers, Porte and EBH. There's not many other teams that look like they could offer him similar levels of support.
I'm sure it is easier to look good in the mountains when you get to rest on every single flat km on the tour.You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.0 -
It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0
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Pretty simple really the translation is what was posted earlier. Of coruse who knows after going through a couple of languages what ws actualyl said and how it was translated as we all know there are many ways certain words can be interpreted and often in translations certain phrases have a specific meaning in one language that doesn't translate over to another language.
My guess is that Froome simply said that he understands his role and he's being honest to say that sure it's tempting to go out and win but he understands that he'd be personna non grata.
I think he's indciating that if Wiggins has a bad day that the team would support him to win. I don't think his interview was to suggest he'd pull a Hinault, but rather to suggest that Sky wants to win the tour whether it's Wiggins or Froome.
Froome signed with sky because he was happy to get a deal and up until the 2011 Vuelta I don't think he realized the form he would have going forward. It's a circumstance where he was so happy to be picked up that he didn't realize that he might be stifling his own ambitions.
As to where he'd go? Hard to say really. I think Wiggins would get top GC backing for up to 2 maybe even 3 years at Sky. Once Radioshack falls apart it will be interesting to see where everyone goes.
If I were him I would wait to see what happens to Radioshack, grab Monfort, Cancellara, Zubeldia and look for some new talent.
The problem is the new talent already is starting to look like GC contenders already in Pineau, Rolland, and Van Garderen and I don't know how much longer they will be able to subjugate their GC desires to work as super domestiques. They've all become the top GC guys on their teams save for Van Garderen, and Evans might have one or two more tours left in him and I don't he'll be challenging for anything.0 -
LesDiablesRouges wrote:My guess is that Froome simply said that he understands his role and he's being honest to say that sure it's tempting to go out and win but he understands that he'd be personna non grata.
I think he's indciating that if Wiggins has a bad day that the team would support him to win. I don't think his interview was to suggest he'd pull a Hinault, but rather to suggest that Sky wants to win the tour whether it's Wiggins or Froome.
Froome signed with sky because he was happy to get a deal and up until the 2011 Vuelta I don't think he realized the form he would have going forward. It's a circumstance where he was so happy to be picked up that he didn't realize that he might be stifling his own ambitions.
Agree on the first two paragraphs but he didn't re-sign for Sky until after the 2011 Vuelta by which time he would have know the score having potentially lost the race to fulfill his role as chief domestique.0 -
True but we've seen riders finish high in GTs one time and then never be heard from again. I think Froome made a mistake but perhaps he knew that Wiggins only has 1-2 years left before he drops off and perhaps Froome thought he'd be able to hone his skills and be ready to win the Tour in 2014. I think that is what probably happened and Froome didn't realize he'd be a top GC contender so quickly despite his 2nd in the Vuelta0
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esspeebee wrote:
So, if Wiggins cracks in the Pyrenees and can't win the Tour, Froome will be Sky's backup plan for GC. Once you take away the media trying to twist it to mean something else, this really isn't much of a story, is it?brookter wrote: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 interesting bit is whether or not Froome would be prepared to make the decision himself to follow Nibali/Evans wheels if Wiggins 'cracked', without waiting for the signal from his DS. Hard to tell from the article (due to translation mangling) but any cycling journo' worth their salt should have probed Froome in this area.0 -
Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but Wiggins fully behind Froome (metaphorically as well as literally):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/18877975
All is happy at Team Sky.0
