Chris Froome to lead Team Sky in TdF

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Comments

  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,696
    Wow... :shock:

    (Personally, I do enjoy watching Menchov disappear out the back of a group, same as YKW, Lance etc...)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited November 2012
    So you think he is clean? Or that you know about his transgressions but think he is ok to enjoy?

    Funny how he was GT winning material (not all year, just on occasion - inconsistency is to be associated with dopers) then fades into complete obscurity in the last couple of years when the heat was on. He is so rubbish without dope he couldn't even ride a proper domestique role for JRod.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,696
    No I think he's a filthy cheat and watching him lose is a guilty pleasure
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    frenchfighter wrote:
    So you think he is clean? Or that you know about his transgressions but think he is ok to enjoy?

    Funny how he was GT winning material (not all year, just on occasion - inconsistency is to be associated with dopers) then fades into complete obscurity in the last couple of years when the heat was on. He is so rubbish without dope he couldn't even ride a proper domestique role for JRod.
    Every rider gets worn out eventually and goes into terminal decline, regardless of whether they doped or not. Menchov has done 21 grand tours, two a year for the last nine years. It takes its toll. Sastre was the same. He went from Tour winner to nobody in two years.

    (I don't think he was clean though)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    frenchfighter wrote:
    bettiniphoto_0039868_1_full.jpg

    untitled-4.jpg


    Superb pics, Frenchie!
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    frenchfighter wrote:
    So you think he is clean? Or that you know about his transgressions but think he is ok to enjoy?

    Funny how he was GT winning material (not all year, just on occasion - inconsistency is to be associated with dopers) then fades into complete obscurity in the last couple of years when the heat was on. He is so rubbish without dope he couldn't even ride a proper domestique role for JRod.


    Nope. Have never trusted the Silent Assassin. Was not best pleased when he won the penultimate state of this year's Vuelta over Richie Porte (after doing toot all through the preceding 3 weeks)
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    frenchfighter wrote:
    What a crook Menchov is. Dirty as sin but so quiet that he gets away with everything and is never criticised by people on here and writers.

    Even before I was educated in doping etc, watching him ride up an HC climb without breathing didn't sit right with me.

    Then him being able to hold all of the accelerations of Di Luca was ridiculous:
    8c88e319ab230693f0c020dd9bbe5883-ge.jpg

    Ummm, I don't quite know how to break Di Luca's accelerations or transformation into a GT rider to you...
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    What a crook Menchov is. Dirty as sin but so quiet that he gets away with everything and is never criticised by people on here and writers.

    Even before I was educated in doping etc, watching him ride up an HC climb without breathing didn't sit right with me.

    Then him being able to hold all of the accelerations of Di Luca was ridiculous:
    8c88e319ab230693f0c020dd9bbe5883-ge.jpg

    Ummm, I don't quite know how to break Di Luca's accelerations or transformation into a GT rider to you...


    Ha!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited December 2012
    ...
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    DG? Menchov (a Diesel) matching a doped up petrol - just saying that this reflects very poorly on Menchov's credibility.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    ---
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    frenchfighter wrote:
    DG? Menchov (a Diesel) matching a doped up petrol - just saying that this reflects very poorly on Menchov's credibility.

    I don't think either of them come out of that comparison well.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Again? Di Luca has been done for cera, which ive mentioned. Nm tho, its a side point.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    OCDuPalais wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    I still think he will ride the Tour - just not as leader
    Yep.
    Sky can, and probably will, continue a game of smoke and mirrors for quite a while...
    They're the No 1 team, with a proven bullet-proof roster of GT riders...
    While most teams struggle to field 1 serious GT contender, they can play with at least 2...
    They don't have the Cav or Olympic distraction...

    All the other teams will be pulling their hair out because Sky will almost certainly continue to wrong-foot everyone with "Wiggo and Fenton to have separate race programmes until Paris-Nice/T-A (ooh, what does that mean?)" or "Wiggo rethinks honouring 100th Tour after best training figures ever" or "Fenton & Wiggo consider a double leadership pact for Giro AND Tour", stories etc...

    Brailsford and his squad are holding so many chips right now, why on Earth would they consider showing their hand?


    OCDP: you could in fact be something of a genius..
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome- ... leadership


    Though when Froome's quoted as saying: 'I would like to get the green light to go for victory in the Tour. Even if I fail, and only finish only fifth or sixth, I'll be happy as long as I am able give everything'

    ....I'm not quite sure that Brailsford and Sky would share the same happiness... :?
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    video of sporza interview with Froome about their roles at the TdF next year. With some Lesley Garrett thrown in for good measure. http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrenn ... ooruitblik
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    FJS wrote:
    video of sporza interview with Froome about their roles at the TdF next year. With some Lesley Garrett thrown in for good measure. http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrenn ... ooruitblik


    Wiggo's face when she's caterwauling...it never gets old :)
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/ ... ance-title

    Ok, fair play to him, in this interview Froome's handling this the right way. No point in throwing toys out of the pram right now. Anything can happen between now and Jul. If Froome wants to be leader, he should train like a maniac, put out the numbes, race smart and show maturity, not start squawking now. Despite Wiggins making noises last night about trying for the Giro-Tour double, and what Brailsford says here, cant see him being happy to go for a 2 leader-thing at the Tour - Sky cant bugger around on next year's route and up against Bertie.

    http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/15264/8339228/

    Classic Brailsford and GB tactics that they use for the trackies - use the rivalry to make them fight for it and up their game further
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Classic Brailsford and GB tactics that they use for the trackies - use the rivalry to make them fight for it and up their game further

    I think the main problem is that when you consider the TdF the previous stage races are warm ups, both for the individual and the team, at least they were for Sky this year. Playing them against each other throughout the season would be counter productive, I think Sky would prefer to have one leader to focus one from January.
    Mañana
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    I'm of the thought that in recent years the Giro's course that has been its toughest challenge and the competition in the Tour de France is its toughest challenge. (This isn't to say that they aren't hard races).

    My personal view is that while Froome may want the Tour de France, given the potential competition, he'd stand a better chance of winning the Giro and should go for that. I can't see Wiggins winning the Tour de France next year - with Contador, Schleck and proper mountains returning - but this thread is about Froome and while he may fair better in the Tour de France than Wiggins, team Sky have made it clear that its a tactical game and the best tactics to me appear to be to attack the Giro.

    Reckon they ought to give Geraint Thomas the Vuelta - they need to bringing through a young(ish) Brit future GC contender....
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    and what Brailsford says here, cant see him being happy to go for a 2 leader-thing at the Tour - Sky cant bugger around on next year's route and up against Bertie.

    Why not?
    As you said, anything can happen between now and then; but let's assume Wiggo podiums at Giro and Froome at Dauphiné and both are deemed at, or approaching, top form: they could continue racing deep into the Tour as protected riders and still not necessarily be designated absolute leader - they could play to their strengths as when the race demands. A fresh Fenton is going to be a right handful for Bertie to dislodge (let's not forget the J-Rod declared CF the strongest climber on first MTF at Vuelta before he faded) on the steep stuff that people keep saying Wiggins is rubbish on - it may lead to negative racing from Sky (Froome could sit there and not work - claiming to be protecting Wiggins), but when your guy wins, it's not called negative - its's "clever".
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    I don't really see how it'll be a problem, as with no Cavendish they potentially have two more slots in the team for a climbing domestique, plus I'm sure they'd hope to have no one crashing out early as they did with Suitsou this year. Even if they leave Wiggins and Froome to battle it out amongst themselves, they should still have more support than any other major contender.

    Obviously it'll be slightly different next year as Contador will be riding, but this year both men were much better than anyone else. It's worth remembering that there isn't much benefit from drafting on a climb, so the only real help from having team-mates around is by forcing the pace how you want it rather than your rivals. I'm sure Sky have enough domestiques to do that without forcing Froome to do it for Wiggins or vice versa.
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    phreak wrote:
    I don't really see how it'll be a problem, as with no Cavendish they potentially have two more slots in the team for a climbing domestique, plus I'm sure they'd hope to have no one crashing out early as they did with Suitsou this year. Even if they leave Wiggins and Froome to battle it out amongst themselves, they should still have more support than any other major contender.

    Obviously it'll be slightly different next year as Contador will be riding, but this year both men were much better than anyone else. It's worth remembering that there isn't much benefit from drafting on a climb, so the only real help from having team-mates around is by forcing the pace how you want it rather than your rivals. I'm sure Sky have enough domestiques to do that without forcing Froome to do it for Wiggins or vice versa.

    Going into the TdF with two leaders is not a marginal gain, it’s a massive loss IMO. Cant see it happening.
    Mañana
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    But why? If you crash in the first week and need pacing back then having team-mates on hand can be good. In the mountains though it's mainly mental isn't it? There are potentially 7 domestiques to pace them in the early slopes.
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    There will inevitably come a situation where you have to decide who works for who. Contador up the road, Wiggins, Froome, Schleck etc behind, who chases?

    If Wiggins does indeed go full on for the Giro, I think the Tour leadership situation will resolve itself naturally. Whether that resolution comes at an inopportune time or not is quite another matter.

    Either way, it is going to be fun.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    If I was Froome, and I wanted a all-out go at the Tour next year, I'd be looking for another team. I can't see for one minute Wiggins not wanting to give the Tour a proper go, and if that's what he wants, then that's what will happen.

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-hints-at-giro-tour-double-attempt

    It pains me to think that Froome's best ever chance of a GT win was spent making sure someone else won it, as worthy as Wiggins' win was.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    If I was Froome, and I wanted a all-out go at the Tour next year, I'd be looking for another team. I can't see for one minute Wiggins not wanting to give the Tour a proper go, and if that's what he wants, then that's what will happen.

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-hints-at-giro-tour-double-attempt

    It pains me to think that Froome's best ever chance of a GT win was spent making sure someone else won it, as worthy as Wiggins' win was.


    Disagree. It will be down to Brailsford & Sutton in particular to decide, depending on how Wiggo comes out of the Giro vs how Froome does in HIS lead up. Both Wiggo and Froome have made it clear in the interviews they've been giving, that they understand it will be the team's call. If Wiggo kicks arse in the run-up to the Giro, does brilliantly there and comes out holding great form, whereas Froome performs badly in his races in the lead-up to the Tour and is just not doing the business...that's when Sky might have a problem backing Froome as outright leader for the Tour.

    Wiggo talking about Giro-Tour on Sunday night after a bucket of vodka tonics, when he gave the i/v that CN have ripped off, is one thing. How things play out is another. He gave an interview to Sky this morning in which he says its down to the team to make the call on the Tour leader, and if its Froome outright he'll ride for him as Froome did for him this year.

    God, you can tell its off-season. The Tour's almost 7 months away.
  • chrisday
    chrisday Posts: 300
    With Richmond Racer on this one - surely the Kenny vs Hoy choice in the run up to this year's Olympics shows when it comes to decisions like this, Brailsford, Sutton, etc. will make their decision based on the opposite of emotion/popularity: it'll be down to who's got the best chance of winning.
    Having said that, whether Fenton's happy with that decision is another thing entirely!
    @shraap | My Men 2016: G, Yogi, Cav, Boonen, Degenkolb, Martin, J-Rod, Kudus, Chaves
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Sutton and Brailsford can decide what they like but if they go into the Tour with both riders I can't see Froome waiting for Bradley again if it means compromising his own chances - and to be honest I don't think he should.

    Of course he'll spin the line of following team orders now - if he didn't he wouldn't get selected - but he looked pretty close to doing what Cunego did to Simoni this year so I wouldn't bet on him following orders in a similar situation in 2013.

    I don't think it will come to it but a battle between Wiggins and Froome for the GC with the team split could be absolutely compelling viewing - not if it allows Contador to ride away of course - but it definitely adds the pre race interest.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Having the two options has to be an advantage for Sky as it means they can use the old one-two ploy to try to break Bertie. I can't see them winning using the same tactics as this year whichever rider leads the team so they need options. That said, maybe the constant hard pace and leaving Bertie to go if he attacks will turn out to be the way to break him as anyone who tries to go with his breaks usually ends up paying for it.
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    Wiggins talking the Giro and Tour on Sky News, seems to not be so adamant about a Tour defence as is being suggested elsewhere: http://news.sky.com/story/1026976/wiggi ... tour-title

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