Critérium International 2013 - May contain spoilers

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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    That's exactly right smithy, yep...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Check out JTL's legs. Can't wait for these to be used in anger.

    zandio-dombrowski-tiernan-locke-criterium-international_2920073.jpg

    A few more weeks and hopefully they will let him, Uran and Henao ride freely at Flèche and L-B-L but I don't think they'll have the nous to win.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Yet JTL does?

    Hmmm.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    smithy21 wrote:
    Just a quick question- if you race in a black kit with a blue stripe on it you arouse losuspicion if you win yet if you consistently beat or place highly in high quality fields wearing a lime green kit you get a pass?

    Different standards if anglo or not.


    Whether that's the fan or the team.
    _
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    This years tour is going to be awesome...sky are not invulnerable to long range attacks or fragile days. hit em hard from a long way out.

    there is going to be a lot of attacking riding
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Ha, did like ITV's send off.

    Wiggo has his mod thing, Contador has his pistols - Froome's people should look into tradmarking the sheepish look over the shoulder.





















    Probably had to be there.
    _
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Ha, did like ITV's send off.

    Wiggo has his mod thing, Contador has his pistols - Froome's people should look into tradmarking the sheepish look over the shoulder.





















    Probably had to be there.


    I was...funny - and on the money
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    mididoctors wrote:
    This years tour is going to be awesome...sky are not invulnerable to long range attacks or fragile days. hit em hard from a long way out.

    there is going to be a lot of attacking riding

    Its like Murray (tennis) being in this era. A stand out if it wasn't for the other 3 . Like SKY if it wasn't for the other 3 Contador, J R and Nibali.
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    Any idea why JTL DNF?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    PBo wrote:
    Any idea why JTL DNF?


    No. But am starting to get a little anxious about the fella, and whether the step up in training load and racing level is taking a bit of a toll.
  • Squaggles
    Squaggles Posts: 875
    ddraver wrote:
    You can hardly call Froomes "attack" an attack, Porte just lets a gap open and then Froome goes...

    So it was an attack then , or did Froome ride at the same speed and everybody else slowed down ?
    The UCI are Clowns and Fools
  • seanorawe
    seanorawe Posts: 950
    Squaggles wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    You can hardly call Froomes "attack" an attack, Porte just lets a gap open and then Froome goes...

    So it was an attack then , or did Froome ride at the same speed and everybody else slowed down ?


    It looked to me like he kicked a bit and looked back hoping for the nod. Once he got it, there was no stopping him. Im very impressed with froome, great riding from him. I also wonder why JTL DNF! I fear he just could not cut the mustard.
    Cube Attain SL Disc
    Giant CRS 2.0
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    JTL has already proved that he can cut the mustard (Worlds anyone?) and there'd be loads of name calling if he came into the Pro Tour ranks kicking everyones backside. I think he'll be fine when the time comes.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    inseine wrote:
    JTL has already proved that he can cut the mustard (Worlds anyone?) and there'd be loads of name calling if he came into the Pro Tour ranks kicking everyones backside. I think he'll be fine when the time comes.


    Yeah, good reminder re JTL's ride at the Worlds. And actually looking at the results, as well as JTL and Dombrowski not finishing, neither did Xabier Zandio. So it looks like they were all given the nod to drop out as soon as it was job done to help bring Porte etc to the foot of the final climb.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    If they were off the back having done their job then there's little point in riding up the final climb just to finish 100th on GC.

    I'm sure JTL will get his chance at some point, it's still only March. A guy that can win the ToB like he did and finish well at the Worlds can certainly be useful at WT level, though we still don't know just how useful.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    More on the little conversation towards the end.

    Alexandre Mignot ‏@AlexandreMignot 1h
    Péraud : « I told Froome that I couldn't take a relay at this moment, and he told me : Ok, well, you'll never take a relay. Good bye »
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    More on the little conversation towards the end.

    Alexandre Mignot ‏@AlexandreMignot 1h
    Péraud : « I told Froome that I couldn't take a relay at this moment, and he told me : Ok, well, you'll never take a relay. Good bye »

    What a prick. If a rider has to make a hard effort to bridge, of course he wont have the gas the take a pull immediately. I guess he wont have any help from other teams when he might need it. Burning bridges.

    « Je n'ai rien à me reprocher. Contrairement à l'habitude, j'ai été offensif. Je n'ai pas de regrets. Les Sky ont durci l'allure dès le pied et personne n'a osé attaquer. »

    Ps. Froome should keep his glasses on.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    "Je n'allais pas attendre la dernière montée. Je connais bien Francis (Mourey), c'est un bon descendeur et je savais qu'il allait rouler. Mais ça n'a pas marché. J'ai essayé d'être acteur. Cette semaine, je vais bien travailler pendant deux jours, puis récupérer pendant quatre jours avant le Tour des Flandres. Là-bas, je ne serai pas la meilleure carte de l'équipe même si j'ai fait une place l'an dernier."
    -Voeckler.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    So a guy decides to attack and you're still not happy? Or am I misunderstanding you?

    Decisions have to be made in an instant, if you don't think the guy your with is going to work then you have two choices, go off alone and try to win or stay with him and risk dragging him to the line.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • Squaggles
    Squaggles Posts: 875
    So you don't like Froome then ? Not enough panache when he rode away from everybody ?
    The UCI are Clowns and Fools
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    inkyfingers wrote:
    So a guy decides to attack and you're still not happy? Or am I misunderstanding you?
    Froome's eyes are nt big and brown enough for Frenchie...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    ddraver wrote:
    inkyfingers wrote:
    So a guy decides to attack and you're still not happy? Or am I misunderstanding you?
    Froome's eyes are nt big and brown enough for Frenchie...

    I'm curious as to his opinions, but let's not make this personal, or we'll have yet another ruined thread.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    More on the little conversation towards the end.
    Alexandre Mignot ‏@AlexandreMignot 1h
    Péraud : « I told Froome that I couldn't take a relay at this moment, and he told me : Ok, well, you'll never take a relay. Good bye »
    What a prick. If a rider has to make a hard effort to bridge, of course he wont have the gas the take a pull immediately. I guess he wont have any help from other teams when he might need it. Burning bridges.
    Given that Péraud finished 45 seconds down on Froome it seems pretty reasonable to me. I guess Froome was thinking that if Péraud couldn't take a turn at that point then Péraud would never be riding quick enough on the front for Froome to benefit from it.
    https://gibworth.mypixieset.com
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Yep. In this race. For me, that comment (if true) is unacceptable.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Yep. In this race. For me, that comment (if true) is unacceptable.


    The race was on and Froome was riding for the win! Why would you give another guy a chance to beat you? In bike racing you have to kick your opponents when they're down.
    "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
  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    I think thats great from Froome. Offered Peraud the chance to work and when he couldnt Froome just went. No point soft tapping and waiting for him to recover if you have the legs surely?
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    In bike racing you have to kick your opponents when they're down.
    That's why people like Anquetil, Merckx and Hinault were the champions they were
  • wombly_knees
    wombly_knees Posts: 657
    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    More on the little conversation towards the end.

    Alexandre Mignot ‏@AlexandreMignot 1h
    Péraud : « I told Froome that I couldn't take a relay at this moment, and he told me : Ok, well, you'll never take a relay. Good bye »
    Sounds like a dialogue from a cheap action/porn film.

    Anyway, mountain out of molehill stuff. When's Porte going to be a GT leader then?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    But a True Champion (let's say Bertie for the sake of argument) would have said "OK then, sit on my wheel for a while to recover and then we can race it out man to man once you feel better".

    Honestly, you couldn't make up some of the complaints from posters on here. Moaning for the last few seasons on how no-one has the balls to attack more than 1 or 2km from the finish and then when someone does (presumably because the person is in a black and turquoise kit) moaning that they didn't take a passenger with them :roll:
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Underneath the quietly-spoken and unassuming demeanour off the bike, Froome is as ruthless as they come

    And it makes him a winner - as Boardman pointed out last night

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