Vuelta 2017:Stage 20: Corvera de Asturias - Alto de l'Angliru 117.5KM *Spoilers*
Comments
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No tA Doctor wrote:I find it amusing that mfin dislikes Cav so intensely yet berates Froome for being unemotional. Froome is the product of corporate-sports interview technique; never say anything controversial, always speak with good grace even if you aren't feeling it, never say anything interesting. You see it all over sports nowadays.
Cav is pretty much the diametrical opposite.
Ahh... but Cav is not some sort of opposite to Froome. There is no sliding scale.
The reason I don't like Cav is nothing to do with any display of emotion he has, it's because to me he seems nothing but insincere, he's about as sore a loser as you can get, he crosses the line of what is dangerous through seemingly a belief in his god given right to position himself where he likes, he is overrated, loved by boring sheeple-fans, and he has a punchable face that emits the phrase "y'know" every 3 seconds but hilariously likes to proclaim his own high intelligence.
I much prefer Froome, I don't mind him, I like him winning, but I simply don't find he has anything to connect with as a person. This is hardly breaking news as huge amounts of people think the same of him.
The achievement in him doing the double is undeniable, it can be critiqued too though.0 -
Neil Armstrong landing on the moon would have been a great achievement, if he'd only done more press.0
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mfin wrote:iainf72 wrote:mfin wrote:
But he doesn't even do emotions like that like a normal person, did you not think it looks a bit odd, when he talks and says "its an amazing feeling" for example... if you heard it without seeing his face you'd struggle to think he wasn't half asleep talking at a business conference.
No, I just think he's a bit shy. Having a camera shoved in your face and having to say something is an odd situation at the best of times.
I think you could be right, maybe he is simply fear struck. But if he is then he is like that all the time really. Either way it doesn't leave you anything to connect with which is a shame as his riding on occasion is very dynamic, sort of the opposite.
To dull drab people maybe it doesn't matter, a saving grace if you like because Sky fans are generally like that.
Give me a trustful character like Froome over an arrogant life of the party dick like Wiggins any day.
Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner, Luca Cadalora etc were successful multi world champions in motorcycle racing, yet were disciplined to know that race day is for racing and corporate responsibilities, despite being hated, were important, so behave like a focused professional. Off camera and behind the scenes, they were themselves, just like Froome.I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.0 -
mfin wrote:Vino'sGhost wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Vino'sGhost wrote:mfin wrote:Carlton K is an absolute f-ing idiot.
Hopefully that's the end of Contador as promised.
Froome's getting older and was looking a bit more beatable this year, certainly this win wouldn't have been anywhere near guaranteed without him having the strongest team.
It's such a cold win though, as good as he is on the bike he's lacks any charm and warmth off it, this and being the face of a soulless corporate winning machine only loved by people equally void of personality doesn't help.
The achievement feels like nothing more than a passing statistic as far as emotional engagement goes.
Glad he did it though, and such a cool thing that Contador will be off the screens at least here in the UK. Cheat.
Presumably you like the cheating turd millar better? In fact why even watch a sport where there are cheats?
What does him taking EPO have to do with the quality of his commentary and punditry? Seriously.
Nothing.
Not sure what's being picked up on here. Contador is cycling and a cheat. Millar is not. I have no problem with Millar commentating. (On a side point, he's also open at least to the fact he's cheated, Contador isn't).
On to some other points to respond to...
I've really enjoyed watching the Vuelta, weird that someone else has assumed I haven't. Dull personalities like Froome can be appreciated on the bike at the same time as not being appreciated off it.
Sky have delivered for him too, does anyone think he could have achieved this double with any other team. I'm not anti-Sky, they just come across like a machine, and it's difficult to connect with that emotionally, especially with a dull figurehead like Froome.
Yes very open to it, "i only kept it to remind myself i nearly cheated" Milllar Millar is a cheat theres no denying it. He was sanctioned like Contador. Well at least in the real world that is0 -
Vino'sGhost wrote:mfin wrote:Vino'sGhost wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Vino'sGhost wrote:mfin wrote:Carlton K is an absolute f-ing idiot.
Hopefully that's the end of Contador as promised.
Froome's getting older and was looking a bit more beatable this year, certainly this win wouldn't have been anywhere near guaranteed without him having the strongest team.
It's such a cold win though, as good as he is on the bike he's lacks any charm and warmth off it, this and being the face of a soulless corporate winning machine only loved by people equally void of personality doesn't help.
The achievement feels like nothing more than a passing statistic as far as emotional engagement goes.
Glad he did it though, and such a cool thing that Contador will be off the screens at least here in the UK. Cheat.
Presumably you like the cheating turd millar better? In fact why even watch a sport where there are cheats?
What does him taking EPO have to do with the quality of his commentary and punditry? Seriously.
Nothing.
Not sure what's being picked up on here. Contador is cycling and a cheat. Millar is not. I have no problem with Millar commentating. (On a side point, he's also open at least to the fact he's cheated, Contador isn't).
On to some other points to respond to...
I've really enjoyed watching the Vuelta, weird that someone else has assumed I haven't. Dull personalities like Froome can be appreciated on the bike at the same time as not being appreciated off it.
Sky have delivered for him too, does anyone think he could have achieved this double with any other team. I'm not anti-Sky, they just come across like a machine, and it's difficult to connect with that emotionally, especially with a dull figurehead like Froome.
Yes very open to it, "i only kept it to remind myself i nearly cheated" Milllar Millar is a cheat theres no denying it. He was sanctioned like Contador. Well at least in the real world that is
He also takes poos and breathes.
Is that also relevant?0 -
Vino'sGhost wrote:Yes very open to it, "i only kept it to remind myself i nearly cheated" Milllar Millar is a cheat theres no denying it. He was sanctioned like Contador. Well at least in the real world that is
Ok, we'll try again keeping it simple...
Contador is cycling, Millar is commentating.
...too complex?0 -
iainf72 wrote:Today go down in history. As the day Carlton cried during the commentary.
I'm not a fan of the super steep stuff as it doesn't produce particularly great racing IMO.
I suppose it was fitting that Bert won, but he was lucky that Nibali was a bit pony today. If it had kicked off between him and Froome earlier it would've been curtains.
Quite a decent race overall.
Agreed. It was nice for Bert to win, but as soon as Froome up the pace, the lead was shredded. If Nibs had been involved or if Froome wanted this stage, it would have been game over for Bert.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
Timoid. wrote:iainf72 wrote:Today go down in history. As the day Carlton cried during the commentary.
I'm not a fan of the super steep stuff as it doesn't produce particularly great racing IMO.
I suppose it was fitting that Bert won, but he was lucky that Nibali was a bit pony today. If it had kicked off between him and Froome earlier it would've been curtains.
Quite a decent race overall.
Agreed. It was nice for Bert to win, but as soon as Froome up the pace, the lead was shredded. If Nibs had been involved or if Froome wanted this stage, it would have been game over for Bert.
Fortune favours the brave.0 -
Don't think you can really hold that against Contador.
That's why he's retiring isn't it? And that's why we rate him; because he was a big rider who could win with his head as well as with his legs.0 -
Timoid. wrote:iainf72 wrote:Today go down in history. As the day Carlton cried during the commentary.
I'm not a fan of the super steep stuff as it doesn't produce particularly great racing IMO.
I suppose it was fitting that Bert won, but he was lucky that Nibali was a bit pony today. If it had kicked off between him and Froome earlier it would've been curtains.
Quite a decent race overall.
Agreed. It was nice for Bert to win, but as soon as Froome up the pace, the lead was shredded. If Nibs had been involved or if Froome wanted this stage, it would have been game over for Bert.
Froome wanted the stage, he wants everything!
Whether he/sky could have stopped Contador from gaining time before the final climb is another matter but once he had that 60sec or so, Froome didnt seem to be able to claw it back, Poels took 2nd, which left Froome having to go for the sprint in Madrid for the Green, which i doubt was in the plan at all.
I suspect Sky thought Contador would nt be able to hold that pace to the finish.0 -
If Froome had really wanted the stage he would have attacked earlier. He had effectively won the Vuelta the moment Nibali crashed. Instead Sky spent most of the Angliru trying to keep their team together. When other people started riding, Froome and Poels were happy to sit in wheels, even slowing things down at one point to allow Nieve to rejoin. They didn't make any move until Nibali got dropped (courtesy of Zakarin). Even then they only took 30 seconds out of him.Lookyhere wrote:
Froome wanted the stage, he wants everything!
Whether he/sky could have stopped Contador from gaining time before the final climb is another matter but once he had that 60sec or so, Froome didnt seem to be able to claw it back, Poels took 2nd, which left Froome having to go for the sprint in Madrid for the Green, which i doubt was in the plan at all.
I suspect Sky thought Contador would nt be able to hold that pace to the finish.Twitter: @RichN950 -
I was quite surprised he managed it to be honest - you could see as Contador crested the final steep part before the flatter run to the finish, he was dying a thousand deaths - really suffering to hold his effort.Lookyhere wrote:I suspect Sky thought Contador would nt be able to hold that pace to the finish.
Bit of a contrast to Denifl on the Machuchos climb a few days earlier, who looked fresh as a daisy.0 -
I'm pretty sure that if Froome had had an issue with Poels pipping him for second that Poels would have been told to let Froome cross the line first. As it was Froome rolled across the line with a huge grin on his face and he also seemed to encourage Poels to have a go if anything.0
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From a Froome interview:-
"As soon as I saw Nibali, probably about two or three kilometres out, fighting it a bit, it was then that those emotions started. I thought 'I've got this, now, I've got this,' unless something drastic happens in the last few kilometres, then I should be safe," Froome said.
He had planned that if he and Sky team mate Wout Poels had caught Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) in the closing kilometres that he wanted Poels to go for the win.
"I was really hoping that we could take the stage," he said, although he agreed that it would not have gone down well with the Spanish fans.
He was going for a Poels win on the Angrilu once he knew he had Nibali beat.0
