Yeah, the interesting thing is not that Froome’s attack was planned – of course he couldn’t have pulled it off without all those feed bottles, team members fully committed to their role, etc. The interesting thing is that the ride went according to plan. Such desperate plans rarely come to fruition.
I think the parcours and the tactics flattered the athleticism of his ride, but it’s still a day for the history books.
Brailsford has repeatedly said that Froome is the most determined bloke he has ever met. I think to hatch a plan to attack on the Finestre with 80km to go knowing how much time is required is one thing. To actually pull it off is almost unimaginable.
Apart from the Wiggins debacle, he doesn't seem like that as well (RR2 may disagree). Always comes across really friendly and super nice!
I've noticed this weird thing quite a few times in the past. For some reason, people are associating perceived looks/demeanour to character traits. There are plenty of 'baby faced' brutes and monsters out there, one would think people would have learned by now.
Especially ex-missus
"The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
Yeah, the interesting thing is not that Froome’s attack was planned – of course he couldn’t have pulled it off without all those feed bottles, team members fully committed to their role, etc. The interesting thing is that the ride went according to plan. Such desperate plans rarely come to fruition.
I think the parcours and the tactics flattered the athleticism of his ride, but it’s still a day for the history books.
It wasn’t desperate, it was a conscious decision.
Clearly planned, but I think with space for improvisation. I doubt he thought he would be solo for 80km, but once he was there, why stop? As he said, he kept within his limits. At least a minute of his advantage was on the first descent, when the others had to wait for Reichenbach.
“Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”
God I'm dreading the reactions to this in my office on Monday.
I'll be having to studiously avoid all my 'Sky are all doping' colleagues who like to conveniently gloss over the tawdry recent history of Dutch cycling.
Likewise my Sunday social ride with the various ex-pats. I can deflect the Americans with Armstrong, the Danes with Rasmussen and in desperation, the Aussies with ball-tampering and the Finnish guy with Lasse Viren. But it is something of a losing battle. At least Yates had the decency to fall off a cliff so it'll be back to Sky rather than all Brits.
God I'm dreading the reactions to this in my office on Monday.
I'll be having to studiously avoid all my 'Sky are all doping' colleagues who like to conveniently gloss over the tawdry recent history of Dutch cycling.
You shouldn't complain. Most offices won't have anyone in them that is remotely interested in a bunch of blokes going for a bike ride in spandex.
God I'm dreading the reactions to this in my office on Monday.
I'll be having to studiously avoid all my 'Sky are all doping' colleagues who like to conveniently gloss over the tawdry recent history of Dutch cycling.
You shouldn't complain. Most offices won't have anyone in them that is remotely interested in a bunch of blokes going for a bike ride in spandex.
I think my colleagues take some sort of weird delight in the fact that the little British-Kiwi woman likes cycling.
Yeah, the interesting thing is not that Froome’s attack was planned – of course he couldn’t have pulled it off without all those feed bottles, team members fully committed to their role, etc. The interesting thing is that the ride went according to plan. Such desperate plans rarely come to fruition.
I think the parcours and the tactics flattered the athleticism of his ride, but it’s still a day for the history books.
It wasn’t desperate, it was a conscious decision.
Clearly planned, but I think with space for improvisation. I doubt he thought he would be solo for 80km, but once he was there, why stop? As he said, he kept within his limits. At least a minute of his advantage was on the first descent, when the others had to wait for Reichenbach.
Fortune favours the brave as they say. Sounds like Brailsford was expecting it in his interview
Yates 38:51 down on Froome today and lying in 18th place at 35:42. I'm sure he'll learn from this experience but it's going to take him some time to get over it I think.
Brailsford. Apparently always planned to win it either today or tomorrow. Probably explains the undercookedness.
I'm very proud, we're halfway through this two-day block that is going to decide the race. We had nothing to lose we were fourth on GC, a long way back. Sometimes you have to race in true racing fashion. We spent all day yesterday dissecting the stage, our nutrition team, our coaching team and working with the DS's to chop the race into different sections and we decided we'd try to drop Yates on the switchbacks during the Finestre.
You don't know whether it's going to work or not but you certainly have to try and you never find out until you do try. He [Froome] was coming up in form after the crash in the first week which put him back. The plan was always to get to this point and win the race in this block and we just thought let's put it on the line and see what happens. You can have the best plan but it takes the individual and the mentality to deliver it.
Yeah, the interesting thing is not that Froome’s attack was planned – of course he couldn’t have pulled it off without all those feed bottles, team members fully committed to their role, etc. The interesting thing is that the ride went according to plan. Such desperate plans rarely come to fruition.
I think the parcours and the tactics flattered the athleticism of his ride, but it’s still a day for the history books.
It wasn’t desperate, it was a conscious decision.
Clearly planned, but I think with space for improvisation. I doubt he thought he would be solo for 80km, but once he was there, why stop? As he said, he kept within his limits. At least a minute of his advantage was on the first descent, when the others had to wait for Reichenbach.
I think desperate is fair, it was a last ditch, ballsy, hail Mary type attack to win the Giro. Can be conscious and desperate!
Froome's ascent of Finestre, even will the full Sky lead out was the slowest there has been. (2005, 2011, 2015 were all faster)
Richard Carapaz ascended the Jafferau fastest, but was almost 3 minutes slower than Santambrogio/Nibali in 2014, in appalling conditions.
Dumoulin and Froome both 20 odd seconds slower than Carapazzzzz.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
Gained time everywhere, which sort of backs up his claim that he didn’t go to the limit.
Full quote from Froome:
"I don't think I've ever attacked with 80k to go like that on my own and gone all the way to the finish but the team did such a fantastic job to set that up for me. It was going to take something really special today to try, and first of all, get rid of Simon [Yates] and get away from [Tom] Dumoulin and [Domenico] Pozzovivo. To go from fourth to first - I wasn't going to do that on the last climb alone, so I had to try from far out and Colle delle Finestre was the perfect place - gravel roads I guess reminds me a bit of riding on the roads in Africa. It just felt good and I said it's now or never, I have to try.
It's great - obviously there's still a really hard day tomorrow, but the legs are feeling good and I've been feeling better and better as the races has gone on. Even today up front I gave it everything but I also tried to stay within my limits and tried to stay within myself. Hopefully we can finish this off tomorrow."
Using Giro live updates, I think this is where Froome took time on Dumoulin:
Finestere climb 37s
Finistere descent 1 min 15
Sestriere climb 49s
Sestriere descent 25s
Valley 15s
Final climb 3s
So 1 min 40 gained descending
That Froome put 3 mins into Dumoulin in an 80 km three mountain TT isn't that remarkable. It is the destruction of the rest of the field that stands out.
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Has anyone else worn the 3 consecutive GC jerseys?
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris
It wasn’t desperate, it was a conscious decision.
Pretty much speechless about Froome. Also pleased about the fiver I put on him after the Zoncolan stage!
Especially ex-missus
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris
He saw his window of opportunity and went for it!
Clearly planned, but I think with space for improvisation. I doubt he thought he would be solo for 80km, but once he was there, why stop? As he said, he kept within his limits. At least a minute of his advantage was on the first descent, when the others had to wait for Reichenbach.
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
You shouldn't complain. Most offices won't have anyone in them that is remotely interested in a bunch of blokes going for a bike ride in spandex.
I think my colleagues take some sort of weird delight in the fact that the little British-Kiwi woman likes cycling.
Fortune favours the brave as they say. Sounds like Brailsford was expecting it in his interview
I think desperate is fair, it was a last ditch, ballsy, hail Mary type attack to win the Giro. Can be conscious and desperate!
Finestere climb 37s
Finistere descent 1 min 15
Sestriere climb 49s
Sestriere descent 25s
Valley 15s
Final climb 3s
So 1 min 40 gained descending
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #3s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #3s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
Richard Carapaz ascended the Jafferau fastest, but was almost 3 minutes slower than Santambrogio/Nibali in 2014, in appalling conditions.
Dumoulin and Froome both 20 odd seconds slower than Carapazzzzz.
Assume part of that Finistere descent loss is from waiting for Reichenbach to catch up.
Bet they're regretting that now!
That's quite odd.
Full quote from Froome:
"I don't think I've ever attacked with 80k to go like that on my own and gone all the way to the finish but the team did such a fantastic job to set that up for me. It was going to take something really special today to try, and first of all, get rid of Simon [Yates] and get away from [Tom] Dumoulin and [Domenico] Pozzovivo. To go from fourth to first - I wasn't going to do that on the last climb alone, so I had to try from far out and Colle delle Finestre was the perfect place - gravel roads I guess reminds me a bit of riding on the roads in Africa. It just felt good and I said it's now or never, I have to try.
It's great - obviously there's still a really hard day tomorrow, but the legs are feeling good and I've been feeling better and better as the races has gone on. Even today up front I gave it everything but I also tried to stay within my limits and tried to stay within myself. Hopefully we can finish this off tomorrow."
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #3s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
That Froome put 3 mins into Dumoulin in an 80 km three mountain TT isn't that remarkable. It is the destruction of the rest of the field that stands out.