TDF 2019, Stage 21: Houilles > Paris Champs-Élysées 29/07/2018 - 116 km *Spoilers*

6wheels

Many thanks to Blazing for all the effort.

mfin

iainf72 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Well, it's true, there's no class about it, or any other romanticising term. The guy knew when it wasn't his and was happy riding knowing one of his best riding mates is going to win it instead, anyone would do and feel the same. It's plain normal and genuine, it's not "class' by any means.

Quite

He shows his class by riding through a torrent of abuse and wee-wee and spit without lashing out or even having a harsh word.

Read back. My comment about class was in response to "I think Froome thinks it’s better to be part of the club than the bad loser. Still takes some class.", nothing to do with his response or lack of it to the roadside abuse.

By the way, I think anyone who's getting roadside abuse would know not to respond as it will only make it worse. So good common sense by Froome on that account, not class.

iainf72

mfin wrote:

Read back. My comment about class was in response to "I think Froome thinks it’s better to be part of the club than the bad loser. Still takes some class.", nothing to do with his response or lack of it to the roadside abuse.

By the way, I think anyone who's getting roadside abuse would know not to respond as it will only make it worse. So good common sense by Froome on that account, not class.

So are you saying he has no class? Or there is no evidence of class? I'm confused.

In 85 and 86, was Hinault sans class?

slim_boy_fat

6wheels wrote:

Many thanks to Blazing for all the effort.

Spot on.

mfin

iainf72 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Read back. My comment about class was in response to "I think Froome thinks it’s better to be part of the club than the bad loser. Still takes some class.", nothing to do with his response or lack of it to the roadside abuse.

By the way, I think anyone who's getting roadside abuse would know not to respond as it will only make it worse. So good common sense by Froome on that account, not class.

So are you saying he has no class? Or there is no evidence of class? I'm confused.

In 85 and 86, was Hinault sans class?

I'm saying class is a stupid term, it means nothing.

He did what anyone else would do regards Thomas, and as far as the abuse went he used common sense and didn't react.

adr82

mfin wrote:

adr82 wrote:

mfin wrote:

inseine wrote:

I think Froome thinks it’s better to be part of the club than the bad loser. Still takes some class.

That's not the reason, he had the salbutamol thing still to come out, it suited him to go for the Giro, and then the Giro Tour double, which he knew at some point was not going to happen. There's no class in it at all, it's just him being a nice bloke at most, nothing special.

You are just our own special little ray of sunshine, aren't you?

Well, it's true, there's no class about it, or any other romanticising term. The guy knew when it wasn't his and was happy riding knowing one of his best riding mates is going to win it instead, anyone would do and feel the same. It's plain normal and genuine, it's not "class' by any means.

I actually meant it as a reference to your habit of mostly commenting to moan about things and generally being as downbeat as possible.

iainf72

mfin wrote:

I'm saying class is a stupid term, it means nothing.

He did what anyone else would do regards Thomas, and as far as the abuse went he used common sense.

So you think all the people inside the sport who are saying what Froome did was noteworthy should be discounted as irrelevant?

mfin

adr82 wrote:

I actually meant it as a reference to your habit of mostly commenting to moan about things and generally being as downbeat as possible.

I'm not downbeat, so many other people may be unrealistically easily excited and over the top, it might look downbeat in comparison but it's not. Remember, it's just a bunch of blokes in spandex pedalling bikes around, that's all.

mfin

iainf72 wrote:

So you think all the people inside the sport who are saying what Froome did was noteworthy should be discounted as irrelevant?

Pretty much, they are all paid to constantly splurge out words and as such most of them get all flouncy about it.

Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for Froome suffering all that abuse, if I was him though I'd do the same and not respond. Why would anyone respond, it would do know good and he knows perfectly well he would change nobody's mind and that there are stacks of other people out there to support him. He did what any remotely intelligent person would do.

Lanterne_Rogue

I thought Froome looked unusually relaxed over the last few days - in some ways almost like Froome had surprised himself to discover that he enjoyed playing second fiddle, but also as if it was a relief that he wasn't having to face all the pressure for a change. I've no doubt he'll be focused on leading the tour next year though.

DeadCalm

underlayunderlay wrote:

I thought Froome looked unusually relaxed over the last few days - in some ways almost like Froome had surprised himself to discover that he enjoyed playing second fiddle, but also as if it was a relief that he wasn't having to face all the pressure for a change. I've no doubt he'll be focused on leading the tour next year though.

Since he lost it with the Gendarme? The therapeutic value of shouting a loud obscenity is often undervalued.

dabber

Class from Froome in my book.

knedlicky

Pross wrote:

Thanks for the stage threads Blazing

This !

knedlicky

Blazing Saddles wrote:

What, no Welshcakes with the champagne?

What are Welsh Cakes ? Slices of Bara Brith?

Lanterne_Rogue

DeadCalm wrote:

underlayunderlay wrote:

I thought Froome looked unusually relaxed over the last few days - in some ways almost like Froome had surprised himself to discover that he enjoyed playing second fiddle, but also as if it was a relief that he wasn't having to face all the pressure for a change. I've no doubt he'll be focused on leading the tour next year though.

Since he lost it with the Gendarme? The therapeutic value of shouting a loud obscenity is often undervalued.

TBF picking an argument with an agent of the state is probably the start of his rehabilitation with the French...

#choosearandombrailsfordprejudice

knedlicky

No tA Doctor wrote:

mfin wrote:

Why do most commentators seem to say a hard "t' in the middle of Champ-Élysées?

They've Champt off more than they can chew.

Very good! And how true.
Worthy of Post of the Tour 2018 Edition

I cringe at a lot of UK commentators' pronunciations of foreign names and words - well of languages I know. Football commentators are no better, maybe even worse - less caricature in their pronunciation, but more inaccuracy.

knedlicky

Slim Boy Fat wrote:

Got to take you hat off to Froome for the way he has behaved over the past few days. Makes the attitude of some at the road side look even more pathetic now.

I think how Froome has behaved and the attitude of some at the road side are two different kettle of fish.

mfin wrote:

There's no class in it at all, it's just him being a nice bloke at most, nothing special.

and subsequent comments.

I'm with mfin about all this discussion about Froome and class, but in the end it really doesn't matter.
Cool down!

knedlicky

underlayunderlay wrote:

I thought Froome looked unusually relaxed over the last few days - in some ways almost like Froome had surprised himself to discover that he enjoyed playing second fiddle, but also as if it was a relief that he wasn't having to face all the pressure for a change. I've no doubt he'll be focused on leading the tour next year though.

He was wrong with the gendarme, but otherwise I agree, unless Froome now realises his 'time' is over.
If he doesn't think this, I'd say Thomas's best chance of repeating his win is with another team (but I doubt he'd ever change).

knedlicky

SecretSqirrel wrote:

DeadCalm wrote:

Brilliantly rubbish speech from Geraint.

Clearly no prep. Just winged it.
Shame it was the wrong anthem

Myfanwy?

above_the_cows

iainf72 wrote:

mfin wrote:

I'm saying class is a stupid term, it means nothing.

He did what anyone else would do regards Thomas, and as far as the abuse went he used common sense.

So you think all the people inside the sport who are saying what Froome did was noteworthy should be discounted as irrelevant?

I mean not one of the three 'leaders' in the Movistar team have actually won the Tour de France and they can't ride for each other...

ddraver

I can't quite remember if it was boardman or Millar on the ITV podcast who said that that TT performance from Froome yesterday was a nice little poke in the chest of everyone, quietly saying, "hey, I'm still here boys and I'm still bloody fast."

I think that's quite a good point...

blazing_saddles

knedlicky wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

What, no Welshcakes with the champagne?

What are Welsh Cakes ? Slices of Bara Brith?

Here you go. Made on a bakestone.



It has occurred to me that Cardiff's chances of hosting the Giro ( I reckon Matera next year, so 2020) might have become considerably improved....

ddraver

Well looking at Chris Froome's instagram story, Kwiatowski is w*nkered already...

above_the_cows

ddraver wrote:

Well looking at Chris Froome's instagram story, Kwiatowski is w*nkered already...

He's only little.

Anyway MY MAN! Get in.

john1967

underlayunderlay wrote:

I thought Froome looked unusually relaxed over the last few days - in some ways almost like Froome had surprised himself to discover that he enjoyed playing second fiddle, but also as if it was a relief that he wasn't having to face all the pressure for a change. I've no doubt he'll be focused on leading the tour next year though.

I thought he has been looking extremely disappointed and was trying extremely hard to cover it up.I bet he would prefer to be wearing yellow and facing all the difficult questions rather than sitting at the back of press conferences.His off the cuff remarks about the crowd on Luke Rowes Facebook video also spoke a thousand words about his feelings on the spectators.

phil485

Thank you Blazing. great thread starters. Made the last 3 weeks very interesting

ddraver

He has got to be crushed inside. He came seriously close to doing the double something unprecedented in the post (and pre..?) EPO era. It's not like he will get that chance again. That clip LL/G.Hincapie posted from LA saying how much it sucked to stand on the 3rd step after having won 7 was funny but also true.

Froome is likely a bit happier because in this example, the equivalent of Bertie to LA would have been George Hincapie himself...

Doing the double would have put the whole "greatest GT rider of his generation" to bed for ever, and he came a damn sight closer to doing it than Bertie (or, lol, Quintana)

hypster

ddraver wrote:

Doing the double would have put the whole "greatest GT rider of his generation" to bed for ever, and he came a damn sight closer to doing it than Bertie (or, lol, Quintana)

Jesus Christ! He held all three grand tours at the same time and won four Tours. Nobody in the modern era has even come close to that. He is the greatest cyclist of his generation.

adr82

ddraver wrote:

He has got to be crushed inside. He came seriously close to doing the double something unprecedented in the post (and pre..?) EPO era. It's not like he will get that chance again. That clip LL/G.Hincapie posted from LA saying how much it sucked to stand on the 3rd step after having won 7 was funny but also true.

I'm sure he's happy to see Thomas winning it, but at the same time he wouldn't be human if he wasn't gutted too... missing out on the chance to win his record-equaling 5th Tour (with no guarantee he'll ever win another), the first Giro-Tour double in 20 years, and a "double double" (Tour+Vuelta, Giro+Tour) of 4 GT wins in a row.

ddraver

^^true (but Bertie's cow eyes man!)

^true