Should Chris Froome swallow his pride and retire?

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Comments

  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 940
    Unless he starts racing an alternative programme in a benevolent charitable fashion, it's now time.
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Has Tom Boonen given his verdict on whatever equipment Israel are riding yet?
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,739
    Formula 1 ex champ Chris Froome had this to say about missing out on selection for the TDF this year.

    "Physically I was ready, but unfortunately I was unable to show my full ability due to equipment issues,"
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,450
    seanoconn said:

    Formula 1 ex champ Chris Froome had this to say about missing out on selection for the TDF this year.

    "Physically I was ready, but unfortunately I was unable to show my full ability due to equipment issues,"

    Even if this were true (and I'm not convinced) saying it out loud doesn't seem like a great idea
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183
    Kit sponsors are on the phone to IPT right now …
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    He had several bike changes in the Ventoux race that he stood absolutely no chance of winning.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    I have to concur, surely that is now the end...

    Shame :(
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    I say he should continue if his contract is beyond this year. I'm starting to admire his commitment to the bit.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 12,035
    edited June 2023
    I think he has two more years on his contract.
    Actually maybe not.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,482
    An interpretation of his form and what he said is that he knows he is finished so is looking to get paid off and not have to race any more.
    Undignified but feasible.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    pblakeney said:

    An interpretation of his form and what he said is that he knows he is finished so is looking to get paid off and not have to race any more.
    Undignified but feasible.

    That would be completely out of character. Say what you like about Froome, but he has always behaved honourably when it comes to contracts and dealings with his teams.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,482
    You say that but trash talking suppliers is out of character too.
    I’m not saying that’s what he is doing, merely hypothesising the background to his comments.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    pblakeney said:

    You say that but trash talking suppliers is out of character too.
    I’m not saying that’s what he is doing, merely hypothesising the background to his comments.

    He was slagging off their disc brakes last year
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    Shame he's not been selected just for interest value. Not really been following his 2023 form but I'm assuming it must be worse than his 2022 form ?

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    It's a shame he didn't get to go to the tdf and show his great form.

    Yesterday 22 minutes off the pace in the Czech tour, so unfortunately looks to have lost that peak form.
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 940
    Looking at the quality of the competition, you've got to hope he spent his race signing autographs, smoking cigars and telling tall tales from le tour but I think it's more likely that he's done.

    Can he turn back to being Kenyan in time to pitch up in Glasgow?
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    I think the problem he has is that he sees his most obvious contemporaries - Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish - still producing and thinking why not me? Ans his Tour last year was better than Bernal's this year.

    But having said that, his race program has been underwhelming. There's nothing to say I'm ready.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • JimD666
    JimD666 Posts: 2,293
    I'd hoped (along with most who'd like to see him back at the pointy end) that the 3rd on St12 of last years Tour was a move towards (or at least within spitting distance of) his pre-crash form. Since then it all seems to of gone backwards again.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    Just watched his video on twitter - it does come across a bit like a former rider talking about his career. The anecdote about pinning numbers on, the fisherman's tale about why he didn't get selected, the stopping in the shade to talk about how he can't imagine how the guys racing the Tour are coping with the heat. He manages to plug a couple of his sponsors gadgets too. I mean if I'm paying his wages I wouldn't be happy watching that - especially when he starts talking about how he might change his training for next year.

    If you are the team owner/DS it must be a question of do you try and negotiate a pay off, do you just send him to the worst races in the calendar in the hope he'll quit, or do you try and leverage a bit of publicity out of him on the back of his career?
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    Another climbers' stage yesterday, he dropped another 26 mins
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,450
    kingstongraham said:

    Another climbers' stage yesterday, he dropped another 26 mins

    Must be problems with the bike again
  • me-109
    me-109 Posts: 1,915
    It's those dragging disc brakes. Must be losing 100W there.
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 940
    That's another 16 minutes lost against those hitters at the Tour of Hainan.
    Is he stopping to do selfies & ASMR tiktoks?
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    wakemalcolm said:

    That's another 16 minutes lost against those hitters at the Tour of Hainan.
    Is he stopping to do selfies & ASMR tiktoks?

    Three of his team-mates in the top ten, so maybe he was working for them. Just a thought.
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 940
    edited October 2023
    That's plausible given that he didn't start with a number 1 on his back. Doubt the organisers are pleased to see the star attraction there to hand up bidons.
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    wakemalcolm said:

    That's plausible given that he didn't start with a number 1 on his back. Doubt the organisers are pleased to see the star attraction there to hand up bidons.

    Based on performances over the past few seasons, if they'd expected more then they were in for disappointment.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    edited October 2023
    Froome confirms he will be riding for another season of pretending he's going to the Tour de France.

    https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/i-have-no-intentions-of-stopping-chris-froome-confirms-he-will-race-in-2024-and-puts-target-on-tour-de-france-return/?scope=anon
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    It's interesting how he talks about hos objectives for next year. Does he have a degree of freedom written into his contract or is he just talking as if he's still a team leader ?
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    DeVlaeminck said:

    It's interesting how he talks about hos objectives for next year. Does he have a degree of freedom written into his contract or is he just talking as if he's still a team leader ?

    He has to pretend for the sake of form, and the team just want him to eff off.

    I think he goes where he's told, enjoys riding his bike and pockets the cash. Fair play.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,482
    Gotta keep your presence up to keep the sponsorships rolling. (Not just the team).
    Can't blame him. Racing days are over but earning days aren't.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.

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