Should Chris Froome swallow his pride and retire?

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  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,784
    Hes undertaking a role as competently as any other rider would do so isn't he? Ineos get a bit of vfm, his presence takes a bit of media heat off Carapaz, the Vuelta get a 2x previous winner rocking up and Froome gets some race km's in his legs. Wins all round surely?
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  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485
    Maybe so. Be interesting to know if IG are disappointed in where he's at, or whether they're getting what they expected, and anything else is a bonus.

    I still think though as a longer term view if "all" they were going to get out Froome was a bog standard domestique performance* they might have been better giving a more junior rider the slot so that they build their experience within the GT team especially as the only team that benefits from his fitness building is ISUN, and in theory at least that will be a team that is trying to beat IG next year. It's a bit different to when your star rider is leaving but they are still expected to be a contender.

    (*noting there is nothing bog standard about being able to complete a GT within the peloton)
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  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Also some suggestion that having someone with that much GT experience on the team is good for the team morale, tactics etc. even if they aren't at the pointy end. He seems to be doing a perfectly good domestique job.

    Think maybe that was mentioned on the Breakaway.
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    I heard that experience argument on The Cycling Podcast, in between that Abe Simpson fella (Lionel?) rambling on about how something trivial reminded him of something obscure but completely unrelated from the pre-war cycling era.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,161
    edited October 2020
    jam1e said:

    I heard that experience argument on The Cycling Podcast, in between that Abe Simpson fella (Lionel?) rambling on about how something trivial reminded him of something obscure but completely unrelated from the pre-war cycling era.

    Cheeky - he's younger than me. I feel ancient now.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,601
    edited October 2020
    He's been there 10 years and is the reason they're so successful, so deserved a place purely out of respect.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485
    I'm clearly not as emotionally minded as others! He's not put a foot wrong though this race, so he's clearly not a bad pick, and that experience will definitely count for something. If he'd not been in the team, who might have had his spot in this race do you think?
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  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    https://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/vuelta-a-espana/2020/la-vuelta-a-espana-2020-bradley-wiggins-chris-froome-is-getting-back-to-the-rider-he-was_sto7976634/story.shtml

    Bit more on what Wiggins said.

    Certainly true that Froome has looked better as a domestique as the race has gone on.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    There's been a few things Wiggins has said recently that make me feel he has started looking back on his career and regretted his behaviour at times. There was certainly something the other day on Instagram about how Tao conducts himself in the way he (Wiggins) wishes he had.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    edited November 2020
    Pross said:

    There's been a few things Wiggins has said recently that make me feel he has started looking back on his career and regretted his behaviour at times. There was certainly something the other day on Instagram about how Tao conducts himself in the way he (Wiggins) wishes he had.

    Guy is going through a divorce and isn’t necessarily the most balanced guy

    He’s basically living out his therapy on mic.

    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Froome certainly looked far better on Sunday. I'm still not sure he can win another Tour with the competition that has started to break through but he has earned at least a proper season to have a good go at it.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    I wonder if he'll be given free rein to go for a stage in this race to see just where he is in terms of his form? Ordinarily you'd imagine this TT would be ideal for him, for instance, but will he give it some or simply conserve energy for domestique duties?
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Looks heavy by his standards in the TT today . So perhaps not any where close to top condition assuming he has a few kilograms to shave off.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Now on minus points for the season apparently.
  • notquite6foot
    notquite6foot Posts: 248
    edited November 2020
    I'm curious as to whether or not he'll play any notable part in the last Vuelta GC day.
  • zest28
    zest28 Posts: 403
    So everybody that performed worse than Froome, should they also retire?
  • robnewcastle
    robnewcastle Posts: 241
    I guess just getting a GT under the belt is a major factor for him. No doubt he’ll be ploughing ahead with training from here. Who knows what he’ll be able to do but it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

    Not sure in the strength of his new team, have ISN signed anyone else to support Froome and Martin? Woods , Impey and Hagen off the top my my already I think.
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Got his 2011 Vuelta trophy today so worth turning up for that as well as all the other benefits.
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Yes! But also Masterchef too - but i didn’t know what that was ! ( got deep frozen in 2010) ! Lol.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Matti66 said:

    Yes! But also Masterchef too - but i didn’t know what that was ! ( got deep frozen in 2010) ! Lol.


    It literally is Walls though. Their Spanish brand were the Vuelta sponsor back then.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Matti66
    Matti66 Posts: 190
    Oh Okay! 😂
  • notquite6foot
    notquite6foot Posts: 248
    edited November 2020
    Vlasov must really want that top-10 place in GC. Valverde started the day 2 seconds ahead.

    Comes to nothing in the end.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    notquite6foot said:

    Vlasov must really want that top-10 place in GC. Valverde started the day 2 seconds ahead.

    Comes to nothing in the end.

    RichN95. said:

    Matti66 said:

    Got his 2011 Vuelta trophy today so worth turning up for that as well as all the other benefits.


    He also won Walls Ice Cream Employee of the Month




    He's got his next job lined up then.


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  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    It's difficult with ageing top riders, as they very rarely make decent domestiques... it's the same with Nibali... he's not quite there anymore, but he could invaluable to a young promising rider... problem is they don't have the mindset to carry bottles and go on a breakaway.
    So, I don't know about Froome... might still make top ten in a GT and that might be enough for a small team
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  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    I see he has made some positive comments about feeling better racing UAE but still looks a long way from being able to compete at the sharp end of races.

    I've not been following the pro cycling world that closely over Winter but I see he's spent time off the bike rebalancing the power in his legs.
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  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,123
    edited February 2021
    DeVlaeminck said:

    I see he has made some positive comments about feeling better racing UAE but still looks a long way from being able to compete at the sharp end of races.

    "I just tried to hang on"
    https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/i-just-tried-to-hang-on-chris-froome-on-finishing-within-two-minutes-of-winner-on-uae-tour-mountain-finish-491864

    https://www.velonews.com/news/road/commentary-im-already-losing-hope-in-chris-froomes-comeback/

    Sounds like when I go out for a ride.

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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    He looked OK yesterday. At one point on the climb he brought Hermans from the back of the bunch to the front quite easily. It's only February. Some GC riders haven't started yet.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • robnewcastle
    robnewcastle Posts: 241
    edited February 2021
    RichN95. said:

    He looked OK yesterday. At one point on the climb he brought Hermans from the back of the bunch to the front quite easily. It's only February. Some GC riders haven't started yet.

    Not that I’m particularly knowledgeable about pro cyclists winter training but it sounded like there was a big focus on rehab over winter. It’ll be interesting to see how he looks at Catalunya next month. You’d imagine he’ll probably do something else before Dauphine too (tour of alps or Romandie maybe?). Cycling podcast (well Bernie) were saying a realistic good return would be a top ten at the tour but it’s probably a bit early to judge properly yet though as many seem to have done. Pog looks awesome already however.

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