Should Chris Froome swallow his pride and retire?

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  • feelgoodlost
    feelgoodlost Posts: 337
    Cool your jets, lads. It was just an observation.
    https://www.strava.com/athletes/442763
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,338
    feelgoodlost said:

    Cool your jets, lads. It was just an observation.

    Which ultimately proved a point.
    Guy is enjoying life. Can't blame him.
    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.
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,123
    Froomey did a bit better on the final day of the Tour de Romande - 53rd in the mountain time trial, 3m30 down on the winner.
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  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Chris Froome eyeing potential Tour de France-Vuelta a España double this year, discusses building form for summer:
    "I’m in a really good place. All that’s missing is the hard work and the miles. And then getting up to race fitness.”
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,338
    shirley_basso said:

    Chris Froome eyeing potential Tour de France-Vuelta a España double this year, discusses building form for summer:
    "I’m in a really good place. All that’s missing is the hard work and the miles. And then getting up to race fitness.”

    🤣🤣🤣
    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: 10,553
    Yeah, I think I'm at the same place. Just need the hard work and to get up to race fitness too.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Perhaps I'm just being ever the optimist, really want him to find form and show that he can comeback, but I'm wondering if his results this year suggest he is building specifically for the tour. I know in recent times this kind of complete focus on just one race has pretty much disappeared, with the likes of pogacar and co seemingly able to consistently ride at the highest level throughout the entire season, but I do wonder if froomey is reverting to the old school practice of using other races to find form and aim to peak for the tour.

    Maybe I'm just being too optimistic though and his results merely reflect the maximum he will ever reach today, but can't help but hope he can find his form and speed again.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    I try to share your optimism, but even when he was at his peak and focused solely on the Tour, you'd still get glimpses of Froome's undoubted class early in the season. We haven't had that since 2019, i.e. before his accident, and at every race he does, he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of improvement.

    After Cavendish last season, I'm reluctant to write anyone off, but it's getting increasingly harder to believe Froome will ever get even close to his former level.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,438
    For endurance sports you don't (naturally!) go from zero to hero in a couple of months. You just don't, that's not how the human body works.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,164
    He is doing generally better this year than last (apart from the OTL in the Tour of the Alps).
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    If you want to be optimistic, this was his 2012 season at this stage, where he similarly had early season injuries

    Volta Algarve: DNF stage 4 (while 75th @6.17)
    Criterium International: 65th @10.29
    Tour de Romandie: 123rd @41.10

    I doubt he'll turn it around in the same way though.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    kingstongraham said:

    He is doing generally better this year than last (apart from the OTL in the Tour of the Alps).

    not saying much though, is it.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,151
    Clearing the daft draft.
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,123
    edited June 2022
    Froome 11th yesterday in a mountain chipper in the South of France

    https://youtu.be/_VQTTORmSrg
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  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,674
    https://youtu.be/qQgJGX5ukKA

    YouTube star Froome oozing sex appeal in the gym.
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,151
    focuszing723 said:

    Clearing the daft draft.

    I just want to make it clear, this post wasn't in relation to the Dawg.
  • hanshotfirst
    hanshotfirst Posts: 400
    Fair play to him tbh.



  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,822
    He was only dropped right at the end yesterday, which must be good news for his TDF prep

    I mean, he's nowhere near winning the Tour but might at least have a chance of a stage which looked unlikely earlier in the year
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,123
    takethehighroad said:



    I mean, he's nowhere near winning the Tour but might at least have a chance of a stage which looked unlikely earlier in the year

    if he gets to the TdF. Israel Bankrupt Nation are in the relegation zone and may not be able to afford any baggage going forward no matter how expensive that baggage is.

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  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,123
    andyp said:

    FWIW, Froome doesn't strike me as someone who's going to ride around at the back of races pocketing a GT winner's salary. If he's not good enough to challenge for a GT win, he'll quit.

    For 5 million quid a year I guess he was more motivated to ride in the grupetto than we gave him credit for.

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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    davidof said:

    takethehighroad said:



    I mean, he's nowhere near winning the Tour but might at least have a chance of a stage which looked unlikely earlier in the year

    if he gets to the TdF. Israel Bankrupt Nation are in the relegation zone and may not be able to afford any baggage going forward no matter how expensive that baggage is.


    But it has become clear that the way fight against relegation is neglect the World Tour races and focus on picking up points in lesser races, particularly one day races.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    He's currently 76th in the Dauphine, which is lower than he managed at Romandie and the Tour of the Alps (before he was outside the time limit), so it doesn't appear like the 11th at Alpes-Maritime was a sign of more to come.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
    phreak said:

    He's currently 76th in the Dauphine, which is lower than he managed at Romandie and the Tour of the Alps (before he was outside the time limit), so it doesn't appear like the 11th at Alpes-Maritime was a sign of more to come.

    Mentioned in commentary today that he’s not too well.
    Half a dozen drop outs due to sickness in the past 24 hours.
    Seems as if this another race where there’s a communicable illness doing the rounds.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    He also had a puncture 11km from the finish today and then ambled in 5 minutes down
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • me-109
    me-109 Posts: 1,915
    Another £13500 banked for showing up though. Wouldn't mind getting that myself.
  • me-109
    me-109 Posts: 1,915
    And out of the Dauphine with a bug. Seems to be quite a few tummy bugs going round.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,164
    On the start list to ride twice up Ventoux tomorrow. It's a weaker looking field than last year, be interesting how long he sticks with the front group if he shows.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,164
    kingstongraham said:

    On the start list to ride twice up Ventoux tomorrow. It's a weaker looking field than last year, be interesting how long he sticks with the front group if he shows.

    No longer on the start list.
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Tour looks a long way off for him now I have to say.

    Shame as it would have been great to see one last lap for him.
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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,164
    Why wouldn't he go to the tour? They only have three possible point scorers in the tour (I'd say), so might as well take a non scoring rider and try to get a few points somewhere else.

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