Chris Froome....

[Rocksteadyeddie]

..... hasn't got it when the chips are down. Discuss...

First the Vuelta last year - he was "tired"
Then Tirenno-Adriatico this year - he was "cold"

Always the bridesmaid never the bride?

[Vocal Minority]

Bad result on one stage granted, but still second, and still ahead of Bertie. Not ideal considering how he went in, and you have to feel he would have been disappointed with that time trial too.

Will withold judgement until more of spring has passed.

[anonymous-user]

I don't think I could beat him

[itsnotarace]

He will ride himself into form, wouldn't be too concerned just yet

[ewenm]

Bit of a freak stage (3 times up a 26% climb?) for the latest loss, but he's up there in the mix and I see no specific weakness that means he'll never win overall. Some stages will suit him, some won't. In the big tours, it'll be down to Sky's tactics and support riders to ensure he maximises his gains on the suitable stages and minimises his losses on the unsitable ones.

[okgo]

I don't think he isn't in form, just a particularly horrid stage, of which there are not many similar in normal stage races. 2nd in a warm up 1 weeker will do him just fine I think.

[Gargamel]

Like most of the big names riders they need the right team around them.

Look at what Cav is saying (again and again and again) He really knows how to make people want to go the extra for him....

All the Tdf bks that was sprouted last year, yes he could have had Wiggo on some stages, but on others he was some way off. I think he is more inconsistent in performance than he'd like to be.

[Highway Star]

Vuelta last year was brutal and he was up against three quality riders who hadn't done the Tour in a race that suited their characteristics more than others.

Tirreno- he looked good on Prato di Tivo, far more akin to a Grand Tour stage than the (admittedly awesome) stage a couple of days later. I thought his ITT was pretty good, certainly compared to Contador.

I think he'll either win or take Contador close in the Tour and steak or no steak, Contador is not a bad rider.

I just can't get over the fact it's the same rider who I watched riding for Barloworld a few years back!

[Rouleur]

I think he can give Albert a run for his money in July but perhaps needs more time as a team leader yet. He's bloody dull though...

[anonymous-user]

Froome is just working towards le tour surely? He comes across as very single minded so whilst winning these spring races would be nice, I just get the impression he is waiting to unleash the fury come July!....

[Rich_W]

ref: Cold

The report I read said that he went back to the car and all he could get was a Gillet. I did also notice that of the 4 guys in the Sky "train" at the time. The front 2 only had short sleeved jerseys on despite the weather being fairly stty!

Once again Raphas inability to have more than 1 item in stock has bitten them (It's nore really Raphas fault. It can take ages to get your clothes made in Sweatshops for a pittance around the world and then shipped to England) On the plus side. At least you know if you can't get the item you want because ot's out of stock, you ARE getting the authentic "pro cyclist experience"

I'm being facetious, but it's potentially a big problem for Sky if they haven't got a full range of clothing available all the time. There's a vid on YouTube of the Sky "Service course" HERE and the amount of team clothing each rider had when they were sponsored by Adidas is comprehensive. If they are experiencing short falls. I can't imagine they will continue their arrangement long term.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Seems like I'm in a minority then!

Compare and contrast with Wiggo last year who turned up ready to play and ticked every box in a stunning season. Froome has had the same preparation, the same coaching, and one would presume the same targets set. Whether he lost the thick end of a minute at Tirenno-Adriatico in 13km because his clothing was wrong, or gearing was wrong, or he didn't have it is not really the point for me. The fact is that he did, and that just wouldn't have happened with Sir Brad in 2012.

I hope I'm proved incorrect but for me he lacks the last fraction of a % to be a Grand Tour champion.

[navier_stokes]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

Seems like I'm in a minority then!

Compare and contrast with Wiggo last year who turned up ready to play and ticked every box in a stunning season. Froome has had the same preparation, the same coaching, and one would presume the same targets set. Whether he lost the thick end of a minute at Tirenno-Adriatico in 13km because his clothing was wrong, or gearing was wrong, or he didn't have it is not really the point for me. The fact is that he did, and that just wouldn't have happened with Sir Brad in 2012.

I hope I'm proved incorrect but for me he lacks the last fraction of a % to be a Grand Tour champion.

You could look at it slightly differently:

1. Nibali is aiming for the Giro, hence needs to be in peak form earlier.

2. Froome beat his main TdF rivals by more than he lost to Nibali...

I agree isn't ticking all the boxes that Wiggins did. But the TdF winners that won every significant pre-TdF race is the minority....

[mcelliott]

I remember there was a time not that long ago when Chris Froome would zig zag his way to the top of a climb literally standing on the pedals to stay on in the autobus - now he's dropping some of the very best climbers in the world. Perhaps now that cycling is super clean the playing field has levelled out to his advantage.

[pauldavies85]

Or it's still not that clean at all? I don't think I was alone in being surprised by froome's apparent ease and strength last year in TDF.

I hope I'm wrong but I really think it would be nieve to think any well funded pro sport is clean.

Either way, if its not then he's not alone and it's awesome to have a couple of big name Brits in the road cycling world

[anonymous-user]

Rich_W said:

ref: Cold

The report I read said that he went back to the car and all he could get was a Gillet. I did also notice that of the 4 guys in the Sky "train" at the time. The front 2 only had short sleeved jerseys on despite the weather being fairly stty!

Once again Raphas inability to have more than 1 item in stock has bitten them (It's nore really Raphas fault. It can take ages to get your clothes made in Sweatshops for a pittance around the world and then shipped to England) On the plus side. At least you know if you can't get the item you want because ot's out of stock, you ARE getting the authentic "pro cyclist experience"

I'm being facetious, but it's potentially a big problem for Sky if they haven't got a full range of clothing available all the time. There's a vid on YouTube of the Sky "Service course" HERE and the amount of team clothing each rider had when they were sponsored by Adidas is comprehensive. If they are experiencing short falls. I can't imagine they will continue their arrangement long term.

Did you see the tour of the Sky battle bus on road.cc... "here we have the chilled hydration preparation area".... it was the bloody fridge....

[Rich_W]

pablo said:

Did you see the tour of the Sky battle bus on road.cc... "here we have the chilled hydration preparation area".... it was the bloody fridge....

Indeed. Whilst I admire Sky for the way they go about things. They certainly are a step ahead of the other teams in terms of preperation, and looking at every little detail. (Why the other teams don't at least copy some things I don't know. Surely BMC/Astana/STB/OPQ could afford a decent bus and bedding to look after teh athletes?? They are at times in danger of disappearing up their own arse. The deal with Rapha was, of course, perfectly ripe for pretentious

[Talksteer]

ewenm said:

Bit of a freak stage (3 times up a 26% climb?) for the latest loss, but he's up there in the mix and I see no specific weakness that means he'll never win overall. Some stages will suit him, some won't. In the big tours, it'll be down to Sky's tactics and support riders to ensure he maximises his gains on the suitable stages and minimises his losses on the unsitable ones.

I was about to say that a 26% climb would mean that Team Sky's normal tactic of doing a team time trial up the mountains to make attacks difficult and to bring those who do escape back more efficiently won't work on a slope so steep as drafting would give you virtually nothing.

However looking at the stage this 26% climb was all of 200m of vertical climb with an average grade of about 7%. In short it is telling us very little about the TdF, the fact that Sagan won the stage also demonstrates this.

Based on that last time trial and those in the Tour 2012 Froome will knock ~1-2 minutes out of Niballi and ador in the 60km of time trials in the 2013 Tour de France. As such they are going to have to take minutes out of Team Sky which given they rock up with several excellent climbers and three top 10 GC riders (Richie Porte too) is going to be difficult.

[okgo]

Rich_W said:

Indeed. Whilst I admire Sky for the way they go about things. They certainly are a step ahead of the other teams in terms of preperation, and looking at every little detail. (Why the other teams don't at least copy some things I don't know. Surely BMC/Astana/STB/OPQ could afford a decent bus and bedding to look after teh athletes?? They are at times in danger of disappearing up their own arse. The deal with Rapha was, of course, perfectly ripe for pretentious

Every other team has buses just like Sky's, the Movistar bus is even better Alex Dowsett reckons.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

It is the legendary attention to detail of Sky which makes me very skeptical about the "wrong gearing" or "too cold" excuses.