|
|
Froome and Tour
Last Post 07/20/2018 02:29 PM by Dale Dale. 18 Replies.
|
Sort:
|
|
 Prev Next |
You are not authorized to post a reply. |
|
6ix
Posts:485
 |
| 07/02/2018 06:45 AM |
|
We have all seen the news now. Thoughts?
I'm sickened by this. Wish there was a way to show my dismay of how Sky is murdering the sport with my money. Suppose I might drop NBC Sports Gold an email saying that's why I will not be renewing my $50 subscription this year. And definitely not buying a Pinarello!!
Reading the comments on CyclingNews will make your head explode with all the pro-Sky comments by riders that think 10-speed is old stuff. They blindly support these guys saying that Salbutenol doesn't improve performance (BS, and he had to take it orally or intravenously to hit that high level) and that it was a specified substance versus controlled. I go back to Ullissi and Pettachi. Those guys must be fuming.
I know this sport is corrupt and all kinds of messed up, but at least try to make it not so freaking obvious.
|
|
|
|
|
Dale
Posts:1767
|
| 07/02/2018 07:33 AM |
|
Nauseated by this turn of events. I thought a stake had been driven into the heart of this affair.
Zero consistency in this stupid WADA/ UCI crap, some guys get 6 month bans for less and Froomie skates free? Pure idiocy. |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 07/02/2018 09:40 AM |
|
Unfookingbelievabke.
Amazing how this got resolved so quickly after ASO banned him from the race. For months, it has been “it probably won’t get resolved before the Tour.” Suddenly it has reached a conclusion.
Such bullschitt. Fuck Froome and fook SKY. |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 07/02/2018 11:52 AM |
|
UCI and WADA have created a nice can of worms for themselves letting Froome of the hook
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/clearing-chris-froome-lacks-credibility-without-providing-evidence-says-anti-doping-expert/
Express vague wording. Zero credibility. |
|
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3189
|
| 07/02/2018 12:11 PM |
|
Time for the Hinault solution, no? Every rider should be thinking "if this were me, would I be getting this bye?"
Ben |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 07/02/2018 12:21 PM |
|
Why would the riders strike now? There is no case against him, and if anything, Froome just set precedent should any of them have a similar incident in the future. The riders will likely fete Froome rather than crucify him.
What is staggering to me is that no reasoning or justification was released with this decision. No explanation whatsoever as to how they reached this conclusion.
Again, coming only 24 hours after ASO banned him, it is highly suspicious. |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 07/02/2018 12:41 PM |
|
Posted By Cosmic Kid on 07/02/2018 12:21 PM
What is staggering to me is that no reasoning or justification was released with this decision. No explanation whatsoever as to how they reached this conclusion.
Again, coming only 24 hours after ASO banned him, it is highly suspicious.
The vagueness is on purpose because the reasoning renders other cases where athletes were convicted null and void.
The timing is also suspicious.
As I've said years ago WADA is a joke. See link above. |
|
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3189
|
| 07/02/2018 12:49 PM |
|
Following up on 6ix - this strikes me as almost creepily similiar to Landis except: different drug, different level of money behind the rider. Rider rides here for SKY(/Discovery), not Astana, say(/Phonak), ie riding for, not against the big money team. (Landis probably would have similarly skated had he still been on Discovery.)
Looking at the rides themselves, it actually looks worse for Froome. Both had a bad day. Both came back and domintated. But Froome just dominated. Nothing fancy. Landis took a huge gamble; that he could take an early flyer and that he would be allowed to go. (That was a pretty solid bet given how far down he was. Then, that the teams with places to lose would in-fight over the only flat stretch of road the whole stage and that if Landis could just ride to his monitor, that they would not gain. And wow! did that pay off! I watched the race live and was shaking my head in disbelief watching the three podium sitting teams completely screw up what should have been an easy chase to knock 4 minutes out of Landis' lead. Yes, Landis was fueled with the "T". But it was not a case of Landis winning because of the T, it was the rest losing on really bad tactics. (There was/is also little evidence that Landis' competitors were any less juiced than he was. Piero (sp) , the eventually winner, didn't get tested and has never said to this day one word to the effect that he deserved the win.)
My thought from the beginning was that Froome was jucied, probably intraveously/orally that day. Or perhaps SKY knew how to get those effects from inhaling - and that those inhales were to get that effect. I could fully believe SKY doing this without letting Froome in on it. (This would have the benefit of Froome looking and sounding like someone who believes he is innocent.
The drawback to my idea is that we know that Sir David Brailsford would never consider such a thing. Oh well.
Ben |
|
|
|
|
longslowdistance
Posts:2886
|
| 07/02/2018 04:23 PM |
|
| Recriminations for months and years will follow this one. Feels like Slick Willie Clinton’s pardons during his last hours in office. |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 07/05/2018 06:49 PM |
|
Man, you know things are fooked when even Dick Pound defends what happened...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-dodged-a-bullet-says-former-wada-head-pound/ |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Master50
Posts:340
|
| 07/08/2018 10:46 AM |
|
There are likely a few good things to come of this. more riders with similar test results now have a little more leeway to prove innocent usage. some of the research will improve understanding of stage racing, dehydration, and the effects of both on physiology. Had confidentiality been respected we would only have heard of it last week. Maybe without all the publicity there might have been a different outcome. Last. I have taken this med. the only enhancement is from can't breath to can breath and therefore ride closer to my potential. A week at altitude did far more to get close to my potential 
|
|
|
|
|
Red Tornado
Posts:159
|
| 07/20/2018 09:37 AM |
|
An acquaintance suggested to me the other day that he considers Froome to be one of the most complete cyclists - of all time. Guy can TT, climb & descend. After watching the Roubaix stage, it looks like he can hammer the pave' with the upper crust of the classics specialists. I think that pretty much covers the road racing disciplines. Buddy thinks he should be right up there with Hineault & Merckx, possibly even above them. In fact, he is open to considering Froome the GOAT. Froome used to be a mountain biker back in the day, as well, and represented Kenya - so probably no slouch there either.
Based on this I'm thinking, after this year, why keep stage racing? What is left to prove? I say switch to the classics, maybe win a handful of Monuments in 2-3 years time and be the best 1-day rider as well. Seems like this guy has no limits.
(OK, that last part was me tongue-in-cheek)
Really, I want to like Froome. He seems like a decent, likeable guy. But something just isn't right and I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the often talked about "workhorse to thoroughbred" transformation. Maybe it's the awkward,stem-watching, gangly climber who appears to be able to flip the switch at will to classics hard-man. Maybe it's because he seems to do everything practically better than everyone else. Maybe it's because after a full GT, he's still up there putting the hurt on almost everyone else and only a step off his teammate who came into the Tour fresher. The guy just seems too good to be true. Maybe it's the PC or "corporate" feel of his interviews instead of (IMHO) speaking his own mind or from the heart or with emotion. I don't know. No hard evidence, but something stinks all the same....... |
|
|
|
|
Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
|
| 07/20/2018 10:08 AM |
|
Froome is not, and never will be, a Classics rider. He could probably do OK in Liege if he wanted, but doubt he could win with how the finish is set up.
There is a MASSIVE difference in how the pave is raced in the Spring vs. in the Tour. There were a lot of classic specialists who were kept on a leash Sunday to look after their GC captains (Sep VanMarcke, etc). The fact that Froome finished close to the front of the race that day was indicative of how the stage was raced, not his ability on the pave. He would get his doors blown off in April.
As for his MTB days, representing Kenya in that discipline is a bit like being the tallest midget, I suspect....
You keep stage racing because that is where the fame and money is.....and no one has won more than 5 TdF's. 6 is clearly within his grasp....so go set the record.
Still doesn't make him the GOAT. Not even close, actually. |
|
| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
|
|
|
Orange Crush
Posts:4499
|
| 07/20/2018 10:47 AM |
|
Froome is a better bike handler than many give him credit. He just looks so ugly on a bike, that makes it deceptive.
Froome could do reasonably well in Ardennes classics but he doesn't have the finishing speed of say a Valverde. Nevertheless, Martin's won on that terrain and so could Froome. The odds are not high enough nor is the glory big enough to start focusing on this.
He can ride the cobbles but no way would he be a factor in winning a cobbled classic.
And no, he isn't anywhere near Hinault, let alone Merckx. In fact, he's currently a measly 76th in the all time ranking. Valverde sits 8th and is the only active rider that is closing in on truly greats given that he's done well in a wide variety of races for for a really long time. Conversely, Froome's just mostly been a one-trick poney (the tour) and only by virtue of a very dominant team:
https://www.cyclingranking.com/riders/overall |
|
|
|
|
79pmooney
Posts:3189
|
| 07/20/2018 11:09 AM |
|
The "what if" I would like to see is: what if Froome went to another team? Is Froome that great or does he become just another rider like so many who leave Sky?
Ben |
|
|
|
|
| You are not authorized to post a reply. |
|
Active Forums 4.1
|
|
Latest Forum Posts
Zwift posted in Road Cycling
No articles match criteria.
|