It's a real pity Contador tried to do Giro-Tour this year. I mean, fair play to him for trying but it's a near impossible task in this era when riders like Froome are focusing solely on the Tour. Contador would've given Froome the most competition thanks to his experience, instinct and better time trial skills than for example Quintana. Van Gardenen always has a couple of bad days and it seems today was one of them. Still, Sky looked vulnerable and it'll be interesting to see if they can restore the order in the Alps, Quintana should really go for it there.
Hmmm, I thought he timed it perfectly....Was in Van Avermaet's slipstream and went for the kill, but couldn't get past on the final metres and lunge to the line. Van Avarmaet was just too powerful and held him off....
Nah, Sagan fecked up yesterday. You gain nothing by staying in the wheel of Van Avermaet at a finish like that, it's just one vs one and slipstream is negligible. Sagan himself said he wasn't disappointed but angry at himself because he should've stayed on his pedals, his legs were totally gone after he sat down. Actually, van Avermaet went from too far and Sagan would've won comfortable if he'd ridden the right way in the last kilometre. He took valuable points for green again today, I'd say the race for green is as good as over but he clearly wants a stage win and gets more annoyed after every stage. Tomorrow, Gap and Paris are his only options left, imo.
It's a real pity Contador tried to do Giro-Tour this year. I mean, fair play to him for trying but it's a near impossible task in this era when riders like Froome are focusing solely on the Tour.
Contador said prior to the race that winning about Tour wasn't going to change much for his career but doing the double would be special so this is what he's aiming for.
Having tried it twice, winning the Giro both times but not being anywhere near in the Tour, maybe he should aim for something different next time. Though he's supposed to be retiring in the not too distant future.
It's not just Froome doing the super transformations, though. Porte, Thomas and Kennaugh have all shown remarkable climbing prowess since joining Sky. Wiggins also went into warp drive compared to his previous level in 2009 while riding for Garmin.
Those sort of transformations don't just happen in pro cycling. If it's purely down to revolutionary sports science, Sky are doing things that are decades ahead of our time. It just seems incredibly unlikely.
B. Froome only made the Vuelta squad that year because Lars Petter Nordhaug got sick - Fact.
"'Chris, you're going to the Vuelta. Lars Petter has gotten ill. They're not going to take a chance with him so they're taking you instead." - quote, p. 208 of Froome's own autobiography.
C. Froome's contract was expiring that year and Sky weren't willing to meet his wage demands and were offering a domestique salary - Fact. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/27563999 - ""I wanted a contract that reflected being a leader, rather than a domestique," said the Kenyan-born Brit."
D. Froome has delivered climbing times only bettered by doped riders from the EPO era on his three big mountain stage wins in the Tour - Fact.
1. Third all-time on Ax-3-Domaines, as already proven.
2. Ventoux times. Only Moncoutie without previous history, and he rode the stage fresh as an ITT, whereas Froome went through 220km of hard racing on the flats before the ascent.
1. 2004: 55:51 Iban Mayo 23.10 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
2. 2004: 56:26 Tyler Hamilton 22.86 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
3. 1999: 56:50 Jonathan Vaughters 22.70 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
4. 2004: 56:54 Oscar Sevilla 22.67 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
5. 1999: 57:33 Alexander Vinokourov 22.42 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
6. 1994: 57:34 Marco Pantani 22.41 km/h - Proven doper
7. 1999: 57:34 Wladimir Belli 22.41 km/h - Rode for Festina in 1998, implicated in other cases, stage ridden as individual time trial
8. 2004: 57:39 Juan Miguel Mercado 22.38 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
9. 1999: 57:42 Joseba Beloki 22.36 km/h - Implicated in Operación Puerto in 2006
10. 2004: 57:49 Lance Armstrong 22.31 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
11. 1999: 57:52 Lance Armstrong 22.29 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
12. 2004: 58:14 Inigo Landaluze 22.15 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial
13. 1999: 58:15 Kevin Livingston 22.15 km/h - Proven doper, stage ridden as individual time trial 14. 1999: 58:31 David Moncoutie 22.05 km/h - Stage ridden as individual time trial
15. 2004: 58:35 José Enrique Gutierrez 22.02 km/h - Implicated in Operación Puerto in 2006, ridden as individual time trial
16. 2009: 58:45 Andy Schleck 21.96 km/h - Suspected doper. Brother and training partner Frank Schleck is a proven doper
17. 2009: 58:45 Alberto Contador 21.96 km/h - Proven doper
18. 2009: 58:48 Lance Armstrong 21.94 km/h - Proven doper
19. 2009: 58:50 Fränk Schleck 21.93 km/h - Proven doper
20. 1999: 58:51 Unai Osa 21.92 km/h - Implicated in Operación Puerto in 2006
21. 2009: 58:53 Roman Kreuziger 21.91 km/h - Suspected doper, suspicious blood values case went to CAS recently
22. 2002: 59:00 Lance Armstrong 21.86 km/h - Proven doper 22. 2013: 59:00 Chris Froome 21.86 km/h
3. Pierre St. Martin Froome rode more than 1km more of the climb so the times are off, but his average speed creams every other rider on that list, most of whom are proven dopers.
E. Sky are associated with or have been associated with former dopers (Barry, Rogers, Knaven, Julich) and doping doctors (Geert Leinders).
None of this is proof, but I'm having a hard time trusting Sky with the way they're riding and with all th dirt you can dig up. I've followed cycling for 15 years and the history of the sport is bleak. Usually when a rider goes mercurial like Froome has, the explanation is painfully simple.
Porte came 7th in the Giro in 2010 (pre-Sky), winning the young rider classification. Kennaugh and Thomas have been at Sky effectively all their professional careers - it's not surprising that they have gone through remarkable transformations since joining Sky. Wiggins finished 4th in the 2009 TDF, just one year after leaving the track, and the body type that entails. It is not much of a leap to suggest that, 3 years later, approaching his peak, on a course that suited him better, and in a stronger team, he would finish first - especially as the 3 men who finished ahead of him in 2009 did not compete in the event.
The thing is, Sky are a British-based team aimed at a British audience for whom the TDF is the be-all and end-all of cycling, and they hire riders and structure their season to suit. Looking only at TDF performances gives a skewed picture. The flip side to this is looking at riders like Boasson-Hagen, whose extremely promising career went entirely into reverse at Sky, precisely because he didn't fit this model.
A-C are basically the same point about Froome's meteoric rise from 2010-12. You will of course know that the claimed cause of this is his Bilharzia. Now of course, this may be a cover, but it's certainly not inconceivable, and would explain the effect.
D-Comparing climb times only on the stages Froome has won is fraught with difficulties. Showing that virtually the only riders ahead (some significantly ahead) of him doped is less meaningful than comparing with the next-best non-doped times - after all someone has to be the best non-doper?
Moreover, it should be taken into account that these stages are run relatively rarely and under different conditions. Much has been made of tailwinds and TTs etc (rightly), but I think of equal importance is the way the race was run. Mont Ventoux in 2013 for example, had Quintana make an early break. As such, team Sky domestiques Kennaugh and then Porte led a blistering pace until Chalet Reynard - only the last 7km out of 22 or so were done by Froome under his own steam (and even then he tagged with Quintana for decent sections).
E- Sky must have had fewer doping associations than virtually any other team. As far as I am aware, none of those you mention committed offences under team Sky, and when discovered they have been sacked.
Suppose Sky are systematically doping and imagine you are Jonathan Tiernan Locke. You've witnessed what they do, their overt hypocrisy, and been hung out to dry when caught. Just one unsubstantiated hint of doping at Sky, and you'd have everyone believe you, not to mention a book deal. Would you say nothing?
All that said, it would be extremely naive not to keep an open mind towards it - the recent performances of Porte and Thomas (especially) are out of this world. But I figure a lot of the accusations stem from resentment towards the fair-weather British "July" cycling fans who have not had to go through the same disillusionment.
No one seems to want to attack Froome of the other contenders, they seem to be content to let him cruise to victory. At least he can't be accused of being doped, he's only had to turn it on for one stage, which anyone should be able to do if they put in that extra effort when it counts. The Yellow Jersey group is 18 minutes off the leader ffs!
I am hardly seeing the race from Froome's exhibition.Maybe he is a super rider but he killed of the fun in the mountain stages.Hopefully some of the best will come to la Vuelta
I am hardly seeing the race from Froome's exhibition.Maybe he is a super rider but he killed of the fun in the mountain stages.Hopefully some of the best will come to la Vuelta
No one seems to want to attack Froome of the other contenders, they seem to be content to let him cruise to victory. At least he can't be accused of being doped, he's only had to turn it on for one stage, which anyone should be able to do if they put in that extra effort when it counts. The Yellow Jersey group is 18 minutes off the leader ffs!
Quintana will attack him in the Alpes, pretty sure of that. I think he'll gain some time on Froome but no chance he'll make up more than three minutes.
Quintana will attack him in the Alpes, pretty sure of that. I think he'll gain some time on Froome but no chance he'll make up more than three minutes.
No attempt? Contador went 70km from the finish, albeit not a fully committed attack but it still put some pressure on Froome. Nibali tried on the Col d'Allos and could've gained some time if he started the descent alone. Quintana tried to get away from Froome at least three times but it just didn't work. It's easier said than done to attack the yellow jersey, you need to have the legs for it as well. I'm sure Quintana will try it again and again 'till Alpe d'Huez, but if Froome stays untouchable like this, not much you can do about it.
Brilliant to see such emotion from a rider who dreamt of winning a stage on the Tour de France since 15 years of age......Chapeau Simon Geschke! TdF Srage 17 winner.
Disappointed that David Walsh hasn't been as inquisitive with Sky as he was with Postal. I don't suppose that being employed by Murdoch has anything to do with it. No sir.
It's a shame the field is so weak this year as Sky hardly has to do anything to win after the first Pyrenees stage. The fact that a break has won every stage since tells you enough about the qualities of Contador, Nibali and Movistar currently. No real pressure being put on Froome outside of a few halfhearted attacks.
It's a shame the field is so weak this year as Sky hardly has to do anything to win after the first Pyrenees stage. The fact that a break has won every stage since tells you enough about the qualities of Contador, Nibali and Movistar currently. No real pressure being put on Froome outside of a few halfhearted attacks.
Disappointed that David Walsh hasn't been as inquisitive with Sky as he was with Postal. I don't suppose that being employed by Murdoch has anything to do with it. No sir.
Maybe he is....maybe he isn't. But there doesn't seem much for him to work on for him to pipe up over it like Lance/Postal where he a fair few sources quite early, and the Ferrari link. Team sky is pure speculation right now. Walsh himself has also stated he doesn't know power meter stats all that much, though being a journo I reckon he does....but realizes he can't do a great deal with it.
If Sky are truly doping, they would of learned from Lances bullying errors being what cost him those loose lips piping up about him.
Where were the accusations last year when Sky were shite in the Tdf or does it only apply when you're winning Systematic doping after the recent past. Give me proof or shut the feck up, with all the allegations, which are just pure speculation.
Attacks everywhere today I'm guessing. Going downhill controlled now, but I suspect attacks will come after. Froome pretty much isolated with only one man with him right now.
After Lacets yesterday, Froome looks vulnerable again and he's isolated at 60km from the finish. If Quintana has the legs for it, he should attack him right from the start of La Toussuire.
Maybe he is....maybe he isn't. But there doesn't seem much for him to work on for him to pipe up over it like Lance/Postal where he a fair few sources quite early, and the Ferrari link. Team sky is pure speculation right now. Walsh himself has also stated he doesn't know power meter stats all that much, though being a journo I reckon he does....but realizes he can't do a great deal with it.
If Sky are truly doping, they would of learned from Lances bullying errors being what cost him those loose lips piping up about him.
I am surprised no one has demanded that the hubs be dismantled, to look for the little electric motor in the wheels. Battery pack in the water bottle anyone?
Actually not this time. Amazing from him to have fallen that badly, get up, get a new bike and then ride back. Hats off!