It’s a rest day today at the Tour de France and since this is the internet and we don’t post picture of cats, it’s time to lose our shit over Froome’s performances in the Tour thus far.
Froome’s been good. Really good. Like "historically dominating to a point where everyone has to decided for themselves whether they think he’s doping or not" good. Sky may have had their ups and downs during the race to this point, but Froome himself has never faltered. Yes, Saxo did put the crosswind hammer down on stage 13, but did you see the look on Froome’s face? It was a look that landed somewhere between "whatevs" and "do they really think that today is a day that we’re racing"? Contador’s wind-aided exploits were exciting to watch and they gained him a minute back on Froome, but I got the feeling that Sky and Froome were biding their time and waiting for more decisive circumstances.
Which brings us to stage 15, the one that finished up Mont Ventoux, the hill that, you know, killed a guy? Yeah, that’s where Sky and Froome decided to race. Early in the stage Movistar decided to give Sky a break and do all the tugging at the front, and once they hit Ventoux, Quintana took off and got about 45 seconds. Porte pulled and made everyone except Froome and Contador disappear, and then Froome took off. I mean he really took off. Fast. Like he was head and shoulders above everyone else fast. He popped up to Quintana and they rode together for a while, and then Froome put a pillow over the face of Quintana’s hopes for a stage win, as Froome’s alarm had gone off and it was time to win the ace. Froome won the stage and distanced all of his rivals in one fell swoop.
It was a dominating performance, and due to the state of cycling right now, Froome’s going to have to justify his performance instead of basking in the glow of a job well done. Froome is going to have to answer the doping questions every day for the rest of the Tour because of everything that has ever happened in the history of bikes so far. That’s just the way it is. Answering doping questions is now part of the job description of "guy who dominates in both the time trials and the climbs in the tour", because the guys who had similar performances in both time trials and mountain stages had blood and pee pee filled with fountains of nefarious additives. This is what comes with donning the yellow jersey now, if you think that’s unfair, that’s too bad. Perhaps you should use this website to express your feelings to the all the guys who made the previous Tours rolling pharmacies.
I think pro riders need to accept this:
“Answering doping questions is now part of the job description of ‘guy who dominates in both the time trials and the climbs in the tour’, because the guys who had similar performances in both time trials and mountain stages had blood and pee pee filled with fountains of nefarious additives. This is what comes with donning the yellow jersey now, if you think that’s unfair, that’s too bad. Perhaps you should use this website to express your feelings to the all the guys who made the previous Tours rolling pharmacies.”
for quoting what I just read directly above your comment. Helpful.
except that some of the previously dominating dopers that are still in this tour are suddenly no longer true contenders…i’m going to hope that what looks liek guys coming from nowhere is simply that the dopers are no longer juicing and now look as mediocre as they should have all along…
genius gift suggestion dan, thanks. may come in useful at some stage
A lot of things don’t add up with Froome. This is a guy who, just three years ago, lost half an hour on one Giro stage and was thrown out of the race for holding onto a motorcycle to help him over a climb. So in just three years, he has gone from that to winning nearly every stage race he enters from February through the Tour this year? Not just winning the Tour, but opening up Eddy Merckx sized time gaps at will. Fausto Coppi sized time gaps. His time on the Ventoux was two seconds off Armstrong’s all time record in 2002. What was Lance doing three years before 2002? Oh yeah, winning the Tour, not holding onto a motorcycle. Froome probably would have beat that time if Sky hadn’t had that makeshift feed zone at 10 km to go. What happened there? They were 1/3 of the way into the biggest hill of the Tour, had three men on the front, and they all take on musettes? They were done with them in under a minute! There’s not a bar or gel pack I can choke down that quickly, especially in oxygen debt. So what was really in there? It’s no small miracle that Porte only finished a minute behind Contador after pulling all day long, and doing the final, hardest dig to lead Froome out. And did anyone see the speed on Froome when he attacked Contador? 25 mph easy. On an 8% slope. Figure up that power output. Then he went on to repeatedly attack Quintana like it was no big deal and reached the summit fresh as a daisy. No way.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/kimmage/questions-all-the-way-home-29418540.html
I have unleashed a poop monster
There are glaring similarities unfortunately, especially in how fast both went up big, big mountains!
Froome is just so unpleasing to the eye on the bike – he was riding up Ventoux with one hand on the hoods and the other on the tops for extended periods yesterday – just not cool. Also, he leans down to talk into the radio way too often. Can’t Sky commit some resources to making him look smooth on the bike?
I mean come on, they sleep on volcanos! Who the hell wouldn’t dominate bike races if they slept on volcanos! DA sighting on a volcano!
He makes Jen Voight easy to watch on the bike.
Convinced he will be exposed in the next 12 months. If he is clean just produce his power data and blood work. That will be a small step in the right direction. I do not believe a clean guy in the TDF can dominate both climbs and TTs. He was seconds off the pace of Martin (a beast) in the TT and awkwardly rode away from the pint size climbing sensation Colubian on Ventoux (who is clearly a climbing specialist)…
No way he is that good … no way.
And hangs on for second he will ultimately win the tour months after its finished on a technicality. Sweet.
Contador wins the tour on tecnicality after once having it taken away, just another reason for noncyclists to think this sport is nuts
if you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation. Froome needs Draper
Reports say Tour of Turkey winner Mustafa Sayar positive for EPO.
When EPO hit the scene there was no way to test for it. Possible that they have found something new which isn’t on the banned substances list because no one knows about it?
The classic cat and mouse game. Just a matter of time.
when I saw that Cavendish-like sprint in the final k’s up Ventoux all I could do is shake my head and say “Not again”.That attack made me sick to my stomach. Sky is clearly running a pharmocolgy experiment on these Man-droids. Using Rupert Murdoch’s slimy Millions of pound notes to do it. Sneaky, wiley 21st Century Foxes to be sure.
Would alos like to hear what penalties will be imposed by ASO/UCI for the improper feeding in the final 10k.
Exactly. He’s the world’s biggest billboard for the Rupert Murdoch empire right now. And it’s billions with a b, not millions. This is a guy brazen enough to wiretap British royalty. I think they should have someone pick up those used musettes they’ve been passing out in the final 10k. Nice that they can go and visit the dope man in the closing miles for everyone to watch. We’ll know the truth in a few years.
Richie Port is next in line to win the Tour next year. The Tour is joke.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/may/31/epo-cycling-generation-doping-cheats
NEW! Poop Combo Pack
3 Types of Poop in 1 Package!!
these lab creatures almost make me nostalgic for the Vino days of dog blood doping
There’s been a lot of focus on how crazy strong Froome is and I’ll say its true – in his arena, the TT, and mountain top finishes, one rider or two attacking him will not get it done. Sky is just too prepared and will make short work of finishing things off with rivals spilling time. The way to hit Froome is to take him out of his arena – ala stage 9.
I’m quite sure Bjarne Riis and Saxo squad have taken notice. This is why we have sound bites of Contador not conceding defeat. I’m convinced that Saxo has a plan.
If you look closely at Froome’ position within the front group when he was isolated on stage 9, you’ll notice that with each attack from Quintana, Froome was positioned further back within that group. Of course he was able to answer the attacks of ONE rider, but if Contador, Mollema, or Valverde would have went, Froome would have been out of the yellow jersey – NO DOUBT. They basically pissed away an opportunity. Its my assertion that Froome is the master of disguise in my opinion because everyone thought he had the measure of all attacks but, he was definitely hurting. By the time Quintana settled down, Froome was atleast 8-10 riders back from the front of that lead group, when earlier he was sitting no further then 4 wheels.
In order to get Froome back to this point the rivals have to shake Porte and Kennaugh as a first order of business. This means that prior to implementing this strategy, Sky would have had to put out a huge defensive effort the stage before and the next stage has to be super hilly but not neccessarily a mtn. top finish. Only then will we see Froome fall apart and I would predict a dramatic explosion.
This strategy is tailor made for the last week of the tour, after the TT. The only downside is Valverde isnt there. Contador alone wont get it done. There has to be several guys throwing punches. If Belkin, Saxo, and the Columbian neo-pro can take swings with the absence of Porte and Kennaugh, Froome will lose – big. He’s not THAT strong when taken out of his prep zone.
The press is just not versed enough to read races I think. They automatically default to the doping question instead of really studying race footage. One cant blame sky for the press’ lack of due diligence.
Are you kidding me? Froome dropped Contador like two friends playing around on a practice ride and the dropped being the fat cat 4 – former being the fit cat 1.
Then he proceed to drop a 120lb climbing specialist all while breathing through his nose… this guy was never hurting.
the lost opportunity presumes his rivals were able to attack. They were off the back with 5k to go…
Well first off, Contador is missing some form on the long inclines – clearly. Second, read what I wrote; Froome is not going to be beaten on mtn. top finish. Contador has to put himself into a situation where he is sitting on a teammates wheel with Froome isolated. Its my opinion that Alberto is setting up for wk3. Its no fluke that Kruezinger and Alberto are close on G.C. I’m convinced that they are going to put Froome in a spot that makes him work. They’re going to need the Belkin team to take swipes as well. Quintana will be the real wild card.
You’re referencing the Ventoux stage to which its no shocker that Froome rode off with that stage. He will also smash the upcoming TT. It may be good to stick it to’em on the stage after the TT but Sky will probably measure his effort so that he has something in the tank for the next day. I just dont think Froome can take 3 pressured stages in the mtns and come out of that with the jersey. Sky wont have the guns to take on so many teams close on time. Right now its Belkin, Saxo, the neo-pro. I will add that if Contador loses chunks of time in the TT, his third week effort will not matter. He has to stay within 5min. or its done. Froome would be smart to bury his rivals on stage 17 but he has to be careful. One bad day and its a leader board free fall.
I really do hope he is clean and am given to extend him the benefit of doubt. However, Froome is just plain freaky in a Razzy kind of way. I guess God just don’t like ugly.
Cue Greg Lemond — give the power data and rider/bike weight to WADA. Sky says publicly releasing power data would be giving up a competitive advantage. What’s the argument against the anti-doping agency getting it? Match the power data with the blood passport data and you should see some correlations. You gotta think pro cycling is missing out on millions in sponsor dollars because of the persistent questions about doping. If UCI had half credible mgmt they would get together with the teams, sponsors and WADA figure out simple steps like this to boost the confidence of potential investors/sponsors.
Gas6 bitches…
Once again, LeMond has to hold Bernie’s hand at the top of the hill.
http://www.leparisien.fr/actualite/en-images-la-belle-victoire-de-chris-froome-au-mont-ventoux-15-07-2013-2982347.php?pic=19
that’s not Jack Nicholson?
http://www.leparisien.fr/actualite/en-images-la-belle-victoire-de-chris-froome-au-mont-ventoux-15-07-2013-2982347.php?pic=2#infoBulles1
How much does the baineur want to make it double or nothing now!
lee3. what saxo plan? if the froome from can just ride away, there’s no “secret” or “we are setting up for week 3”. the froome is just gonna ride away, Easy to arrive at this conclusion. btw, look for the froome to extend his lead.
to Louis Clamp. This is one is so easy to cheat on:
UCI/Wada: “Let us look at your power data”
Next doper winner (probably lying): “I don’t have them, don’t train with power”
//ugh.
UCI Cycling Regulations, Section 2.3.026
Feeding is prohibited on climbs, descents and during the first 50 and last 20 km.
The feed rule was waived but Sky was the only team to take advantage of the waiver.
Here’s how this works, stage racing is a gamble on when to show your cards and how many stages your team can control. Froome, under his ideal condition, mtn top finish stages, and TT, can maximize time gaps all day. Froome isolated and having to respond to multiple attacks from 3 different riders on different squads is ALL TOGETHER A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. Froome is strong but trust me he will not ride away from anybody if its his job to answer attacks. Read my post Liam (carefully). I said that the first order of business is dumping Kennaugh and Porte. It really is a shame that Valverde isnt in this mix. Getting rid of the Sky henchman is the all important lynch pin that will get this ball rolling. This is why I’m guessing we will see Richie, and Kennaugh lay down a mediocre TT bcause they know a world of hurt is in store for the nxt 3 days. The day that we see the Sky dismantling is yet to be determined but you can guess it will be the day after Richie and Kennaugh lay down a crazy pace. I just dont see those guys defending for 3 days, no matter what time gaps Froome establishes. 3 days of covering attacks is HARD.
Ideal situation on stage 18 is to start the attacks on the Col de Manse. Make Richie chase, make Kennaugh chase. Hit them all day in the crosswinds and so by the time we get to the first attempt of Alpe de Huez, Froome’ guys should be weakened so that they get eventually dropped long before the finish. Froome will have to follow wheels. Now – ideally if Alberto has Kruezinger and Belkin has both Mollema and T.Dam with Quintana in the on deck circle, we can expect Froome to be on the back foot after having to cover moves. He isnt going to ride away from anybody that far out – no way. If Froome covers everything and keeps the gap established, repeat the strategy for stage 19 and I guarantee you Richie and Kennaugh will fall apart much earlier in the stage and then we should see what Froome is really made of. If Alberto, Kruezinger, Mollema, and Quintana cant bring the pain, then its all for nothing. Take a look at Alberto’s performance at last years Vuelta and how he won it all, and then ffwd to this race. The factors are a bit more stacked against but, I feel like Contador has something to play, I just hope his legs keep him in the mix after the uphill TT.
Yep, it’s all just rope-a-dope tactics for Contador so far. He’ll have Froome right where he wants him come the Col de Manse. Echelons on the valley roads, then all the GC guys will gang bang Froomey til he cracks. I’ve seen it dozens of times. Then he’ll attack him on the 15th hairpin of the first ascent of Alpe d’Huez and lap the field on the Champs Elysees to get the rest of the time back and win by 8 seconds, LeMond style. Textbook.
I agree that in theory your strategy makes some sense but it assumes the top 10 riders are able to attack once the Sky train is off the back. I honestly think they are holding on for dear life just to stay at the front and protect their GC standing. If you watch the Ventoux stage most if the riders were off the back or strung out at 10k and not able to attack.
We shall see…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay48ZWkoeHU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhXx-wNEXeg
the objective for belikin and saxo isn’t to throw everything to the wind just to break froome when he has a 4-5 minute lead and has shown zero weakness. they won’t do it. having a couple guys in the top 5 is a good result and they should protect it.
Why do you watch this shit? Can’t you sit back and just enjoy the show? Stop trying to read between the lines and prove to yourselves that you’re so smart. IT’S All A FUCKING SHOW AND EVERYONE CHEATS. THIS IS NOT A FAIR WORLD. The sooner you realize that the smarter you will be.
Oldies but goodies:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/exhausted-cyclists-ask-for-some-drugs-so-they-can,28847/
http://www.theonion.com/articles/nondoping-cyclists-finish-tour-de-france,2268/
team sky – riding sky high since 2009
In the Britain (unlike other countries), getting caught doping would be the equivalent of getting caught fucking your own mother.
It’s the most shameful thing a sportsman can do. Your name would be dirt, as would that of your future generations.
In Spain however, it’s acceptable – anything to win. Greed over self-respect.
So many poor hypotheses on this site. If you’re going to make these shitty remarks, state your qualifications as well – and no Paul Kimmage, Sunday column writers can’t make accurate aerodynamic analyses.
Hey twinkle toes…Froome is as British as I am….”Born in Kenya and brought up in South Africa, since spring 2008 he has ridden under a British licence on the basis of his passport and father’s and grandparents’ country of birth.”
Here is how South Africa is “unlike other countries”; “Crime is a prominent issue in South Africa. South Africa has a very high rate of murders, assaults, rapes (adult, child and infant), and other crimes compared to most countries. Most emigrants from South Africa state that crime was a big factor in their decision to leave.” Hmmm…sounds like a place where people do get caught “shagging their mum”. Committing sporting fraud to enrich oneself seems like very small potatoes in that country…Oh and here is another famous athlete from the hamlet of South Africa:
“Cops found banned steroids inside the home of “Blade Runner†Oscar Pistorius,†and believe the Olympic track star may have killed his girlfriend in a boozy, ’roid rage, according to a bombshell new report.
The drugs were found during a search of Pistorius’ luxe Pretoria, South Africa, manse, which also turned up a blood-covered cricket bat.
Investigators said Pistorius might have smashed model Reeva Steenkamp’s skull with the bat before shooting her to death in the horrifying, pre-dawn Valentine’s Day attack.
“Steroid drugs were found at Pistorius’ home together with evidence of heavy drinking,†a source close to the investigation told The Sun of London.
“Police have specifically ordered that he be tested for steroids,†the source said of the 26-year-old double-amputee track star.
So that means Froome is doping because…?
Pistorius is a borderline psycopath with a long history of violence and lack of self-control. Froome is mild-mannered and always looks in control. Two very different personalities there.
Quoting large amounts of text from The Sun (a low-calibre tabloid with zero credibility) doesn’t really suggest anything. Have another go…
footballers don’t dope. indeed. although, that might explain world cup results
It’s a hell of a lot easier to falsify power files than it is to pass a piss test. If you can modify a spreadsheet, you’re most of the way there.
President of the riders association Gianni Bugno is sportiin’ the Mohamar Gadhafi look! Who wouldn’t trust gadhafi’s clean athletes!
“In the Britain (unlike other countries), getting caught doping would be the equivalent of getting caught fucking your own mother.”
Their greatest cycling champion died as a direct result of drugs.
…. almost 50 years ago…
What’s with Sky’s questionable feed on yet another mountain stage? If Froome was bonking, he should’ve suffered it out like everyone else or at least gone back to the car for his own feed instead of sending Porte who may be the one to get in trouble for it. Classy British team, eh?
This is actually fantastic: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-penalised-20-seconds-for-illegal-feeding
He first throws Porte under the bus, and then his own team car. I think the 20 second penalty is a joke. Bonking like he started to on a climb like that might’ve cost him minutes…things that make you go hmm.
porte is a domestique, dude. froome’s not “throwing him under the bus” – they sent him back because they knew it was illegal, and porte should technically be the one to get the 20 seconds… they handled that pretty smartly, actually.
Sky if the Foundation of the World Tour.
Tee Jay Van Garderen could have used an illegal feed, might have won the stage.
Blab blab blab. It was still an awesome stage.
How do you like Contador’s bike switch once his team got word that they were going to be measuring bike mass at the end of the stage????
Sad to see so many people making claims without concrete evidence. If we applied that kind of thought process to cancer treatment, heart disease, diabetes, etc., there would be no treatments. NASA would never have reached the moon and the internet would never have been invented. Before you conclude whether or not Froome doped, why don’t you:
1. collect some data
2. develop / implement sound models for interpretation
3. validate models with control studies
4. analyse data using aforementioned models
5. determine statistical accuracy of output data
6. draw conclusions
7. submit findings for peer-review
8. publish data if findings are validated
Isn’t posting anonymous comments on the internet peer review of sorts?
@yo, 9:22:
Brits don’t dope but “In Spain however, it’s acceptable – anything to win. Greed over self-respect.”
I thought that was Italians and Americans. Not only acceptable, but doping is encouraged.
2013 Tour of the Catskills Stage 1 TT APPROXIMATE category starts announced. http://tourofthecatskills.com/latest/
TT bikes ok.
Dieter
Froome is NOT British he is born in Kenya. Just because his parents took his paperwork elsewhere that does not make him British. Lets not loose the trees in the forest.
He’s Kenyan and Stevie Wonder can see he’s on a different level than everyone else. Please stop acting like he’s the next best thing to come out since tubeless wheels.
You are what you say you are (so long as you have a legit link)…. Tubeless not so sensational
Yeah…the suspicious thing about Froome’s performances are not the mountain stages. He’s a starving greyhound of a man, that’s the body type that goes up mountains quickly. But that body type should not be able to generate enough power over a flat time trial stage to beat powerhouse guys with nicknames like Spartacus or der Panzerwagon. You know someone was in Froome’s ear after the second time check….”dude, dial it back, you’re making it too obvious. Let Tony win this stage.”
Well as he said in his interview “he is not a cheat”. Which technically is true if whatever chemicals that are coursing through his veins are not listed in the UCI. So yeah he’s clean.
Or a different dirty? Hmmmm. The cat and mouse game. Gotta love it.
In my opinion it seemed as if Froome faked hurting the last Km on the last day just to leave that final impression of vulnerability. He attacked at 1km then was caught, then both riders rode away. I thought he also faked weakness on a few of the previous stages. Conveniently never losing significant time to anyone that mattered though. Except that 1st day after the allegation came out, then oops, missed the split.
They gained him a minute back on Froome, but I got the feeling that Sky and Froome were biding their time and waiting for more decisive circumstances.