Froome dropped on first stage of Dauphine
 

Interesting. I would think he'd have a good enough idea of his fitness to know not to put himself in this position. Or maybe he's strictly following a build up training program?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBjiRspuc0o

It's too hard to say right now whether froome getting dropped is just part of his build-up as planned, the results of a permanent setback from his injury last year, or the result of a difficult season navigating fitness during a pandemic.

If I had to guess, I'd say he won't have the fitness to contend in the tour de France, but I hope I'm wrong.

Might want to consider changing the title of the post to avoid giving the spoilers up front ;)

But yes surprising.. maybe part of the bigger plan.

He doesnt look like in stress, he looks fresh. U have chances that the dude is just riding it to just put some miles and get back racing pacemaking.

In the previous race he pulled like a madman before being dropped.

Many of these riders do not train, they straight forward go race by race and using that to get in shape. That doesnt mean that he is really behind, u have to consider the dude got an accident aswell.

Gentle training day.

He's just racing himself into fitness. I should know, I'm an expert at that - I've been racing myself into fitness for the last 30 years. I'll let you know when I finally get there.

He is either just finito/done post body crunch/recovery, or playing TDF possum. We will know early Sept I suppose..


I expect he can never recover to form from his last crash. So that probably means he will.

But Bernal is the teams Star, Vo2/max is like 88 or something, sick if true..

Froome finished in the time cut. He'll be fine. He will stick to his training plan. The fact that Castroviejo was with him just means that the team is quite aware of his fitness.

Lanternerouge went over his power numbers on youtube earlier this week. Froome looks good but not in top form.

If he times it to be at peak by the 1st set of mtns of the tour, or even second.... Popcorn awaits.


If I am right about my finito/done theory, it will have just been a lucky guess.

You don't need to save your popcorn. Have it when you're ready. ;) Will he win the TdF? I doubt it. Will he help Bernal? Yes.

There are a bunch of unknowns in a Grand Tour. It's 3 weeks as opposed to 1, 3, or 5 days. Froome has the sauce. There are only a few other riders who have won who are riding, and two are on his team. Nibali might be the only other one, and he's in it for stages, I'd guess.

Here's that lanterne rouge link... worth the watch if you're ok with him nerding out on the numbers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T-rtLIyI94&t=0s

LOLZ

:p:p

Why would he help Bernal? He's leaving at the end of the year and the team's made clear who the new show pony is.

Because he riders for the one team that rides as a team. All depends on what the team plan is.

Jeff

Well, he has a contract and the DS determines what the overall plan is.

Froome also seems to have a hard time staying on the bike anymore. That will end his TDF early.

As far as Helping Bernal with the end of contract pending. Froome's age and potential future leadership position, yada.

Why burn the Bernal bridge with a hamstringing?

No?


Not to mention his own future signings if his rep is to pull that sheit.

He is a pro and I can see him totally not wimping out of supporting role as needed.

Anyone think there is a chance that someone not from Ineos will be top step this year? Jumbo Visma in particular seems to be pretty stacked and focused on ending the Ineos/Sky hegemony.

He barely did that when he was a domestique for Wiggins. Y'all give this he's going to follow orders to a T way too much stick.

If this was all part of a training plan, you'd think his teammate wouldn't be asking him if he is ok.

I think it depends on his fitness. If he's really off form, I wouldn't be surprised if he rides like a good domestique to save face. If he's in podium contention but not as good as Bernal, I'd expect things to start looking like Movistar last year.

Yah.. since we're discussing the TdF I believe the correct response is Chapeau!

Most of us have the same story it seems.

I dunno how these "pros" are able to do it...if any one of us sustained the kind of injuries they did, it would be doubtful we would ever straddle our legs over a bike again, much less go back and compete at their levels....or even WIN!

This is not the 1st time froome does the same thing. He looks off weeks earlier and suddenly he is right there. the only difference is the accident, but honestly he doesnt look like that bad to me.

You have like 50/50 chances this sucker will be right there again. He is the pony IMO... bernal gonna have to suck it up unless something really extraordinary happens. And how politics works, well they could leave bernal at home with a nasty diarrhea problem because well he could go rogue. Contador anybody?

As for jumbo, they have like 4 or 5 guys who can win the tour in their own terms. They will be hard to beat.

If Dumoulin and Kruijswijk work for Roglic, they will be very hard to beat. And they can pick off some other stages with WVA along the way. Looks like some entertaining racing starting 29 August...

Greg

Their undoing last year IMO was bringing their sprinter Dylan G along and having some divided interests in winning flat stages and placing high on the GC. This year, with reduced team sizes (and Dylan G suspended for the forseeable future) they are totally focused on GC placement. I'm sure WvA will be allowed some leeway in pursuing a stage win or two if it fits, but I don't think they'll be burning domestiques in their sprint train on transfer stages. If their TdF team looks like their Dauphine team, they're stacked.

One thing that hurts though - no TTT or flat ITT this year.

All part of the plan, I reckon, to get the crosshairs off him while he keeps building.

I think they will start of letting him ride for the overall out of respect for what he has done for the team. But the team will be riding for Bernal. If (or probably when) Froome is struggling he will be forced to become a domestique.

This could be a very different Tour with the lack of racing this year.

Jeff

That was a victory he was denied by team orders. He was far superior to Wiggins. Bernal should be made to sit down and watch that if he starts to get a bit uppity in September.

doesnt look like a man *unable* to keep up *at all*.

Since the momment he is talking with the other rider, he is not dead at all.

in hindsight yes, agreed. british team. sir bradley now. rising tide for english cycling. but if Froome wins it that year he'd have five already and maybe six if he didnt crash out that one year

wasn't a big fan until the tour he ran ventoux, got a gap downhill, and bridged with sagan in that crosswind. that was great riding from the stem staring praying mantis.

I laugh when people seem to doubt that he knows how to prep for the TdF. Four wins, plus three other GTs, and only the third rider to hold all three at the same time. He knows what he's doing. If he's selected it wouldn't surprise me to see him win it. Bernal is young. His form is not guaranteed.

If I were to guess, I'd say he intentionally dropped of the back in order to lose GC time. This will allow him to go on solo attacks in the upcoming mountain stages as part of his training program. Froome lost 5 1/2 minutes on the opening stage,and finished with the roleurs and non-climbers.