Froome moving on !

[MichaelB]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris- ... up-nation/

Moved as apparently Ineos chose not to renew contract.

Interesting

Edit : Corrected the auto-correct ....

[10speedsemiracer]

Yeah, makes sense with Thomas and Bernal in the line-up, and Thomas being the all-rounder that he is.

[biker jk]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris- ... up-nation/

Moved as apparently India chose not to renew contract.

Interesting

Is he going to Pakistan?

[MichaelB]

Yeah, makes sense with Thomas and Bernal in the line-up, and Thomas being the all-rounder that he is.

Rumours of a 15 million (dunno what currency) payday probably helped as well.

Guess Ineos wasn't prepared to gamble anymore based on age and the injuries. I have no doubt he'll confound the skeptics and be stronger than many think, but get anywhere near winning a GT Honestly, don't think that will happen.

Wonder what sort of a race program he'll get for the remainder of 2020 ?

We'll soon find out though with racing to commence in 20 odd days.

[vosadrian]

Whether you like the guy or not, you can't deny he has a determination to succeed that many of his rivals do not. He has made the most out of bad situations in the past, and the COVID situation seemed to be made for him and his injury recovery. Assuming he has been able to rehab his hip well, his training state for the coming season is now similar to his rivals... and he seems to be among the best at preparing himself for a GT. I would not rule him out for another GT win... but perhaps a Vuelta after the young guns are too fatigued from earlier races.

Looking back over the last half dozen TDF, he won most of them, and those he did not win there were good reasons for.... injury/fatigue from Giro. If we was able to prepare with focus for TDF and his hip is OK, he is still a force to be reckoned with. I guess his rehab is the big question mark.

[RobertL]

Every rider who has left Sky/Ineos has never done as well for their new team, although none of them have been as big a name as Froome, to be fair.

That's the thing about cycling: the team knows every minute detail about your performance, down to the last watt and gram. If you're someone like Mikel Landa (just as an example), and you tell them that you want to be a GT contender, they tell you that you're not good enough. If you still think that you are, you leave, you try your luck and you fail.

Can Froome buck that trend?

Does it matter - because noone is going to beat Bernal in a fair fight?*

* Note: Bernal took over a minute off some high altitude KOM overnight. Just over 11 minutes, 350W, climbing at more than 1800 VAM!

[bianchi928]

Every rider who has left Sky/Ineos has never done as well for their new team,quote]

More a reflection the new team rather than the rider I reckon. No disrespect meant to the new teams, just not every team has potential team leaders as domestiques like Ineos.

[MichaelB]

But will Froome even get a good chance to show his current state ?

[vosadrian]

If winning the TDF was only about climbing well when you are fresh, there would be many other contenders. Bernal has certainly proved he has what it takes. But you have to read the race and avoid bad luck and be able to time trial when it counts. Fortunately at Ineos others can tick some of those boxes for him. Froome has pulled some of his best efforts out when he needed them most. Not sure I could see Bernal pulling off what Froome did at the Giro. Froome did not appear to be the best climber at the race... but he got the win... and his team helped to set that up... but it was more of an individual effort.

[fat and old]

Remember when this was exciting? I miss my racing....

[MichaelB]

Remember when this was exciting? I miss my racing....

Not long now, it all kicks off on 1st August, only 17 days !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stevenaaus]

The season is underway great to get things going. At the Route d’Occitanie, Inneos smashed all comers on the Queen Stage, and Froomey gets a big mention. Exactly what he needs to cement a TDF start. Once he's there.. anything can happen.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-ro ... 3/results/

And today they announced Impey is going to Israel Start-Up next year with Chris.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/impey- ... d-captain/

[MichaelB]

Sad that Impey is going. Maybe money talks.

I still doubt that Froome will get a start at the TDF. There is a huge difference between 1 week fitness, and only really showed a big effort on one day, to doing well for a 3 week tour !!!

I reckon if anything, he'll get a go at the Vuelta rather than the Tour, but who knows.

[Sharkey]

If anybody can come back from injury or illness it is Chris Froome. After years of being back of the pack and having to zig-zag up hills he finally sorted out his undiagnosed asthma and dramatically improved.

[stevenaaus]

Sportsbet have him at 3rd fave to win., though I'm not sure why Pavel Sivakov is so far down when at the moment he is Inneos no. 2. Portie is down for $34. Go mate! but I like Froome's chances too.
https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/cy ... -de-france
Woods and Dennis are ignominiously tied with Sagan at $501

Geez I'd love to see Rohan leading out the train, but he probably won't be there.

[biker jk]

If anybody can come back from injury or illness it is Chris Froome. After years of being back of the pack and having to zig-zag up hills he finally sorted out his undiagnosed asthma and dramatically improved.

Don't forget him getting over his undiagnosed bilharzia as well. Oh, and losing weight.

[stevenaaus]

Great Tour de l'Ain victory for jumbo visma and Roglic. I wouldn't read too much into it, except that the Toure this year is going to be a real race I reckon Inneos went fine. And even Richie showed some form.

[biker jk]

Froome and Thomas dropped by Ineos for TdF.

[find_bruce]

Froome and Thomas dropped by Ineos for TdF.

Bernal has won the first battle to drop his competition. Looks like Carapaz is the biggest loser, for getting a chance at his own race to domestique

[MichaelB]

Froome and Thomas dropped by Ineos for TdF.

Am I the only one not really surprised ?

[MichaelB]

Well, his ‘recovery’ and ‘form improvement’ seems to have stalled, and haven’t seen him actually finish with the main bunch in any of the stages he’s been in

Often shipped during the early climbs and if anything seems to be getting worse.

Who knows ? He may pull the proverbial rabbit out, but ya gotta wonder and I guess the ISUN bosses are probably thinking the same ...

[foo on patrol]

Tell me why, anyone thought that Froome would come back to the same level of riding, as he was at before the fall?? His age the type of injury and length of time away from riding and racing, was never, ever, going to allow that!

Foo

[MichaelB]

Tell me why, anyone thought that Froome would come back to the same level of riding, as he was at before the fall?? His age the type of injury and length of time away from riding and racing, was never, ever, going to allow that!

Foo

Can’t agree more.

Should have retired and been thankful he can still walk.

Then again, if you had 5M euro a year waves at you ....

[foo on patrol]

Tell me why, anyone thought that Froome would come back to the same level of riding, as he was at before the fall?? His age the type of injury and length of time away from riding and racing, was never, ever, going to allow that!

Foo

Can’t agree more.

Should have retired and been thankful he can still walk.

Then again, if you had 5M euro a year waves at you ....

Yep.

Foo

[10speedsemiracer]

Tell me why, anyone thought that Froome would come back to the same level of riding, as he was at before the fall?? His age the type of injury and length of time away from riding and racing, was never, ever, going to allow that!

Foo

+11 for this.

The man had a fractured femur, elbow and ribs, and has still come back to race at a high level. Plus the whole garbage about him snorting too much Ventolin, and the press generally being a bunch of brain-dead sooks all makes his ability to continue racing even more impressive.