Froome moving on !

[Duck18]

Maybe he just likes riding his bike and getting paid to do so.

[MichaelB]

Maybe he just likes riding his bike and getting paid to do so.

Yep, but he's taking the place of another rider that can actually win and improve !

Oh, and he's finally on board with disc brakes ....

[AUbicycles]

But for the event organisers, having a past TDF winner on the lineup is good news.

This end of the season is a bit thin and I don't see this about 'taking opportunities from others' - it feels more of keeping up appearances.

For Cav it is pretty simple... he is ready to bow out but the history pages are more compelling - he can attract a lot of attention and that is a win for him, his team and sponsors and the fans.

[MichaelB]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris- ... mier-tech/

“I mean his frustrations are understandable but, yeah, that’s how it is. I’m contracted for another two years. I signed a five-year contract when I joined. I still feel like there’s more in the legs and I want to go out having given it my all. I’m not going to give up on it.

hmmmm, the numbers and results just don't point to him being useful/competitive. Maybe 2024 will be different ....

[MichaelB]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/he- ... ris-froome

“Does what he says sound credible?”, asks Adams on the RadioCycling podcast. "Does it make sense for someone who has won seven Grand Tours to claim that his saddle position is off by an inch or whatever he says? Does that sound credible for someone who is not even released on the last climbs, but on one of the first climbs?"

...

"We've been very generous with Chris in terms of helping him, trying to give him the best possible equipment, the best possible conditions... He can start talking about his bike position, that's still not going to get him selected for a deliver a Grand Tour," Adams slams. "That will only happen if he is able to compete and prove that he is a relevant force. And we're not even talking about winning grand tours anymore, but just about being a useful teammate."

OUCH

[foo on patrol]

He just can't accept that he's past his use by date and is now at domestic level in any Team.

Foo

[MichaelB]

Interesting thing I noted today - Froomedog has nothing listed for competition in 2024 ....

Writing on the wall

[jasonc]

He's doing tour de Rwanda starting on the 18th

[foo on patrol]

He's doing tour de Rwanda starting on the 18th

Well there shouldn't be a great deal of opposition there for him, so maybe hell get on the podium.

Foo

[MichaelB]

He's doing tour de Rwanda starting on the 18th

Well there shouldn't be a great deal of opposition there for him, so maybe hell get on the podium.

Foo

Didn’t last year !

24th on GC (28:35 down on the winner) and highest stage placing was 22nd - two times ….

[foo on patrol]

He's doing tour de Rwanda starting on the 18th

Well there shouldn't be a great deal of opposition there for him, so maybe hell get on the podium.

Foo

Didn’t last year !

24th on GC (28:35 down on the winner) and highest stage placing was 22nd - two times ….

Yeah but the believers won't have a bar of him being past his prime, hence my sarcasm emoji at the end.

Foo

[MichaelB]

Yeah but the believers won't have a bar of him being past his prime, hence my sarcasm emoji at the end.

Foo

Well, his boss isn't a believer any more ...

[foo on patrol]

Yeah but the believers won't have a bar of him being past his prime, hence my sarcasm emoji at the end.

Foo

Well, his boss isn't a believer any more ...

I just can't understand why some insist on trying to recapture/stay on when they are past their best. Get out and let the new/next generation of Tour riders come through and just be content with being a domestic and teach them the ropes in the lesser Tours and be remembered for their time at the top and how good they were, instead of the struggling trying to hang onto the glory days rider. Cavendish is the same, he said 2023 was the last season and was retiring but because things didn't go his was, he's hanging around like a bad smell also. Both of these riders could still do well in one day races and not have embarrassing rides but insist on trying to stay in the big Tours. In my eyes, Cavendish will never be in the same league as Merckx and for that matter, Sagan has more Green Jersey's than Cavendish.

Foo

[MichaelB]

So, Stage 1 of Tour of Rwanda (2.1)

18.3km TTT with 192m of vertical gain.



IPT 2nd by 36 seconds (to Lotto Soudal's Devo Team), but ....


Israel - Premier Tech 21:08 0:36 51.956km/hr
KRETSCHY Moritz
EINHORN Itamar
BLACKMORE Joseph
SAGIV Guy +1:38
FROOME Chris +5:21

Even the SLOWEST team was only 4:59 down .....

IPT & Total Energies are the only Pro Tour teams, all others are CT.

[find_bruce]

Cyclingnews give him a boost "A tough race that Chris Froome has come to win." FFS

GCN fact checkers hard at work Chris Froome takes second with Israel-Premier Tech in first race of 2024

I thought foo was being harsh, but now realise he was being generous

Losing by more than 5 minutes in an 18km race is just an embarrassment - next slowest rider was 2 minutes ahead. If he wants to contribute to cycling he should do it off the bike

[foo on patrol]

Cyclingnews give him a boost "A tough race that Chris Froome has come to win." FFS

GCN fact checkers hard at work Chris Froome takes second with Israel-Premier Tech in first race of 2024

I thought foo was being harsh, but now realise he was being generous

Losing by more than 5 minutes in an 18km race is just an embarrassment - next slowest rider was 2 minutes ahead. If he wants to contribute to cycling he should do it off the bike

Foo

[MichaelB]

.....

GCN fact checkers hard at work Chris Froome takes second with Israel-Premier Tech in first race of 2024
.....

To come in 5 min behind but get the same time as the three in front from your team put in the effort is just wierd ....

Mind you, he didn't lose anytime yesterday, so he's 48th on GC at 0'00" ...

[am50em]

It just normal TTT rules. Happens all the time.

[MichaelB]

It just normal TTT rules. Happens all the time.

Not from what I understand, certainly not at PT level.

Maybe for the smaller races. Happy to stand corrected if I'm wrong though.

[find_bruce]

To come in 5 min behind but get the same time as the three in front from your team put in the effort is just wierd ....

Mind you, he didn't lose anytime yesterday, so he's 48th on GC at 0'00" ...

It just normal TTT rules. Happens all the time.

Not from what I understand, certainly not at PT level.

Maybe for the smaller races. Happy to stand corrected if I'm wrong though.

Actually it's weirder than you think - the reason Froome finished on the same time as his teammates was because the TTT doesn't count towards GC at all - it only counted for the team result. As far as I can recall team results are usually for the first 3 riders in the team.

Can't say I have come across any other stage race where a TTT doesn't count towards the GC.
Presumably this is to give emerging teams the opportunity to ride a TTT without immediately excluding them from the GC

[MichaelB]

Stage 4 completed and he's still going !!

Lost 1:19 on a 93km stage with 2,231m of elevation, so now 32nd on GC at 3:37.

ITT stage is next - 13km with a 492m gain, pretty much all uphill (starts at 1,800m elevation and gets up to 2,300m - interesting).



Stage 6 & 7 will be interesting





Whilst Stage 8 will be fast and furious at only 73km

[MichaelB]

He’s still in it with one stage to go and 27th on GC.

Crikey, he is stepping up another level.

Just 667 to go ….

[MichaelB]

He's doing tour de Rwanda starting on the 18th

Well there shouldn't be a great deal of opposition there for him, so maybe hell get on the podium.

Foo

Didn’t last year !

24th on GC (28:35 down on the winner) and highest stage placing was 22nd - two times ….

Well, did worse than last time, but lost less time overall.

27th on GC, and only 15'50" down on the winner.

Best Stage result was a 21st on Stage 6, and other than that, well into the 30's & 40's ....

[MichaelB]

At Tirreno Adriatico.

Stage 1 : 10km ITT :
116th, 1:03 down
Stage 2 : 198km stage w 1,401m elevation gain :
169th, 4:03 down, now 168th on GC.

Stage 3 : 225km w 2,616m elevation gain and finish climb

[foo on patrol]

At Tirreno Adriatico.

Stage 1 : 10km ITT :
116th, 1:03 down
Stage 2 : 198km stage w 1,401m elevation gain :
169th, 4:03 down, now 168th on GC.

Stage 3 : 225km w 2,616m elevation gain and finish climb

I think I can I think I can.

Foo