Procycling thread

[Papad]

Froomey unstoppable!

[kiddy]

Wouldn't say he's sprinting away from them, like Quintana. But he is riding them off his wheel with a consistent high tempo.

Sick of Liggett & Sherwin going on about Quintana coming from Bogota @ xk meters above sea level.

Froome spent nigh on 20 years in Nairobi!

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Pie & Bovril mobile app

Edited July 14, 2013 by kiddy

[hirop]

it's nearly here double ascent of Alpe-d'Huez

Today was a repeat of last week, with Kennaugh\Porte double act taking the GC contenders to break point then Froome attacking. Would have been nice if Quintana could have staid with Froome last few km. As I said earlier, I don't know if he is doping or not, but is great view.

[Gnash]

It's difficult to believe that Froome could be so dominant in the mountains, while at the same time being just a few seconds behind Martin in the time trial. Is he doping or is he a genuine freak of nature? I don't know.

But if he is doping, does that mean the other main contenders aren't, since they're nowhere near him? And if they are as well, then presumably Froome is still a freak of nature?!!

[Mr. Brightside]

There's not even any question, he is 100% blatantly doping and waving it in everyone's faces. Who the f**k is Chris Froome anyway?

[Shuggie_Murray7]

Wouldn't say he's sprinting away from them, like Quintana. But he is riding them off his wheel with a consistent high tempo. Sick of Liggett & Sherwin going on about Quintana coming from Bogota @ xk meters above sea level. Froome spent nigh on 20 years in Nairobi! Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Pie & Bovril mobile app

As soon as Porte dropped of he sprinted away from Contador. He reached Quintana who was 30 seconds up the road and almost immediately sprinted away from him. Sprint is about the only word I can think of that describes it.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Shuggie_Murray7

[Shuggie_Murray7]

There's not even any question, he is 100% blatantly doping and waving it in everyone's faces. Who the f**k is Chris Froome anyway?

I do find myself in this camp yet again this year. For what it's worth, I don't think Wiggins was last year, but I did think Froome was.

[Mr. Brightside]

I do find myself in this camp yet again this year. For what it's worth, I don't think Wiggins was last year, but I did think Froome was.

I still think Wiggins was, but it's a lot more understandable for him to come and win the Tour, but for Froome to basically come out of no where to be challenging for TT's and whipping climbers in the mountains, it really reeks of Armstrong and Landis-eque proportions

[Shuggie_Murray7]

I still think Wiggins was, but it's a lot more understandable for him to come and win the Tour, but for Froome to basically come out of no where to be challenging for TT's and whipping climbers in the mountains, it really reeks of Armstrong and Landis-eque proportions

Wiggins had shown previous form in the tour, and last year he never once looked convincing. He just rode at a high tempo, he never really attacked or sprinted away from anyone like Froome did last year and has done this year. Wiggins rode a fairly conservative race, perhaps even defensive, and probably sealed it due to the TT's.

Even last year Froome was at times attacking Wiggins and moving away from him, only to virtually come to a stand still and wait for him.

I give Wiggins the benefit of the doubt. It's almost impossible to do the same for Froome.

[Mr. Brightside]

Wiggins had shown previous form in the tour, and last year he never once looked convincing. He just rode at a high tempo, he never really attacked or sprinted away from anyone like Froome did last year and has done this year. Wiggins rode a fairly conservative race, perhaps even defensive, and probably sealed it due to the TT's.

Even last year Froome was at times attacking Wiggins and moving away from him, only to virtually come to a stand still and wait for him.

I give Wiggins the benefit of the doubt. It's almost impossible to do the same for Froome.

Yeah I do agree that Wiggins at least looked to be trying hard and struggling at times, and of course he has an extensive pedigree, unlike Froome.

Just looking at the man freaks me out, he looks worse than Rasmussen ever did!

[Musketeer Gripweed]

Ten Dam is the revelation of the tour for me. I've watched him develop for ages, just someone I took a strange notion for. The Ten Dam I know isn't capable of what he doing at the moment.

To Froome. Not since I saw Stephen Roche climb La Plagne have I had a WTF out of the seat moment like I did today when he attacked Contader.

It's absolutely fantastic this year, and we still have the Alps to come.

[SJ1210]

Ten Dam is the revelation of the tour for me. I've watched him develop for ages, just someone I took a strange notion for. The Ten Dam I know isn't capable of what he doing at the moment.

To Froome. Not since I saw Stephen Roche climb La Plagne have I had a WTF out of the seat moment like I did today when he attacked Contader.

It's absolutely fantastic this year, and we still have the Alps to come.

And another rider who was not riding without the help of banned substances

[Mr. Brightside]

The weirdest thing is that there's people out there that seem to think he's clean...

[Papad]

Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Still great to see the druggie Contador get dropped. Not one attack from him so far this tour.

[honestly united]

Im still clinging to the chance he may be clean, as if he isn't, by assosciation that makes Wiggins / Cavendish / Hoy / anyone else in the British Olympic cycling team a drugs cheat. Im assuming he would have been tested at the Olympics last year when he finished 3rd in the time trial, but as has been noted if it is new drugs it wouldn't have been detected.

They had some guy on Eurosport yesterday after the stage, (he was a team manager for a small team i think, that had been in to have a look how they ran team sky) and he was asked outright if he thought he was dirty, and he replied that Sky had 15 years of training data, which they used to develop individual programs for there riders, the same as the British Olympic team has done with similar success. He also said that Sky identified Froome from an early age as someone with excpetional natural talent and this is just the training paying off.

His soundbite was something along the lines of you have seen these results before as a consequence of "bad" science, why could you not see the same by ploughing money into "good" science?

Still skeptical myself, but im sure we will fins out eventually.

[Desert Nomad]

Froome is the best combined time trialist and climber since a doped up Contador.

[ICTChris]

Im still clinging to the chance he may be clean, as if he isn't, by assosciation that makes Wiggins / Cavendish / Hoy / anyone else in the British Olympic cycling team a drugs cheat. Im assuming he would have been tested at the Olympics last year when he finished 3rd in the time trial, but as has been noted if it is new drugs it wouldn't have been detected.

They had some guy on Eurosport yesterday after the stage, (he was a team manager for a small team i think, that had been in to have a look how they ran team sky) and he was asked outright if he thought he was dirty, and he replied that Sky had 15 years of training data, which they used to develop individual programs for there riders, the same as the British Olympic team has done with similar success. He also said that Sky identified Froome from an early age as someone with excpetional natural talent and this is just the training paying off.

Did Sky signed him from another pro team in 2010 didn't they?

How did Froome's time on the ascent compare to the likes of Lance and Pantani from the 1990s/2000s?

[honestly united]

Cant seem to find a record of times for each ascent, (or Froomes from yesterday for that matter), just that the record is 55'51" by Mayo which was a Time Trial in the Criterium Dauphine about 10 years ago from Bedoiun to the Summit.

edit to add,

After a lot of searching

NEW TOP 50

1. 2004: 55:51 Iban Mayo 23.10 km/h
2. 2004: 56:26 Tyler Hamilton 22.86 km/h
3. 1999: 56:50 Jonathan Vaughters 22.70 km/h
4. 2004: 56:54 Oscar Sevilla 22.67 km/h
5. 1999: 57:33 Alexander Vinokourov 22.42 km/h
6. 1994: 57:34 Marco Pantani 22.41 km/h
7. 1999: 57:34 Wladimir Belli 22.41 km/h
8. 2004: 57:39 Juan Miguel Mercado 22.38 km/h
9. 1999: 57:42 Joseba Beloki 22.36 km/h
10. 2004: 57:49 Lance Armstrong 22.31 km/h
11. 1999: 57:52 Lance Armstrong 22.29 km/h
12. 2004: 58:14 Inigo Landaluze 22.15 km/h
13. 1999: 58:15 Kevin Livingston 22.15 km/h
14. 1999: 58:31 David Moncoutie 22.05 km/h
15. 2004: 58:35 José Enrique Gutierrez 22.02 km/h
16. 2009: 58:45 Andy Schleck 21.96 km/h
17. 2009: 58:45 Alberto Contador 21.96 km/h
18. 2009: 58:48 Lance Armstrong 21.94 km/h
19. 2009: 58:50 Fränk Schleck 21.93 km/h
20. 1999: 58:51 Unai Osa 21.92 km/h
21. 2009: 58:53 Roman Kreuziger 21.91 km/h
22. 2002: 59:00 Lance Armstrong 21.86 km/h
23. 2013: 59:00 Chris Froome 21.86 km/h
24. 1994: 59:02 Richard Virenque 21.85 km/h
25. 1994: 59:02 Armand De Las Cuevas 21.85 km/h
26. 1994: 59:02 Luc Leblanc 21.85 km/h
27. 1994: 59:02 Miguel Indurain 21.85 km/h
28. 1994: 59:02 Roberto Conti 21.85 km/h
29. 2009: 59:03 Franco Pellizotti 21.85 km/h
30. 2000: 59:05 Marco Pantani 21.83 km/h
31. 2000: 59:05 Lance Armstrong 21.83 km/h
32. 2009: 59:05 Vincenzo Nibali 21.83 km/h
33. 1994: 59:07 Pascal Lino 21.82 km/h
34. 1999: 59:08 Tyler Hamilton 21.82 km/h
35. 1999: 59:08 Roberto Laiseka 21.82 km/h
36. 2009: 59:10 Bradley Wiggins 21.80 km/h
37. 2004: 59:12 Levi Leipheimer 21.79 km/h
38. 2004: 59:24 Michael Rasmussen 21.72 km/h
39. 2004: 59:27 Stéphane Goubert 21.70 km/h
40. 2013: 59:29 Nairo Quintana 21.69 km/h
41. 2000: 59:30 Joseba Beloki 21.68 km/h
42. 2000: 59:34 Jan Ullrich 21.66 km/h
43. 1999: 59:35 Txema Del Olmo 21.65 km/h
44. 1999: 59:43 Kurt van de Wouwer 21.60 km/h
45. 2009: 59:46 Jurgen Van Den Broeck 21.58 km/h
46. 2004: 59:47 Oscar Pereiro 21.58 km/h
47. 2006: 59:47 Denis Menchov 21.58 km/h
48. 2006: 59:47 Christophe Moreau 21.58 km/h
49. 2009: 59:49 Andreas Klöden 21.57 km/h
50. 2004: 59:50 David Moncoutie 21.56 km/h

Important mentions:
In 1999 and 2004, Mont Ventoux was climbed in a 21,5 km individual time trial.
The top 50 doesn't include time ascents from 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2007 editions of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré because of the lack of the data

Edited July 15, 2013 by honestly united

[buddie06smfc]

The weirdest thing is that there's people out there that seem to think he's clean...

What I find weird is that people constantly slate the sport insinuating that it's ruined yet they still watch it.

[Mr. Brightside]

What I find weird is that people constantly slate the sport insinuating that it's ruined yet they still watch it.

Is this a dig at me?

Also why shouldn't you be allowed to criticise the sport and riders?