Giro d'Italia Attack of the Frome

[mattr]

TBH, it wasn't even a "spectacular" attack. It was a steadily paced mountain ITT over the last ~80 km of the stage.
At no point did he suddenly increase the gap it was generally a handful of seconds here and there, and every chunk of time gained was fairly visible. i.e. the chasing group slowing, waiting whatever. It was nothing like a Pantani, Landis, Ullrich or Armstong attack where all are crushed before the lord and master of the peloton.

The total effect on the other hand was pretty spectacular. As was Yates's blowing up.

 

[DynaCol]

Re:

The commentators analysis of the time gap concluded that the vast majority of the time Froome gained was on the downhill section after he attacked on the climb (something like 1:40). He only gained something like 15-20 seconds on the subsequent climbs and in the valley.
It wasn't a big group following him and a couple of them weren't really that interested in chasing but more in attacking each other. So all in all its not that unbelievable or super human, like some are trying to suggest.
I don't know or claim to know what happened with the adverse drug test in the vuelta but all I've read about it suggests that there is no performance boost from taking salbutamol as there is with EPO for example.
Froome's demeanor and the way he talks about the above seems genuine, innocent until proven guilty in my book. I get people's suspicions though based on the sports past :?

 

[NeilM]

Re:

Oh, I thought pulling back around four minutes over the race leaders, staying out front for 80k and riding from fourth into first place was pretty special, apparently not, my mistake.

 

[DynaCol]

Re:

We'll obviously it was amazing but I was trying to point out that rather than it being something that can only be explained by a pharmacist that it was more down to Froome's descending and time trialling abilities

 

[mattr]

It was well planned, well executed and very effective. So maybe amazing.

 

[kingbling]

Re: Re:

Oh, I thought pulling back around four minutes over the race leaders, staying out front for 80k and riding from fourth into first place was pretty special, apparently not, my mistake.

No mistake Neil It was PRETTY SPECIAL I can't see this happening on every grand tour, it was planned and calculated and executed to perfection and this is now cycle racing has evolved it is now a numbers game much like everything else there is no returning to the old days of racing.

 

[mattr]

TBH, the secret pro analysis is pretty good.

https://cyclingtips.com/2018/05/the-sec ... ro-attack/

 

[al-onestare]

Re:

Good article, thanks for sharing.

 

[roadking]

Re:

I've been following pro cycling and the TdeF for over 30 years now and agree with Bernard Hinault's recent comment about Froome, that is he should not be mentioned in the same sentence as the cycling greats, that he should not have started the Giro with a positive dope test hanging over him.

Froome's legal team (!) have been trying to rescue his reputation since the 2017 Vuelta. Remember this is all about money, as the lawyers are challenging the efficacy of the test - why are tests only in doubt when a rider fails one ? Froome had double the amount of Salbutamol when tested, and Team Sky have not joined the MPCC which insists member's teams do not field riders facing an AAF (like Froome) in races. This perhaps underlines my feeling (not new) that team Sky are not really interested in the image of cycling.

We have to also remember the Bradley Wiggins jiffy bag fiasco and their lack of an audit trail for Wiggins medication. Is Team Sky a team with integrity ? I think that question is open to doubt. It was also interesting that Tom Dumoulin said after the Giro that he wouldn't want a court assisted win (Froome will face a judge), and during the race he stated that if he'd tested positive he would not have ridden* (the Giro).

And regarding the OPs opening comment. Yes, I've seen a stunning race for the yellow jersey, one of the earliest I can recall, that is Stephen Roche's ride up to La Plagne in the 1987 edition of the TdeF.

Jon.

*Sunweb are members of the MPCC

 

[JSH]

Opinions are like arseholes; everyone’s got one! I’ll share mine:
I think the secret pro analysis is pretty good. It’s was interesting too to listen to the pundits on the BBC bespoked podcasts. He’d been variously written off and they were suggesting he might climb off. Most commentators think that stage 19 was something special.

Love or hate Sky, their success has helped get loads of people on to two wheels and, whilst I can see that they are a bit “Man City”, it’s great to see some British successes. Pick any sport now and you’ll find it’s all about “big data” and all the pro cycling teams are doing it.

Choosing to ride with an unresolved AAF will offend some people’s sensibilities - I get it. Remember though it’s for salbutamol which is not a banned substance, just a regulated one . It is well documented that it offers no performance enhancement (no matter how much you take). I use it myself.

My view is that you can’t compare Froome with Hinault, Merckx and Roche because they come an era when they were more likely to be using stimulants than any other. He will undoubtably have been tested more than those put together. When you consider whether he should have absented himself from the Giro, bear in mind, he would never get the chance again to hold yellow, red and pink at the same time.

My personal view is that Chris is a once in a generation talent and you will not see a ride like that for a long time.