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Tour de France 2017 Stage 19:Embrun-Salon-de-Provence 222.5K

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    #32
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    For me this year Chris Froome has not won the Tour de France , Team Sky have. More so than any other year. Froome if he'd been isolated more would have had problems but due to the strength they have as a team it was never allowed to happen.


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    #33
    Inquitus
    Registered Users Posts: 13,761 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus


    Deleted User wrote: »
    For me this year Chris Froome has not won the Tour de France , Team Sky have. More so than any other year. Froome if he'd been isolated more would have had problems but due to the strength they have as a team it was never allowed to happen.

    I don't know the way things have panned out, he has been in control since the opening stage, with the TT to come in stage 20 of 21 he knew all he had to do was mark his challengers and he has won. The loss of Porte was huge, and unfortunately it hasn't made for much of a spectacle. He has ridden very defensively because he really didn't need to do anything else. Obviously a strong team makes controlling the race much easier, but his rivals haven't been able to make a dent at all really.


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    #34
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,084 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Deleted User wrote: »
    For me this year Chris Froome has not won the Tour de France , Team Sky have.
    It's a team sport.

    But I think he'd have won anyway, on the combined strength of his climbing, descending and TTing.

    This isn't like Wiggo's win where he was nursed round.


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    #35
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Yeah, in fairness to him he's improved all round, not a bad descender these days given a few years ago you were just waiting to see at what point he'd fall on the flat.


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    #36
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,814 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    At the moment he seems miles ahead of the opposition. He came into the tour lightly raced as it seems he wants to win the Vuelta as well.

    None of the others have done anything to come near him. They just aren't good enough. The quality just isn't there.

    Froome hasn't had to exert himself and why should he when he has the Vuelta to come.
    The one time he had trouble with a mechanical and lost 45 secs he then made it up within about 8km. Just goes to show that he has a well to dip into where nobody else could compete with.

    Quintana seems to have gone backwards and not sure if Porte would have made any inroads.
    Didn't make for the most exciting of tours.

    I wouldn't mind see a couple of 100km stages being put in to just shake things up.


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    #37
    Inquitus
    Registered Users Posts: 13,761 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus


    Tigerandahalf wrote: »
    The one time he had trouble with a mechanical and lost 45 secs he then made it up within about 8km. Just goes to show that he has a well to dip into where nobody else could compete with.

    Yep this was the key show of strength, GC Group full gas, Froome has trouble and manages to close almost a minute, I think it was fifty something seconds when he changed bike, before the top of the climb and rescues himself from potential disaster. As Dan Martin said in an interview, he doesn't think anyone else would have been able to close that gap bar Froome.


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    #38
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,814 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    Inquitus wrote: »
    Yep this was the key show of strength, GC Group full gas, Froome has trouble and manages to close almost a minute, I think it was fifty something seconds when he changed bike, before the top of the climb and rescues himself from potential disaster. As Dan Martin said in an interview, he doesn't think anyone else would have been able to close that gap bar Froome.

    Froome will never be loved as he is not a very flamboyant character. Comes across as quite shy and not fussed about the limelight.

    I do wonder how he managed to drop all that weight. A lot of athletes are on the borderline taking fat burning supplements and that whole area is very grey.

    However Froome seems to have a real quiet determination so it is possible he has put the work in. I think his weight is slightly up this year too as he hadn't raced much.

    The Tour just needs fresh talent to emerge.


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