Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[thehistorymakers]

Froome had a chest infection in the last week apparently.

If he did have a chest infection, it is incredible how he performed in the last week.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

He was hanging on.

 

[Wombat del combate]

I wouldn't believe for a second that Froome and Sky thought that they'd take it easy in the last week, anyone would think it crazy given all it needs is a mechanical or an incident on a descent a la Thomas to screw things up. And if that was the case why were they dispatched with such ease by Movistar if they had something in the tank?

Anyway, if Froome did have a chest infection (first I've read of it and dare I say a little convenient too; in interview he didn't seem to be suffering at all) I hope he got his TUE signed off rather than running the risk of being caught puffing away on a rogue inhaler as he was last year...

 

[nimrod]

If he did have a chest infection, it is incredible how he performed in the last week.

He was hanging on.

lol. nicely swept pad.

 

[nimrod]

So, now we wait for Froome to submit himself to the physiological tests he promised recently and thereon their results. I don't think he is a doper unless Sky have committed to a programme that makes Armstrong's efforts look like the equivalent of popping into Boots and grabbing a handful of Pro Plus. I appreciated Donegal's post about the marginal gains that don't seem to be being matched but I think this tour has shown that although their team is strong Sky aren't crushing everybody in sight, and perhaps it is as simple as that, they have a great deal of strength in depth and the domestiques will happily (or are contractually obliged to) bury themselves for Froome.

can’t see it changing views now, i think they’ve left it too late for ‘transparency’. can a test today deal with the past improvement? that’s when they needed to nail it - sky's responsibility. it’s a shame for froomey but he seems pretty level headed about it. the scepticism isn't a new thing, even if the outcome of it (spitting etc) is dreadful. i seem to recall wiggins having the drugs/improvement question every day in 2012 and cycling forums that i’ve seen still bang on about him. he lost his temper a few times didn’t he?

rather than this being a black and white issue, outside of blood doping i consider all the teams different shades of grey. you don’t hire doctors like leinders to prescribe aspirin for a headache. it’s all about reducing weight, maintaining/increasing power, recovery and endurance. the idea they can achieve all of this naturally seems naïve to me. they’ll surely be using various treatments in conjunction with their training programmes - whatever 'means possible' that keeps them the right side of the fence. the problem with full ‘transparency’ is that the public’s concept of ‘clean’ might not align with what exactly goes on, and it’s not a sport that’s ever going to get away with the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

double post

(no need to read the bollocks I put up twice)

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Good post, I think that sums up things fairly well.

They have lost the PR battle outside of the UK, when you come in as big and as brash as they did whilst claiming full transparency and winning things clean (could be taken to infer everyone else who wins is a cheat) then when you are not whiter then white, people will quickly jump on you, I would say that's even before Froome is added to the mix.

Second paragraph I would agree is probably the scenario they are in now, which is why I think the marginal gains is a sideshow, there is something going on with weight, for instance I have seen people estimate Froome has lost upto 10kgs in the last few years (google pictures of Froome at Barloworld and compare), how they did that and ramp up the power at the same time is the grey area.

 

[Knockout Ned]

Clean doesn't necessarily mean 'bread & water'.

1600mg limit for salbutamol inhalers without TUE, half the peloton are suffering exercised-induced asthma these days.

 

[thehistorymakers]

Chris Froome has confirmed he will be competing in la Vuelta de España, starting on the the 22nd of August in Malaga.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I thought it started in Puerto Banus. Isn't that more Marbella than Malaga?

 

[Tredman]

I thought so too, I'm on holiday very close to there next week and was planning to go and watch it go through mijas

 

[Johnny75]

I thought so too, I'm on holiday very close to there next week and was planning to go and watch it go through mijas

Some quality golf courses in that part of the world.

 

[Tredman]

Some quality golf courses in that part of the world.

I don't have the patience for golf any more, get too wound up getting beaten!

 

[Johnny75]

Drink beer whilst playing golf in Spain. Takes the edge right off how shite you're doing by the 14th.

 

[Tredman]

Drink beer whilst in Spain.

This is my plan for the next two weeks

Might squeeze the odd G&T in too

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

There are some absolutely glorious courses around there. Stayed in Estepona a few years ago and loved it.

 

[thehistorymakers]

I thought it started in Puerto Banus. Isn't that more Marbella than Malaga?

Malaga is a town and a province. Malaga is the capital of the province. Puerta Banus is in the province of Malaga, a little like our counties.
I was in Mijas yesterday, work not play. I live in the the next province up from Malaga.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Ah - that explains it nicely THM. Every day is a school day!

 

[thehistorymakers]

La Vuelta is in Cordoba tomorrow.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Belgian rider Kris Boeckmans is in an induced coma after suffering concussion and facial fractures in a crash at the Vuelta a Espana.