Giro d'Italia / Tour de France Cycling thread 2013

[SteveN]

Cav was never going to catch up but he did seem to hit a pothole just before

His lead out team was outmuscled by Kittel's and Greipel's.  Too far back when they swept round.

Thomas and Kennaugh might be GC contenders in years to come. Froome again for 2014.

[Dave Cooper please]

They will surely just go with Froome again? He's head and shoulders above anyone else at the moment so if he's fit Sky will pick him.
Porte will win plenty of races but he's not in Froome's class going up the mountains and he will always lose a bit in the time trials.
Quintana is the threat next year, he looks a real talent.

[johnboy]

Can't see anyone beating Froome for the next couple of years. Still looking forward to next years TDF and Uk start

[olaftab]

Yes all very good this year and last year.
By the way when do we find out if these guys are reasonably "clean"?

[Ron Manager]

Froome deserves it. he deserved it last year also when he was clearly better than Wiggins.

I agree with this. Froome's a superb competitor, pity he's not British. He's about as British as Zola Budd Im afraid.

[paul_e]

Froome deserves it. he deserved it last year also when he was clearly better than Wiggins.

I agree with this. Froome's a superb competitor, pity he's not British. He's about as British as Zola Budd Im afraid.

Isn't his father British and raised him as British.  I'm fairly sure I've seen something where he said he's always considered himself British even when he was racing for Kenya.

[Dave Cooper please]

Yes all very good this year and last year.
By the way when do we find out if these guys are reasonably "clean"?

Froome and Sky are the most tested team in the peleton, if he's using then it's something they haven't got a test for.

Froome deserves it. he deserved it last year also when he was clearly better than Wiggins.

I agree with this. Froome's a superb competitor, pity he's not British. He's about as British as Zola Budd Im afraid.

His Dad is English, born in Gloucestershire, he represented England at hockey. By saying Froome is not British you are basically saying that anyone born abroad to an ex-pat family isn't British either.

[Meanwood Villa]

My partner refuses to believe Wiggins or Froome are clean, or Usain Bolt for that matter. My own view is while it may be proved years down the line that she's right it ruins the spectacle in the present to assume that athletes can't achieve amazing things without chemical assistance. If you don't celebrate them now then when do you? In 20 or 30 years it wouldn't quite be the same.
Aside from all that congratulations to Froome, brilliant win and thoroughly deserved. He's clearly the best all round rider in the race. He owes Richie Porte a pint or two, or whatever cyclists drink, just as Wiggins owed him last year. If Quintana can improve his time trialling I think he'll surpass him but it's Froome's title to lose next year.

[Jon Crofts]

Yes all very good this year and last year.
By the way when do we find out if these guys are reasonably "clean"?

Froome and Sky are the most tested team in the peleton, if he's using then it's something they haven't got a test for.

Froome deserves it. he deserved it last year also when he was clearly better than Wiggins.

I agree with this. Froome's a superb competitor, pity he's not British. He's about as British as Zola Budd Im afraid.

His Dad is English, born in Gloucestershire, he represented England at hockey. By saying Froome is not British you are basically saying that anyone born abroad to an ex-pat family isn't British either.

Did you see the piece Eurosport did on Froome re his childhood & upbringing in Africa?  He even had an Afrikaans twang to his accent so it's understandable people view his nationality with a a little suspicion to be fair.
He desperately needs a personality implant.

[Yossarian]

Yes all very good this year and last year.
By the way when do we find out if these guys are reasonably "clean"?

Froome and Sky are the most tested team in the peleton, if he's using then it's something they haven't got a test for.

Froome deserves it. he deserved it last year also when he was clearly better than Wiggins.

I agree with this. Froome's a superb competitor, pity he's not British. He's about as British as Zola Budd Im afraid.

His Dad is English, born in Gloucestershire, he represented England at hockey. By saying Froome is not British you are basically saying that anyone born abroad to an ex-pat family isn't British either.

Did you see the piece Eurosport did on Froome re his childhood & upbringing in Africa?  He even had an Afrikaans twang to his accent so it's understandable people view his nationality with a a little suspicion to be fair.
He desperately needs a personality implant.

Wiggins is a much more likeable (and marektable) than Froome.

As for nationality, I wonder what Norman Tebbit thinks. It is a bit like his test but in reverse.

[Jon Crofts]

First casualty at BMC this morning, John Lelangue leaves BMC Racing.

[olaftab]

My partner refuses to believe Wiggins or Froome are clean, or Usain Bolt for that matter.

I am with her/him. I think UB will follow where others have ended up!

[lovejoy]

My partner refuses to believe Wiggins or Froome are clean, or Usain Bolt for that matter.

I am with her/him. I think UB will follow where others have ended up!

Please post your evidence for this as I'd love to read it.

[Dave Cooper please]

My partner refuses to believe Wiggins or Froome are clean, or Usain Bolt for that matter.

I am with her/him. I think UB will follow where others have ended up!

I think you are wrong. Usain Bolt, for instance, hasn't done anything which his times from childhood didn;t hint at, he really is just a freak of nature! Okay so his parents might have been drugging him up since he was six but he was running incredibly fast from a very young age.

 Sky have released their training and performance stats to the press (which the press can't publish for obvious reasons) to show that Froome's performance is down to incredibly detailed and rigourous training. People have pointed to his burst of speed up Mount Ventoux as proof that he must be on something, but in training he rode up that same mountain dozens of times at race speeds and practiced the kick near the top over and over again. Plus he got a (totally legal) assist by riding behind a motorbike for a couple of hundred yards!

[SteveN]

Cyclists are probably tested more times than any other sportsmen, particularly those at the top.

I don't have the numbers at hand but Froome, Wiggins & Cavendish are all included in the most tested category.  I genuinly believe that all three, and all the main players, are clean and go along with Wiggin's outburst at the last Tour.

Probably with the French media it is just a reluctance to accept British domination.