seau grateau

The tour is boring because it's a boring race, not because of Chris Froome.

Wildwood 

The Tour is boring because of the disparity in dollars spent on Team personnel. Sky & Ineos are annually spending vastly more than Quick-Step + partner, or DimensionData, SunWeb, etc.

Remember when the NY Yankees won so many World Series. Best players.

It was boring during the 'Armstrong administration' for a different reason of disparity.


Froomy's bad 'luck' sure makes G.Thomas' job a lot simpler.

noodle soup

I'm sorry you watch only 1 race per year, but I was following the Criterium du Dauphine, and I don't care to see some results/news about the race here.

I'm not looking to execute the OP, but I hope he's a little more careful in the future.

BTW, I'm looking forward to the TdF more than ever now.

Wildwood 

Personally, I would say your definition of a Spoiler is a bit broad.


Sam Bennett (Bora) may not get called up for TdF. Is that a spoiler? Froomy news isn't always a spoiler.

Agree the TdF may be more exciting, but I wanted to see Team dynamics of the leadership split between former winners.

seau grateau

Didn't happen in the race = not a race spoiler.

DaveLeeNC

100% agree that this is NOT a spoiler. A spoiler is about watching the race but knowing the outcome before the end, so the excitement factor is gone. In this case the Froome thing was known before the race even started. If you want zero information about what happens between the end of stage n and the beginning of stage n+1, you need to lock yourself in a closet with no electronics or internet. This isn't even close to being a spoiler and there certainly is nothing "to be careful about" here.

dave

noodle soup

Personally, I'd say I don't care what you think.

I was following the Dauphine, and the OP let out some major news by posting this.

Rogerogeroge

IfFroome got busted for child molestation and immediately kicked out of the Dauphine, would that be a spoiler as well?

seau grateau

You were following the Dauphine and you're upset that you learned information about it?

noodle soup

noodle soup

..

Rogerogeroge

No, I'm not trolling. As someone else said, if it didn't happen during the race, then it's not a spoiler. Both examples use an event that happened before the actual stage. I suppose instead of child molestation I could have said inappropriate sexual behavior (or some other offense that gets immediate action) - I think if it was shoplifting he wouldn't have been immediately kicked out of the race and my message wouldn't have the desired delivery. Peace out.

MinnMan

Your assumptions about my race-watching are incorrect and arrogant. If you care to, you can search my posts on the Professional Cycling for the Fans forum and see for yourself.

The news was not about a race result. When the stage began this morning, everybody already knew that Froome was out.

If you were days behind and hadn't yet watched the early stages, you might have been disappointed by a spoiler. OTOH, because you are such an aficionado, you actually already knew that all the previous stages were for the sprinters or the breakaways, and nothing had yet happened that mattered for the GC.

Teamprovicycle

you really have to be invested in watching cycling to get mad over riders ?

Homebrew01

Added "News" to title.

Moved from road.

bogydave

Guys like Froome don’t wreck on recon rides
.....
Maybe ...... justice ..... administered by the
“Cycling gods “. ???

znomit

That's a side effect of salbuterol.

Steve C

Wow, a professional cyclist gets seriously injured with a broken femur, elbow, and ribs, and most of this thread is about how much more the TdeF will be enjoyed, and whether or not the thread was a spoiler.

Not much in the way of hoping that he makes a full recovery, or even thoughts for his family.

And I hope that he does make a full recovery, and know how much this must be worrying for his family.

canklecat

Froome crashed at least twice in 2018, that I can recall, if we don't count getting knocked off his bike by a cop or security guard. He crashed in a recon for the time trial route at the Giro, then came back to win. And crashed in stage one of the TdF. Seems like there were a couple more crashes last year, during training or recons.

It happens. Usually minor injuries. LeMond crashed several times, particularly in time trials. He usually managed to rebound.

I'm inclined to say the most daring racers are the most likely to crash. They're pushing the limits of tire adhesion, rolling really close to the barriers, trying to make every second and inch count.

But Froome in particular has always struck me as awkward looking, like a human-pterodactyl hybrid that swooped out of the sky, stole someone's bike and decided to race. He takes incredible chances riding the top tube on downhills. And his balance looks off on tight, fast turns, possibly because he's unusually tall and thin with gangly, gawky posture.

His gift is that incredible engine and ability to endure at a ridiculously light weight for his height. If grand tours were nothing but climbs he'd probably never crash, or at least not be seriously injured since the speeds are relatively slower.

Anyway, I agree that Froome and Sky/Ineos tactics are a bit boring, but it's a business and they do it well. At least it gives other riders a shot at winning stages. Remember that during Merckx's peak he was criticized for not only dominating entire races, but not even yielding stage wins some seasons.

I used to think only the French hate winners (they didn't like Anquetil, Merckx or Hinault when they won too often), but it seems any cyclist who dominates the TdF will draw the ire of some fans, regardless of style and tactics.

There's a great scene in a 1970s documentary with other cyclists taking on the role of media reporters interviewing Merckx, and playfully asking Merckx if he'd please consider not winning every single stage and maybe leaving a few crumbs for other cyclists. Merckx just shrugged and said something like "I don't care what you think. It doesn't concern me." There may be some idiomatic expressions or nuances lost in translation, but it seemed to pretty accurately reflect Merckx's character, and that of most dominant athletes.

hobbs1951

Froome despite his palmares, has a poor record with regard to his bike handling skills - his races/career punctuated with near misses and crashes. This latest and very serious crash* my well mark the end of his Grand Tour ambitions, and maybe his Grand Tour career.

You have to ask yourself - taking both hands off the 'bars in blustery conditions on a TT bike at speed - and why didn't his wing man hold the 'bar ?

Time is not on his side either, I very doubt he'll win another Grand Tour.

John.

*the injuries are very serious.

Rajflyboy

I want to see Froome in the TDF so I can watch him get beat straight up

and not by his punk teammate on the rich kid team

MyTi

Not a froome fan but it does take away from the race with him not being there. I know he cheats with PEDS and all but they all do so who cares.

eja_ bottecchia

I am not so much opposed to Froome as I am opposed to his former team and its approach to the Grand Tours. Highly successful but also highly boring.

Get well Froome because in spite of all the criticism, you are still a talented rider and tough competitor.

OBoile

Armstrong was also a giant dick who ruined peoples lives for simply telling the truth about him. Cheating was one of the least bad things Armstrong did in his career.

OBoile

Yeah. I'm not seeing the benefit of having someone else practice the course for you.