CoyDawg

Just saying...he won't be a threat anywhere.
Too bad.

OBoile

While I didn't rule him out completely, I've always been pretty skeptical about his ability to come back after the crash. It's one thing to have a serious injury in your 20s and quite another in your mid 30s. I just think it's really difficult to get your pre-injury form back after missing an extended period at that age. It's not the same sport, but a famous example is Kobe Bryant. He just never was the same after his injury.

aclinjury

in other news, the sky is blue

MinnMan

He got into the breakaway today. That about says it all - he's pack fodder who is no GC threat but can have a good day when he gets into the break.

slcbob

Wouldn't it be a time warp if Cav and Froome both won stages at Grand Tours this year?

ZHVelo

ISU were fools to pay for him, or not, maybe he still brings in advertising revenue despite not winning.

stevel610 

I think it's all about value to the marketplace. He will bring notority to the team because of his past greatness and the chance he'll catch lightning in a bottle and do something big.

vane171

As above, also will bring inspiration to the team, that's the ingredient that goes half to wining. Probably good move for the team even if he doesn't regain his previous form. It is the same in all sports at this level, that returns are hard and not really because of the injury like here, but simply for being away from it for a while, which is more iffy the older one gets.

MinnMan

Not sure how you separate these.

Iride01 

Considering the wreck while trying to blow a snot rocket, I wouldn't expect him to do well for almost all the remainder of this season. But next season he needs to show something is still there.

His bad days are still better than my good days.

indyfabz

And Tiger Woods will never win another Masters. Too soon?

vane171

Well, suppose you get suspended from racing for some abuse, don't even need to be doping even if it usually is. In tennis for example, I remember Hingis returned after being distanced for a year or longer for suspected doping and wasn't the same after that and left the pro tennis some times later, same for this Russian tennis star, what's her name, can't recall it right now. The alleged doping was I think cocaine partying in the first case and asthma treatment or some medication in the second, I think, nothing as outrageous as in cycling history of doping, both probably not an intentional, that is first plan doping.

I don't follow Sagan much but maybe his successes dropped off after being pushed out of TDF that time when he allegedly elbowed the guy in a sprint to the line? But he went to race in some secondary events I believe, still such thing can make a mark on performance. Top of the pro field performance is a finicky balance.

Also, sometimes it happens that you miss a season or two in pro field simply by not finding new team when the team closes door or your contract is not renewed (like was it last year that one team closed the door and all guys had to find a place on another?).. you can race in secondary lower bike races but it may have the effect of cutting your previously successful career.

MinnMan

I guess not

philbob57

...and in the wide, wide world of sports, it's not unknown for a boss to attack a one of his players in the hope of evoking better performance....

MinnMan

They didn't put him on their TdF squad. They've given up on him.

God knows why they signed him at such a large price tag in the first place.

USAZorro

Oleg Tinkoff lit a fire under Sagan that burned for about 9 years.

HeyItsSara

The contract that Chris signed with Sylvan Adams is that the rest of his pro career will be with Israel. He brings a lot to the table in the forms of sponsors, notoriety as well as ability. I am sure that the other riders learned a lot from him. Having said that, I am surprised that Mr Adams spoke so vehemently to the news about value for the dollar. Chris isn't just hired for stage wins and grand tour wins. I'm sure there is more to it than we're told.

MinnMan

We've heard those arguments from the time that he signed with them, and I never found them compelling.

HeyItsSara

i certainly saw Froome on camera during the Tour when he rode. Now they hardly show the Israel team.

Eric F 

Michael Woods won Stage 9 of the current Tour, and is a pretty visible presence.

HeyItsSara

Israel won 2 stages last year yet I only saw Froome here and there on the cameras. Not Hugo and not Simon and rarely any of the other riders.

Eric F 

Froome got some camera time last year until Pidcock blew his doors off on L'Alpe.

MinnMan

They are reportedly paying him $5M/year. For context, that's about twice Van Aert's salary. And how much camera time does Van Aert get?

Froome wasn't worth a fraction of that. They wasted a ton of money on him.

HeyItsSara

I feel like every discussion of him just goes in circles. Sylvan Adams knew it was a crapshoot to hire him.

Jughed

Then why not just put him in the tour? Send him out on some breakaways, up a mountain… get some camera time… people still like him and there would be a buzz/publicity.

And he may even get lucky and catch a stage win.