It’s wet today with some downhill bits he’ll lose time!
He’s not good downhill and needs team members to guide him the wet just makes that even more difficult. Would be nice just to see him have a go at a stage in the mountains on a dry day or a fantastic time trial.
I disagree with that. A fully firing Froome is excellent at descending. He’s an ex mountain biker and has, from memory attacked and stayed away on a descent 3 years or so ago to the point that it upset some French commentators that implied that attacking on descents is simply not cricket!! Similar to cycling via a power output computer, another thing they threw at him. I wouldn’t blame him before being nervous though. Same as Richie Porte looked in the Dauphine recently. He didn’t look right at all going down hill and it’s understandable given the crash he had a few years ago, leading the Tour at the time.
Froome’s biggest problem at the moment is going up hill. The watts and stamina just aren’t there, but I have sympathy given that he only learned to walk 2 years ago. I’ve started to follow his recovery journey. He has a very insightful Youtube channel.
In reality, he is playing domestique this year so I don’t expect him to be there at the end given what domestiques put themselves through on mountain stages but I’ll keep an eye out all the same.
As a side note, I watched this video a short while ago as the Dauphine was underway and it pretty much turned my world upside down on what Domestiques sometimes do. This is Chris Horner on helping Cadel Evans during THAT stage of the 2006 Tour. I remember that stage vividly but was not aware of the impact it had on cycling as a whole along with Chris’s insight into what he did that day. I’m just in awe of it all to be honest.
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Froome was the first person i remember seeing do the super tuck, and I think he got yellow that day, that’s not a move someone who is bad at descending would pull off imo
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You’re right although Sagan was probably playing round with anything and everything regarding body positions on a bike before then.
I could be wrong, but didn’t Froome also attack on a descent in that infamous stage in the Giro where he attacked from over 80km’s out and stayed away to win the GC? I’ll double check that but I’m also pretty sure thatit involved 2 or three climbs and descents and he stayed away for all of them.
Yes I remember that, I still maintain he doesn’t look as comfortable as others descending particularly in the wet. He’s a tall lad and I don’t understand why implying he’s not up with the best would annoy anyone (certainly doesn’t annoy Froome 
)
[quote=“Noo_Noo, post:282, topic:372”]
to the point that it upset some French commentators that implied that attacking on descents is simply not cricket!! [/quote]
No way have you interpreted that correctly. I mean attacking on sownhill sections is classic for many French riders. Perhaps you misinterpreted the tactical discussions over it (which at the time I disagreed with).
The actual section we’re talking about had yery long false flats where Froome is a master.
Whatever, just enjoy! 
The TdF just got surplanted by the Petanque I was about to swear and curse then saw 2 fantastic shots, Wow!
Quintais surplanted by Puccinelli 2 times in a row now.
So Pogacar is on a Ducati and everyone else is on Boris bikes.
This is Armstrong level domination…
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But Ducati it’s not doing as well as Yamaha in MotoGP when it comes to the twisty bits. 
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Was thinking the same thing myself. Or that crazy ride by Floyd Landis, just after which they discovered his massive testosterone infusion. No way the guy is clean, sorry to say.
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Pretty weird that they have testosterone commercials while showing tour de France on NBC sports
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Nice stage in the rain. Big stage tomorrow then a well deserved rest day.
After the crashes the weather seems to make a big difference.
I am always surprised by the lack of collaboration between contenders then again I suppose it’s become completely a team thing now and if your team deserts you it’s a free for all.
A number of riders look like they use it!
Two brutally fast stages, yesterday and today, one hot, the other cold. Seemingly insane riding with another big mountain stage tomorrow.
Some showers tomorrow (not as wet as today) temperatures will start like today but as they climb it will get colder. 18°C to 10°C. Temperature was nice for cycling today but many don’t like the rain (which also brings a chill factor once your wet).
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Immense from Pogacar today but seeing one rider blow up everyone else in that fashion is always going to court some suspicion.
You just hope it’s genuine but history has shown when someone looks too good to believe it’s usually the case that it’s not.
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It’s a real shame we can’t just enjoy the cycling because the sport has been so intertwined with cheating.
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Only question now is whether he can hold on for 2 weeks. I understand Pog is pretty consistent i.e. he’s basically near the top in every race he enters. I daren’t say whether he’s clean or not. My gut says he is and we are seeing a phenomenon. He’s also managed to stay out of the carnage up to now which still winds me up that other GC contenders were basically removed by the crashes.
See how well he rests up for tomorrow. Tomorrow’s route has a top cat climb and a summit finish.
Hmmm
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I’m factoring the weather from now on.
It’s a strange tour. Writing that got me wondering about the effect of all those crashes, I mean look where the peloton was yesterday (way back) there’s a lot of riders just trying to get through this. So I’ll have to factor that in as well. 
It’s exciting, the teams are decimated so it’s becoming like in the old days each man for himself (made easier with ear pieces). It is what the public have wished for all these years.
Today will be tough anyone not at 100% is going to lose time.
I embrace that side now. I see it as a chapter the sport needed to go through. Even when drugs were prevalent the racing was spectacular. Its getting back to that now. Plus how it all unravelled is far better than any TV drama. I’m fascinated by it in some twisted way I guess.
Being honest I’m just in awe of these guys / gals. Spend some time on a bike and compare yourself to these people and to me, its just beyond believable. The numbers, speed, miles, gradients and it’s day after day. Just phenomenal.