Certainly links well with the showing that TJvG made, he may have got a stage win in the Giro but is he a genuine Grand Tour contender? I’m by no means an expert but he’s never impressed me

well the BMC team seem to have a good shot this year so would be a big risk paying over the odds for Froome

slowoldman – Member

On similar lines, see De Gendt has got into a spot of bother over his use of a hypoxic altitude tent.

I thought these were pretty much accepted in sport.

Likewise. In the Sven Nys documentary I’m sure they talk openly about using them?

An altitude tent seems pretty reasonable, its just applying an external stress to your body to get it to adapt to the demands of the event. Its training.

Oh dear. L’Equipe is reporting rumours that Froome is looking to leave Sky and has offered his services to BMC for £5m/yr

Is he out of contract at the end of this season? Trying to get a bit of leverage?

I’d be surprised if he left. Though possibly had enough of the “controversies” surrounding Sky and BC. I can’t see BMC dumping a marketable TVG despite the miss-fires, and I can’t see Porte being too happy about being Froome’s no 2 again.

Wiggo talked openly about using an altitude tent a few years back, I didn’t realise they were frowned upon at all. But not as good as the real thing, you can’t ride up a mountain in one.

Apparently the tents are banned in some countries, didn’t know that. Controversial in other sports too, Djokovic got into trouble over discussing his use of one too I believe (bit ironic considering what else goes on in tennis!)

But not as good as the real thing, you can’t ride up a mountain in one.

Most these days seem to advocate the “sleep high, train low” approach anyway.

re altitude tents, it just shows that cheating is not black and white and there’s a huge grey area where we chose to mark the boundary and its all entirely arbitrary. e.g. The measure of athlete health never comes into it.

Floyd Landis at about an hour in
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYR7bC0hkDA[/video]
with his altitude chamber.

didn’t Boardman have some sort of home-made altitude room in his house when he was riding?

As for Froome leaving Sky, it seems quite probable unless they’ve given him answers in private to the whole Wiggins-paper bag debacle. He’s being asked loads of questions related to BC/Team Sky doping that are nothing really to do with him and I’d imagine after a while it becomes too much.

Can’t say whether or not BMC would make sense but if they let TvG go as seems likely as they supposedly agree about him as a Grand Tour leader, they have a spot for a 2nd GT rider. The fight over who gets the TdF would be interesting though. Maybe he could go to Trek though, Contador can’t be THAT far off retiring.

All that said, Froome says the BMC story is bollocks. Maybe BMC are trying to push down TvG’s salary requirements. They must be paying a lot for Greg van Avermaet as well as Porte.

Can’t say whether or not BMC would make sense but if they let TvG go as seems likely as they supposedly agree about him as a Grand Tour leader, they have a spot for a 2nd GT rider.

Yeah TJ is gone really as a leader with Porte there, sole leader of the team for the main races so I think it will depend on what happens at the TdF this year. Thomas is primed for No1 at Sky next so the shuffle continues. Will it be Contador’s last go?

didn’t Boardman have some sort of home-made altitude room in his house when he was riding?

Pretty sure he did. I also seem to remember a photo of Chris on the turbo in his bathroom with the heating turned right up and a steaming kettle in there too! Was probably a Peter Keen thing as I just found this from him in a Guardian article…

“The bathroom carpet went out, the rectal probe went in, the bike on rollers came down, and the heater was switched to 30 degrees. We’d run the bath and shower and you’d get humidity at 90%. And so Yvonne would start training in my bathroom. We cooked her. After an hour there would be a line of oil and sweat and bike-dirt going up the door, across the ceiling and down the wall because she would have lost two litres of sweat. It was hitting the rollers and being flicked up. That’s what we did. There was no lottery funding or elite programmes then.”

Sounds like Tony Martin did much the same for his TT win in Doha too.

Edit…

Inrng article on tents here. And I rather like Floyd’s home made effort.

I vaguely remember seeing a video of Ben Swift winter training in his sitting room sealed up and turned into a mild vacuum chamber to mimic higher altitude.
One of those year in the life of Team Sky things a while back

Big day at the Dauphine. On the final climb, the Mont du Chat, now (one of the hardest climbs in France apparently.) BMC and AG2R setting the pace. De Gendt out the back.

Edit.. ooh Valverde attacks and looks like he means business. Bid for Tour top spot in Movistar? Interesting stuff.

Good lord this is some heart in mouth descending!

Exciting isn’t it!

Great stage that.

From inrng…

Mont du Chat in #Dauphine. In 1974 Poulidor was 1st to the top using 44×23 gear. L’Equipe says Ag2r’s Vuillermoz to use a 32T on back today

That must have been one hell of a grind to the top 😯

Porte is looking very strong for a little fella – should’ve had that sprint

So it’s a clockwise and anti clockwise loop at the same time?

Have we had that before?

I might just take a passing interest in it this year and tune in if there’s a GC shakeup

scaredypants – Member
Porte is looking very strong

should’ve had that sprint

He would’ve if Froome hadn’t got in the way

Looks like Froome wasn’t getting in anyone’s way today.

Raymond Poulidor and 44 x 23 .
His team manager Antonin Magne liked to argue with the riders about gear sizes.
The riders never got to choose the gears that they needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD22WWyfZAo
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD22WWyfZAo[/video]

Ben Swift got hold of some of Valverde’s energy drink? 😯

Froome flying in the Dauphine…

Lol richie porte

Froome flying in the Dauphine…

……..and then not!

Pulling a bluff do you think?

Froomes in a dilemma here! 🙂

Crikey what a stage that was.

scaredypants – Member
Porte is looking very strong

…but I’m tipping Fuglsang

😳

Certainly quite a final stage.
We could have an exciting TDF ahead.

Just caught up with the highlights before work. Porte seemed a bit over the top slating (I assume) froome for wanting porte to loose rather than trying to win – or was there more drama not in the highlights package (started about 40km from finish).

I think Porte is wrong, Froome wanted to win but ended up handing it on a plate to Fuglsang as he didn’t have the legs to finish what he (and sky) started.

I think he was more on about everyone having a pop even those who had no chance of winning realistically but couldn’t be allowed to get too clear.

Him and Froome probably know each other inside out tactically but just not quite where the other one is this year yet. Given the showing it could be a little more mind games as he is a serious contender this year.

What Klunk said. Froome did say afterwards that he wasn’t bothered about protecting his podium place and wanted the win.

Yeah exactly – that’s what I took as well. Froome had a gameplan – the only way he could possibly win would be to lose Porte early on and get him isolated, and he did that perfectly. He just didn’t have the legs on the last climb to take it home.

It was a very strong ride from Porte to get back into contention though. Is he really a big tour GC contender? I don’t see it, but he’s certainly made some inroads. It was interesting that he almost managed to sound bitter in the post-ride interview. Something like “I won’t forget this in July” 😀

What do we make of this in terms of Froome’s chances in the tour though? Obviously this was an 8 day race, not a full Grand Tour. Maybe he was bluffing on the last climb? Sacrifice the Criterium to improve his TdF chances? Seems unlikely given that he’s won the CdD in the past as a signal of his intent to take the TdF.

Yeah that was my thoughts as well. I imagine Porte was kind of caught up in the disppointment of missing out on winning by such a narrow margin.

Re. froome. Did less well in TT than expected, faded on the final climb. So seemingly not quite there, he says he’s got stuff to work on, but three weeks to go, including tapering theres not much time for improvement? He will have the sky super team though

how long to the exact route comes out ?

. Is he really a big tour GC contender? I don’t see it, but he’s certainly made some inroads. It was interesting that he almost managed to sound bitter in the post-ride interview. Something like “I won’t forget this in July”

I’d say so, last year was solid with a couple of problems and mistakes along with the motorbike on the climb. He was in there till the end and looks stronger this year.

Re. froome. Did less well in TT than expected, faded on the final climb. So seemingly not quite there, he says he’s got stuff to work on, but three weeks to go, including tapering theres not much time for improvement?

At 3 weeks out it’s entirely possible he came to CdD half gubbed at the end of a training block and all he has to do now is rest/taper.
Although I think he’s just not there this year – which may be great news for Thomas – Landa and Froome make for a strong pair of domestiques!

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