While I can understand that people are disappointed that Wiggo won’t be riding, I don’t understand why people are so anti-Froome.
It’s been done to death numerous times but just the whole package of Froome as a person and rider is so hard to connect with or get behind, kind of regardless of nationality I feel. For a whole host of reason I think I’d be more likely to cheer for the personality-devoid Andy Murray playing a sport I couldn’t care less about.
One of the things I really, really like about watching bike racing is that I can pick and choose who I am rooting for without worrying about what country they’re from. I simply don’t experience it as a nationalistic thing.
I’m not drawn to Froome. Without Wiggins, my next natural choice as “person to feel happy when they do well” would have been Boasson Hagen. He’s ruled out too, so it’ll probably be Thomas Voeckler.
I kind of agree with this. Voeckler is out injured though isn’t he? Shame as I guess it is up to Roland to take up the mantle as intrepid kamikaze attacking Frenchman… and he is as loved in the peleton as Froome is in the UK 😆
More interesting perhaps is to see how other nations settled the “established elder vs in form youth” debate with Valverde throwing his weight around to be Movistar team leader for the TDF 😀 He may be old but he seems to have been eating his beef this season in a last ditch attempt at glory 😆