VeloBalls

Bike reviews and cycling news that BITES

Froome

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Contador Shrugs Off Second Place Finish

Two highly-decorated racers who would most likely play an important key in the final standings, battled at the end of the opening time trial at Criterium du Dauphine. Alberto Contador finished eight seconds behind Chris Froome, but saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s okay. For me the last part was very hard with a very strong headwind.”

And that headwind influenced the outcome of this first test. Both Froome and Contador sat behind the pack at the start. Froome ultimately brought up the rear at the end of the start ramp. Nature took course and the headwind started to affect the cyclists. Bob Jungels* took advantage of this and looked to breeze into a shocking victory. But, reality set in and our eyes turned to Contador and Froome making their mark on this trial. After 4.4km, they raced only a second apart.

The headwind was in full force during the descent and Froome found himself gaining seven more seconds. Other racers started to fall behind due to the conditions of the track. Blame it on inexperience, but the ability to adapt is what separates the best for the rest of the pack. And one of the sport’s best sped past Contador during his brief lead near the end of the stage. Contador was not deterred.

“I put in a small test on the climb and the feelings were good and I’m happy. You had to pay attention and not take risks on the descent of the climb because there was oil in the road but overall I feel good and I’m happy with the results.”

Contador’s time trial performance has progressed, but is lacking from the monstrous numbers he put up in 2009. Is he worried about it?

No.

In other words, as we say in America:

“Ain’t no thang, but a chicken wang..”

 

 

 

*clear contender for coolest pro-cyclist name ever.

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The Battle of Words Between Two Sirs

Do you feel a draft? It’s getting quite frosty on Team Sky. Not only are Chris Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins having a tiff, but now a battle of he say/she say has started between Wiggins and Sir David Brailsford. And it’s never a good idea to argue with one’s employer. Wiggins claims he was left off the Team Sky’s Tour de France roster, but Brailsford stated no such decision was made…yet.

“At Team Sky we have a set way of doing things. You analyse the demands of the event and you figure out how you think you can win this event.”

He continued.

“So you picture who do you think has the right attitude – you’re spending three and a half weeks, four weeks in a bus, so you need a tight-knit group. You need trust, you need camaraderie. You need all that in a team to go and compete in this race.”

The problem is I don’t think the terms “right attitude”, “tight-knit”, “trust”, and “camaraderie” would fit into the equation if Wiggins was included on this roster. The relationship between Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins has been well-documented and resembles more of a cat/dog relationship. Plus, former teammates have claimed that Sir Bradley Wiggins is not the easiest person to work with.

This aspect, of course, will come into discussion when the final roster is set.

“It’s not just about Chris and Brad, it’s about the whole group dynamic.” He goes on to say, “That all comes into consideration so it’s just not about two people and if there is any friction.”

But, in my humble opinion, the break-up seems inevitable. And the discussion would mirror the “talk” I had in my last relationship.

“Look, it’s not you…it’s me.”

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Wiggins Wigged Out

The proverbial hammer has been dropped. Sir Bradley Wiggins has officially been omitted from Team Sky’s lineup for the cycling world’s biggest prize, the Tour de France. And it was not a mutual break-up:

“I am gutted. I feel I am in the form I was in two years ago. Now if I want to the Tour again, the reality is that I might have to go elsewhere.”

Wiggins sounded more like a jilted ex-lover who was not invited to the high school prom than a man who was victorious in 2012’s edition of the Tour de France. Besides, he has other races to worry about. But what puts the cherry on top of this scandalous sundae is that his BFF Chris Froome predicted this moment. And there is no love lost between the two:

“The team is focused around Chris Froome.” Aww, do I see the green monster? Jealous are we? Didn’t your mother teach you to share when you were little Sir Bradley? Now be a good boy, and watch the race on TV like the rest of us. Despite the bleak outlook, Wiggins has the tiniest glimmer of hope.

“If he crashes, there’d still be a chance I could come into the team. As it stand, all being well, Chris staying fit and healthy that’s the team that’ll roll out.”

That scares me just a tad. Did Wiggins just incriminate himself? Is he going to pull off a Tonya Harding on innocent ol’ Froome? Chris, if you are reading this, please hire more security. Use the buddy system when you use the bathroom. Hold hands with someone when you cross the street. There is nothing worse than a woman scorned or in this case a former Tour de France champ whose feelings are really hurt.