Analysis of the first 9 days of the Tour de France **SPOILERS**

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OP
OP
brommers

brommers

Years beyond my wisdom
Location
Clacton-on-Sea
One regretful comment and everyone's ganging up on me. :sad:
 

Buddfox

Veteran
Location
London
It kind of seems obvious to say it but just looking down the start times for today's stage and the significance of it finally hit me, but Adam Yates is still second on GC approaching the end of the second week. It's fantastic but also very well deserved. Delighted for him and the success of British Cycling. Hope he makes it to the finish with similar success.
 
It kind of seems obvious to say it but just looking down the start times for today's stage and the significance of it finally hit me, but Adam Yates is still second on GC approaching the end of the second week. It's fantastic but also very well deserved. Delighted for him and the success of British Cycling. Hope he makes it to the finish with similar success.
Just to clarify, Adam Yates might be a cyclist and be British but he ain't a "British Cycling" success story; he learned his road cycling in France in the amateur ranks. Likewise Froome is not a "British Cycling" success story. Capitalisation is all important... ;)
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
True but wasn't Froome a bit cack when he was plain ole Kenyan Chris at Barloworld. It was only when he changed his mind and decided to be British Froomedawg that he was magically transformed. Although whether that was Sky or BC I don't know as I can't tell the difference much of the time.
 

Hont

Guru
Location
Bromsgrove
True but wasn't Froome a bit cack when he was plain ole Kenyan Chris at Barloworld. It was only when he changed his mind and decided to be British Froomedawg that he was magically transformed. Although whether that was Sky or BC I don't know as I can't tell the difference much of the time.
It was Sky. Froome has never represented British Cycling outside of the Road events.

Actually can you imagine Froome on the track? ^_^:stop:
 
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smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
True but wasn't Froome a bit cack when he was plain ole Kenyan Chris at Barloworld. It was only when he changed his mind and decided to be British Froomedawg that he was magically transformed.

I thought it was more a case of Peter Keen spotting him at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and calling him in for testing when they realised he qualified to be a Brit. So BC can take a bit of credit.

Geraint Thomas rode for Barloworld too - both made their debut at the 2007 Tour, iirc. Hardly fair to call a 20yo neo pro on a second-rate continental team 'a bit cack'! And I think Froome was officially British by then as well.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I thought it was more a case of Peter Keen spotting him at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and calling him in for testing when they realised he qualified to be a Brit. So BC can take a bit of credit.

Geraint Thomas rode for Barloworld too - both made their debut at the 2007 Tour, iirc. Hardly fair to call a 20yo neo pro on a second-rate continental team 'a bit cack'! And I think Froome was officially British by then as well.
Fair enough. All my posts come with a "this is probably cobblers" disclaimer. The kernel of it was that I thought BC may have been involved in Froome's Brentry and development. Which may only have been partial cobblers.

I still don't like sportsmen (and women) who swap nationalities. "A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience" and all that.
 

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
The kernel of it was that I thought BC may have been involved in Froome's Brentry and development. Which may only have been partial cobblers.

Yeah, I was agreeing with you - it was Peter Keen (BC) who spotted him and brought him into the fold. He was never going to be part of the track team but he was always a good fit for Sky. With his background, it's all the more incredible that he made it at all. If he hadn't wangled his way into the Kenyan team for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, we'd probably still never have heard of him.

I still don't like sportsmen (and women) who swap nationalities. "A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience" and all that.

Meh. Nationality is so overrated. The only useful purpose it serves in sport is to provide arbitrary lines of division for regional governing bodies. The first allegiance of pro cyclists is usually to their team over their country anyway.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
Meh. Nationality is so overrated. The only useful purpose it serves in sport is to provide arbitrary lines of division for regional governing bodies. The first allegiance of pro cyclists is usually to their team over their country anyway.
That's true. My attitudes in that area stem mainly from following rugby. One of the things I like about cycling is that its comparatively un nationalistic
 
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