The (Pro) Retirement thread

[wakemalcolm]

It struck me when reading a fairly profound parting statement from an otherwise unremarkable retiring rider on the transfers thread, that those who have followed the forum advice to swallow their pride and retire probably deserve a thread of their own.....and here it is.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Amazingly, the 40 yr old Chris Froome - one of the earliest recipients of a swallow his pride thread (after Cav, the original) - who seems to be out of contract at the end of the year and who absolutely smashed himself to pieces in a training crash in August (had to be airlifted out), is still not officially on the list. He hasn't scored a UCI point since 2023 and hasn't scored treble figures since 2018, when he grabbed over 2000.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Amazingly, the 40 yr old Chris Froome - one of the earliest recipients of a swallow his pride thread (after Cav, the original) - who seems to be out of contract at the end of the year and who absolutely smashed himself to pieces in a training crash in August (had to be airlifted out), is still not officially on the list. He hasn't scored a UCI point since 2023 and hasn't scored treble figures since 2018, when he grabbed over 2000.

Think he lives his life by the one greater fool creed.
If one exists, he'll maybe not be retire.

 

[Pross]

Amazingly, the 40 yr old Chris Froome - one of the earliest recipients of a swallow his pride thread (after Cav, the original) - who seems to be out of contract at the end of the year and who absolutely smashed himself to pieces in a training crash in August (had to be airlifted out), is still not officially on the list. He hasn't scored a UCI point since 2023 and hasn't scored treble figures since 2018, when he grabbed over 2000.

It must even be well beyond the point where having a former multiple Tour winner on your books is good PR.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Froome confirmed as not riding with the the remains of IPT next year, but no commitment to retirement yet.

Maybe he'll pick up a pro team ride for next year.

 

[rich p]

Should be in the pro-not-retiring thread really... but Oscar Sevilla and Francisco Mancebo carrying on at the ripe old age of 50.
Operacion Puerto shall not weary them...

 

[mrushton]

Froome confirmed as not riding with the the remains of IPT next year, but no commitment to retirement yet.

Maybe he'll pick up a pro team ride for next year.

No one is going to pay him what he is used to (£5 million?). And can he even ride at the level required now? He would be a good ambassador at the TdF like Cav but Cav is v.personable imo, Froome less so.

 

[wakemalcolm]

Should be in the pro-not-retiring thread really... but Oscar Sevilla and Francisco Mancebo carrying on at the ripe old age of 50.
Operacion Puerto shall not weary them...

Turns out you can outride a statute of limitations.

 

[CarbonClem]

Odd situation with Froome. He's not that natural/personable in the first place, but he has also diluted his status the past few years I think. Most of the multiple GT winners and Cav went out in a degree of panache - stage wins, flamboyant attacks etc, but Froomey has just been crawling around, at best, second rate races to justify his contract. With his final crash it must be the worst exit in pro cycling ever for a rider with such a palmares?

 

[mjr]

With his final crash it must be the worst exit in pro cycling ever for a rider with such a palmares?

L*nc* *rmstr*ng definitely exited worse.

 

[M.R.M]

Sagan wasn't great either with the time period coinciding with the Covid period and him contracting the virus 3-4 times. But Froome has definitely been worse.

 

[MadMalx]

More sympathy with Sagan though - gave it good go, realised it wasn’t happening and didn’t (seem to) hang around just for the dollars

 

[Adam4868]

Seven times GT winner Froomey fading into obscurity after finishing his career on 5m a year being a cycle tourist lol.
Tough gig he's had at IPT.......

 

[Gwylan]

Be kind, chaps. He might be a nice neighbour. Maybe he stayed a season or two too long and didn't make enough friends.
But be nice and relieved that you're not in his shoes or saddle.
Also, wonder just who had what out of the 5mio in the total enterprise.

 

[mjr]

More sympathy with Sagan though - gave it good go, realised it wasn’t happening and didn’t (seem to) hang around just for the dollars

The pedal-a-turbo-trainer-to-pay ads are very annoying, though, so he's shoot on his memory there!

He was probably hoping for something amusing and surreal like the one with the shoe stir-fry (was it Bettini?) but his ad's scriptwriters were as subtle as a punch in the face.