What next for Froome?

[400bhp]

How so? The Tour de France is the most historically significant race in the sport, after all.

What do you think they should be doing differently to show their respect for history? And would it compromise their objective of winning races in the present?

Putting an honest effort into the other GT races.

Putting an honest effort into the Monuments

And I know that they put some effort into the Monuments, I just feel that the TDF is given too much credence by Sky.

 

[400bhp]

Oh come on, you can't expect a team to start losing on purpose, surely?

It's not about losing on purpose

I have expressed an observation about Sky. It is up to them, given the current way cycling works, what they do with their time and money.

 

[smutchin]

Putting an honest effort into the other GT races.

2nd and 3rd place in the Vuelta in 2011, 4th place in 2012 and 2nd place in 2013 don't count as 'honest effort'?

2nd place in the Giro in 2013 doesn't count as 'honest effort'?

Putting an honest effort into the Monuments

Wout Poels winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Ian Stannard coming 3rd in Paris-Roubaix don't count as 'honest effort'?

[ETA: and not forgetting Swift's 2nd in Milan-Sanremo]

 

[400bhp]

2nd and 3rd place in the Vuelta in 2011, 4th place in 2012 and 2nd place in 2013 don't count as 'honest effort'?



Wout Poels winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Ian Stannard coming 3rd in Paris-Roubaix don't count as 'honest effort'?

No

 

[smutchin]

Would you care to elucidate what you do consider to be 'honest effort'? Frankly, the mind boggles.

 

[400bhp]

Would you care to elucidate what you do consider to be 'honest effort'? Frankly, the mind boggles.

Sorry I don't have time for long responses or debates at the moment but compare those minor places with the Tour wins.

And it's a shame you appear to belittle my responses with the "mind boggles" comment, as though my opinion and observation counts for nothing.

 

[Killiekevin]

How can you say 2nd and 3rd are minor places? I think my mind is boggling too

 

[smutchin]

compare those minor places with the Tour wins.

There's more to winning races than just turning up, even if you're Sky.

And it's a shame you appear to belittle my responses with the "mind boggles" comment, as though my opinion and observation counts for nothing.

It's just a different point of view.

 

[smutchin]

How can you say 2nd and 3rd are minor places? I think my mind is boggling too

1st in Liege-Bastogne-Liege definitely isn't a minor place.

 

[hoopdriver]

How can you say 2nd and 3rd are minor places? I think my mind is boggling too

So is mine. That is beyond bizarre.

 

[SWSteve]

Sky do a lot more than just the TdF. Their other results in Grand Tours, let alone their interest in the spring classics in recent years (repeated wins at Omloop Het Newsblad) as well a very strong classics season this year on top of their activity in the Giro/Vuelta should show they understand there's more to cycling that 24 days in July.

What I do understand, is that their commercial sponsors want them to put their name in the most valuable possible place, and that, surely, has to be the top step in Paris. This is all those who don't follow bike racing will know and understand. Let's not forget the bus, jerseys, hats, and flags are all pieces of an advert for a subscription based television service.

 

[SWSteve]

^that could have done with a copy editor. But the sentiment sticks

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

That Usain Bolt's dominance is killing off the 100m and 200m, I reckon he should concentrate on 10,000m and the marathon.

Or is he forcing the competition to up their game...? If Sky do something new, you can be sure all the GC contenders will be looking very hard at what it is that they're doing.

 

[smutchin]

their activity in the Giro/Vuelta

On the Giro in particular, for the last two years they have entered genuine contenders with strong teams behind them. It shows that they are growing as a team and expanding their horizons. It's just a shame that Porte completely bottled it last year and Landa fell ill this year.

Probably the only team that sent its A-list rider to the Giro this year was Astana, and there are all sorts of reasons for that. Who was BMC's GC contender at the Giro this year? It seems they would rather send two team leaders to the Tour and none to the Giro.

What I do understand, is that their commercial sponsors want them to put their name in the most valuable possible place, and that, surely, has to be the top step in Paris.

Quite.

 

[brommers]

If Sky do something new, you can be sure all the GC contenders will be looking very hard at what it is that they're doing.

Tom Dumoulin is going to wear a brace on his arm in the Olympics. If this injury had happened to Froome, you can bet that Brailsford's technical team would have been working on an aerodynamic one - in fact two, one on each arm, for marginal gains.