La Vuelta 2017 **SPOILERS**

[Bonefish Blues]

Good article

 

[Aravis]

Firstly, well done Froome.

It's perhaps worth noting that Hinault chose to make one of his rare visits to the Vuelta when presented with exactly the same opportunity - the consecutive grand slam, if you will. He was successful, and it very likely cost him his fifth Tour, at least for a while.

The one thing Froome's made completely clear is that at least one Giro - at some point - is a very high priority. Not everyone will agree, but the way I'd see it is that N+1+1 is better that (N+1)+1+0 or N+2+0. So on that basis, even without the three consecutive grand tours element, next year's Giro ought to be the number one objective.

Also, I'd imagine that the Giro organisation would absolutely love him to try it next year, so with a bit of discussion a Froome-friendly route should be forthcoming.

 

[Adam4868]

I don't really think he has any weakness as such.We we're told it was his descending,now he's one of the best.Then it was whether he could stay upright....His biggest strength to me is his attitude/mental strength.Never panicks,stays in his own tempo,works as a team.He comes over as Mr nice,but as a racer he's as ruthless as the rest.Steep inclines as in tour and vuelta was a couple of hundred metres,which in the grand scale of the race he could afford it.Not taking anything away from his team,they were unbeatable.
Baring a crash there's not much

 

[rliu]

I think the toils of time and age are the only things Froome's opponents can rely on to stop him, and that can happen quite suddenly. Just look at Contador, he seemed impregnable around 2012-2015 and then the last two years he seemed to have a disastrous day without fail in the GTs and became a stage-win attacker rather than a dominant GC contender.
The likes of Dumoulin, Quintana, Bardet, Landa, Aru etc have the advantage on Froome of being a few years younger, so should have their fair crack at the whip

 

[sleaver]

Just saw one of Sky's videos on Facebook and they are saying that it has only been done three times in the past.

The past was when it was in the spring and only two weeks. So isn't it more of a feat in modern times?

Or is there just no way of comparing it when you bring in equipment, nutrition etc. Into the equation?

Edit - Just watched the video a bit further and they said the greater feat in modern times.

 

[SWSteve]

Out of interest, what would people consider to be Froome friendly or otherwise?

His (or more strictly his and Sky's) only real weakness seems to be extremely steep sections late in big climbs, that don't give him time to winch himself back to the front (eg the airstrip at Peyragudes this year, or the bonkers Muchachos climb the other day). Big climbs and descents he is (along with his teammates) good enough to prevent attackers from getting away, and good enough to punish them if they blow up attacking. ITTs he's very good.

Horrible weather he doesn't seem to like - falling off and breaking his hand in the rain in 2014(?) maybe Muchachos again - but that's hardly under the control of the route designers. I suppose high passes in the Giro are never going to be balmy.

Jerusalem is hot, and he likes the heat

 

[rich p]

he seemed impregnable around 2012-2015

Hardly impregnable. He hasn't won a TdF since 2009 and while a Giro and a couple of Vueltas is not to be sneezed at, he has never been the same since his doping ban.

 

[Aravis]

M. Hinault has the answer to that one in the link above:
“These are different eras, with different riders, different equipment and a different calendar. You should take each achievement for what it is and when it is.”

Indeed. Looking from a modern perspective, it's pretty amazing to see that Giovanni Battaglin's Vuelta/Giro double in 1981 was achieved with a three day gap between them. I don't know much about the Vuelta that year, but the Giro was very competitive. It was one of Hinault's "out" years, so it was at least possible for someone else to win it.

Again, I don't know the full detail, but I think Anquetil's 1963 Vuelta was one of the shortest, if not the shortest, at 15 days and 17 stages, including two split days. Suggesting, as yesterday's highlights programme did, that the Vuelta used to be a two-week event may have been a bit of an exaggeration.

I think what I'm trying to say is that whilst the challenges are certainly different nowadays, there's no reason to believe they used to be easier.

 

[Doseone]

For me, surprises in the race were Kelderman, Zakarin, Woods, Moscon & Aqua Blue. Disappointments were the Yates twins, Bardet, Aru, and Chaves (because I really like him and was hoping he would do better!)

I'm sure there are others but can't think of them off the top of my head.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

When Froome wins a stage race where the stages are all 300km plus, with many at over 400km, then Sky can come back to me with their fluffy pillows and ask me if I think he's done ok.

 

[Adam4868]

When Froome wins a stage race where the stages are all 300km plus, with many at over 400lm, then Sky can come back to me with their fluffy pillows and ask me if I think he's done ok.

Sky set up everything to win the grand tours,and it shows as they have dominated them.Maybe they will set their sights on a few more classic/monument races as they could with the likes of Standard,Kwiatowski,Moscon ? As a outsiders point of view the grand tours are what people know(especially the tour) and the classic/monuments are for the armchair cycling fans.Quickstep springs to mind as a great classic team.But as a endurance athlete/cyclist for me Froome has shown he's the best.We ain't gonna see him in Roubaix any time soon,more chance of Brailsford riding it !

 

[Buddfox]

When Froome wins a stage race where the stages are all 300km plus, with many at over 400lm, then Sky can come back to me with their fluffy pillows and ask me if I think he's done ok.

I've heard this is number one on Dave Brailsford's to-do list.

 

[400bhp]

Froome's weakness appears to be the cold and wet.

And perhaps his ability to ride with a weak team.

However, someof his key strengths is learning from his mistakes and improving his weaknesses. Ie, if a future GT had some flat cobbled Monument type stages in it then he would be ready for them.

It wouldn't surprise me that if Froome wanted to he could change tact to win some of the one dayers.

I think his personal ambitions have to be weighed alongside Sky's ambitions and that's why I don't believe Sky will let him do a Giro whilst he is still not on a downward path career wise.

 

[brommers]

However, someof his key strengths is learning from his mistakes and improving his weaknesses. Ie, if a future GT had some flat cobbled Monument type stages in it then he would be ready for them.

Apparently that's a possibility for next year's TdF.

 

[nickyboy]

Apparently that's a possibility for next year's TdF.

TdF is so much bigger than all the other races from a sponsor's perspective I can't see Sky being happy with a situation where Froome rides the Giro and thus compromises his ability to win the Tour.

Froome riding the Vuelta having ridden the Tour is a no-risk option for them