Tour de France 2012 (with SPOILERS)

[raindog]

I'm just miffed by Jalabert and Voekler.

I shouldn't worry about those two, after all they're both a bit weird.

Did you see Gerard Holz with the glue-on Wiggo sideburns? He suddenly shot up in my estimation.

 

[yello]

Yep,

I love the whacky caricatures of Englishness too - because of their corny wrongness!

 

[Peteaud]

Bradley grows and grows in my estimation as every day passes; another great interview on ITV4 highlights show, very humble and hugely aware of the magnitude of what he has done and that he has acheived it due to the support and sacrifices of many people in his life.

Mine too.

 

[PpPete]

Thanks for your take on it raindog. Do you detect any kind of begrudgement? As I've said before, my French isn't good enough to correctly interpret nuance - I hear the words but I'm not always sure how they're meant.



He had a grin on his face, it was said in an endearing way I suspect - it's just the description of "cold' doesn't sound good to me... but that's why I said 'lost in translation.

Have you got any links to the original ?
My French is still just about good enough to pick up nuances

 

[Crackle]

I hope he does - I can't stand the bloke since his theatrical riding in front of Brad last thursday. I saw him in interview for the first time after that stage, and he gave me the creeps. In fact, he reminded me of Virenque who I absolutely detested.

yep, I'm finding it difficult to warm to him. You get the distinct impression he's not really saying what he's thinking.

 

[just jim]

Here's an audio file of Wiggins's's final press conference, which is very good - he's unplugged from the Matrix. Great bit about him getting on a turbo trainer after watching...ah well I won't spoil it.

 

[Noodley]

yep, I'm finding it difficult to warm to him. You get the distinct impression he's not really saying what he's thinking.

Yep, you can just about look at his eyes and see "this is not really what I believe" written in them...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I'm not sure we can say much about Froome's personality based on interviews given in what is probably a state of complete physical and mental exhaustion.

 

[marinyork]

Interesting what other people think. I think Froome interviews amazingly well.

 

[Peteaud]

Interesting what other people think. I think Froome interviews amazingly well.

he comes across well imho

 

[captainhastings]

Froome all ways seemed too make a big thing of looking over his shoulder as if too say look every one I am waiting for wiggins most others just had a discrete look when they needed too

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Froome all ways seemed too make a big thing of looking over his shoulder as if too say look every one I am waiting for wiggins most others just had a discrete look when they needed too

We've already done this, haven't we? Wiggins said at the time that his mental discipline had gone. If you've read interviews with Sky or seen descriptions of their set-up, you'll know that managing Wiggins' moods is a major and ongoing job. Froome knows Wiggins well enough to know that this is his weakness. The fact that he knows what to do and how to respond to get Wiggins back on track is probably one of the reasons he is his right-hand man. Whatever he was doing he was doing for Wiggins not for us, and not for the media. Of course the media always think that anything they see is being done for them...

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Difficult one for sky and the Froome situation, if he genuinely wanted away elsewhere then of course the contract could be bought out and sky could hardly complain really, but then he would be a defininte threat to a repeat win for sky next year (the 100th too !) and in addition he would also have a great deal of 'insider' knowledge on sky's methods and theories etc which he could possibly use to advantage of the new team, whoever they may be.
If he was really unhappy being the second guy as it were then best he be let go as no point in having unhappy members in your team. On the other hand he could be given the lead role in the Vuelta or next years Giro, he may be happy with that.

 

[Peteaud]

Sky are the best team at the moment, he is best staying put.

(my opinion anyway)

 

[Chuffy]

We've already done this, haven't we? Wiggins said at the time that his mental discipline had gone. If you've read interviews with Sky or seen descriptions of their set-up, you'll know that managing Wiggins' moods is a major and ongoing job. Froome knows Wiggins well enough to know that this is his weakness. The fact that he knows what to do and how to respond to get Wiggins back on track is probably one of the reasons he is his right-hand man. Whatever he was doing he was doing for Wiggins not for us, and not for the media. Of course the media always think that anything they see is being done for them...

You only need to look at the dopey (dwarf, not drugs) grin on Wiggy's face in the pictures of the end of that stage - he was in a different world.