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Anyone watching the US Pro Challenge?
 

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LeeW
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 453
Location: near Baltimore, MD

8/24/13 7:06 AM

Anyone watching the US Pro Challenge?

Frankly, I am amazed at the poor performance of Chris Froome and his team. In yesterdays short uphill TT, CF was 3 min back on a 25-min race. For the Tour, he is 38 min back.

The announcing teams are making excuses for him saying that he did not come over early enough to acclimate to altitude (having arrived in CO on the Wed prior to a race start the following Mon). They are also saying he's been tied up with pr-related events too much.

Whaaaat?
3-4 weeks off the best form in his life where he demolished the best climbers and TTists in the world and he has gotten that far out of shape??? During the TdF, the press loved to remind everyone how CF was born and trained in Kenya and how that gave him a tremendous advantage in high mtn stages. Heck, the first stage of US Pro was a shortish one mostly ridden between 7000-8500 ft amsl and CF was dropped unmercifully on that one and has lost time ever since. Except for Independence and Hoosier passes, much of the race route has been at altitudes not a great amount higher that the highest passes in the Alps.

What gives here?
Lack of motivation?
relapse of medical condition?
off the juice?

Any opinions?

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henoch
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 1690

8/24/13 8:27 AM

I have been watching it.
In all honesty for the American riders it is a very big and important race, for most of the euro pros (jens voigt aside) it's really more of a riding vacation then a race, it really doesn't mean anything to a guy like Froom.

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Brian Kelly
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 653
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

8/24/13 8:49 AM

not leaders for this race

Froome and Porte was tapped to be support for this race, with Kanstantin Sitsiou and neo pro Joey Dombrowski picked for GC. Dombrowski suffered a series of nosebleeds and the team doc wouldn't let him start earlier in the week. I think Froome and Porte are just taking it easy and just using the race to get some miles back in there legs.

I'm curious to see what Lachlan Morton is able to do next year. Hopefully there will be some more european racing on his schedule.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

8/24/13 11:25 AM

Yes, and agree Froome et al shaking legs out...

TJVG OTOH....

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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson

8/24/13 1:06 PM

I guess he doesn't want to ride, probably didn't want to get on the plane, but was forced by team or sponsor commitments.

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

8/25/13 9:25 PM

Have you ever ridden at altitude, Lee?

If not, you have no idea of how severe the effects can be and the altitudes in Colorado are extreme by cycling standards. We spent a week last year riding in Utah at between 6000' and 9000' I can personally attest to how debilitating it can be. Having been to Leadville and Cottonwood pass, I also can vouch for what Axel Merckx said that even when driving at altitudes approaching 12,000' one can feel the effects. It takes weeks to fully acclimate and when someone like Froome has no acclimation time and no real motivation to suffer enough to be competitive, it's not all surprising that he was nothing more than an also-ran.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

8/26/13 12:50 AM

Damn, I DVRed it for an extra 20 minutes, but before the stage was over it went to car racing...

And I see no replay of it in the guide either...

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LeeW
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 453
Location: near Baltimore, MD

8/26/13 5:31 AM

Sorry Brian...

I have ridden, hiked, skied, and run extensively at altitude. I have done many week-long+ bike tours in CO, WY, and the mountains of New Mexico and often go running before or after a day of skiing at Rocky Mtn resorts that I visit annually. All of that is in my 40s and 50s.

My point is that this guy at his prime demolished the best climbers and TTists in the world only 3 weeks before, including stages in the high Alps. Now, he's apparently just going through the motions cuz his team sent him over there for some PR... seems to be the consensus. I guess the public appearance circuit kept him too busy to take it seriously.

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

8/26/13 5:33 AM

Yes, NBC Sports truly sucks

They did the same thing two days in a row. Linda was able to get it by setting her DVR to record "Cycling" programs.

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LeeW
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 453
Location: near Baltimore, MD

8/26/13 5:36 AM

NBC

Sparky, NBC switched the cycling coverage from NBC sports to regular NBC with about 1 hr to go in the Denver crit and resumed auto racing on NBC sports.

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