Massive respect for the Sky team for how they brought the hammer down to prepare for Froome's attack. Especially Kenny Elissonde, as the last man before Froome's attack, rode his f**king heart out. Massive effort from this talented prospect
2009 - Floyd Landis TDF Stage 17 - was better... ...of course, he was incredibly doped. Hopefully that isn't the case here...but I have my doubts. It just looks too good to be true.
I felt the same, witnessing cycling history. The win itself was impressive, but if you consider the fact that it is for the historic consecutive Grand Tour triple, it just becomes that more epic. If he wins the Giro today, he joins the select club of only 6 riders to have won all three Grand Tours and the even selecter club of just Merckx and Hinault, that have won all 3 in a row, a feat that was widely thought impossible in modern cycling. Even though I don't like Froome, I find it fitting that it took such an epic ride to cement his name as one of cycling's true greats
One of the reasons nobody (not even Yates himself) mentionned, but the commentators picked up on: Mitchelton-Scott was riding full on to reel in the early break away when they passed the feeding zone before the start of the Col delle Finestre, so nobody picked up drinks and supplies. You could see later on when Yates started to crack that he didn't have a single bidon on his bike. That is why I assumed Yates fell victim to what the french call a "fringale", which is tge body shutting down for lack of nutrients to go on. Andy Schleck famously fell victim to this at the Tourmalet in 2008 and ended up losing the TdF
I used to root against Froome in all 4 tour de Frances that he won. But after this, man, he really brought me to his camp. I hope he gets back to 100% and gets him another grand tour win.
I'am a Big Nibali fan..... But yesterday i see one of Greatest day in Cycling!!! And i am very happy that Froome this Attack , 80k to go.... simply Amazing Froome !!! Bravo ;-)
Usually i dont like the riding style of Froome and his team, but hats off to them for blowing up this stage today. Doped or not, thats top class and a joy to watch. Feeling sorry for Yates, but he already won 3 stages
Have you watched more than 5 of them? This wasn't a terribly exciting stage. Mostly just one long attack and not the back and forth that makes stages fun to watch. Yates' stage wins weren't loaded with attacks either. I've seen better from Aru and Nibali
Well at least it's really exiting! there's no need to compare if it's the best. the whole point is the emotion from watching this! Let along this one long attack made him get his pink and make room for tomorrow! of course you're probably right. The back and forth battle from Aru and Nibali was incredible!
CnE some are easily entertained... Everyone knows Froome practically never gets caught if he gets any real gap. You knew what was going to happen as soon as he left his domestique. That's not exciting. That's a foregone conclusion...
solo ride 80km to victory not to mention that he was in the second position taking all the wind before hand, yet still had the energy to make sure Dumoulin doesn't catch up to him the next day. This just proves that Froome was exceptional.
Well done Froomie! You are the best. Please, don't pay any attention to the haters. Followed cycling for 30 years. Never believed Lance. But I know you are clean. It is of course sad to see Simon go, but he impressed everyone and will have many victories in his career.
Pro cyclists have all been asthmatic since forever, if you think that some extra bronchodilation can let you win a stage like this, you don't know what you're talking about
Best comment on this thread. Although i'm a Contador & Nibali fan I totally agree with Alexander Marfin. It's kinda obvious from the psychology of the interviews that Froome is a genuine nice guy. He donated money, equipment & help to the poor youngsters trying to succeed in cycling in Kenya. He's a hard trainer, determined & has all the scientific benefits of T Sky. I suspected Armstrong all along - I felt it suspicious that he only peaked at TdF. I found it strange that he never attempted the other Grand Tours apart from one disastrous outing (was it la Vuelta?)
Amazing how everyone goes straight to doping... he attacked far out yes, team sky are scientific and strategic, Froome said from beginning of the Giro "lets see how I am in the 3rd week", clearly kept reserves in first 2 weeks now Giro has come to him. Hater will hate...
What an attack, brilliant from Froome. The fact that he looked so fresh and left the others for dead is extraordinary but he always rides into Grand Tours and finishes strongly. Don’t really know what to think after today.
Bravo bravo Chris Froome. - he won today by 3 minutes but gained 1 minute 31 seconds on the downhills - for this reason i believe the result. The time trail totally destroyed Yates a few days back remember he cracked on Stage 18 (yesterday). really sad for him - he was living the dream - now the dream is gone. To attack alone with 80k to the finish is unimaginable - Bravo Chris Froome
What a stage wooooow! You have to give it to Team Sky! That's was absolutely amazing to see him make up 3min ahead of number two on the Queen stage ! Frooooome smoked the pelaton but you have to give Kudos to his team for setting up such and attack. Great lead out topped off with a wonderful finish! #giro2018
soon as I saw the profile my first thought was the big middle climb would be where Froome would if he could. I mean, is my math right on this? Over 5550 feet in just over 11 miles? I'm surprised but not shocked. No, ok, I'm shocked...
Any athlete, especially in cycling it seems, that has an incredible race is criticized for doping. It's ridiculous. Chris Froome is one of the hardest working athletes on the planet. He loves this sport and wants to win. He is also one of the most tested athletes on the planet. He is not doping. Why do people want to punish and shame someone/a team that wins a lot? That's a terrible way treat people. Chris deserves to feel the glory of his efforts. Congratulations Froomie!
Are you living under a rock? People don't like Froome precisely because he failed a drugs test, didn't admit fault, and is prolonging his sanction. His ride today, as incredible as it was, doesn't matter because it's going to be deleted when his inevitable ban catches up to him.
You don't crush the opposition on a big climb, then ride alone for 80km and crush the opposition on a subsequent uphill finish without some chemical help. The question of the day is whether or not it was legal doping (through the 'therapeutic use exception') because of his created Asthma (as is common for endurance athletes). When I first saw the highlights, I didn't feel elation at a great, dramatic, performance....I felt the sinking feeling of the same old - my drugs / doctor is better than the other team's drugs / doctor.
These are terrible arguments. That he is "one of the most tested athletes on the planet" is pretty much a word-for-word quote from Armstrong. That didn't make Armstrong less of a cheater, now did it? That he "wants to win" is the case for cheating athletes, too, is it not?
Just goes to show, endurance events are really only about who finishes first at the end. The tortoise (Froome it seems from his placing, and pacing thus far) has beaten the hare. I won’t be surprised if he has another wide margin for the final stage. He’s been storing his energy all race for these last two days, while everyone else is exhausted.
Very interesting stage indeed. I really hope it doesn't repeat the fallout from 2006 Tour de France stage 17 as it's kind of a similar attack and an amazing performance.
This guy(froome) has a very distinctive way of ridding(attacking the mount while sitting),this is why we love cycling,surely the most physical sport on earth👊
Now, I'm not a big fan of Froome because he's boring, formulaic and, let's face it, a plastic Brit. But that was an epic ride, and he deserves the lead. It's such a shame that we can no longer watch the greats of our sport produce history-changing rides without asking ourselves questions over the "reality" behind it. The wounds left by Lance Armstrong clearly have not healed.
Uh, you seem to be conveniently failing to mention the drugs test and laundry list of ridiculous explanations for twice the legal quantity of an anabolic agent Sky and Froome have put forth... It's not like this wanker didn't earn this skepticism.
Everyone dopes, Froome, Armstrong, etc. Cycling had a black eye long before Lance and until there is a reliable testing method, nobody at the top of the sport should be given the benefit of the doubt. The sad matter of fact is you don't average 25 mph over a 2100 mile race with hard work alone.
Froome occasionally isn't boring, I'm thinking of this and also the Pyrenees in the Tour in 2016(He attacked on the descent on Stage 7 or 8 to gain a few seconds, and then got clear with Sagan, Bodnar and Thomas in the crosswinds a couple of days later)
I'm aware he failed a test, but failing a test does not equate to doping. There are a number of factors that can contribute to or cause a failed test, one of which is doping. Whether that was in fact the case has yet to be decided, and I think we should all reserve judgment until it has.
Once again, it does not necessarily equate to cheating. There are numerous things that affect the metabolism of salbutamol. Moreover a recent paper ("Futility of current urine salbutamol doping control") suggests a large volatility in test results even from legal salbutamol use with as many as 15.4% of tests returning a false positive. Perhaps that threshold isn't so generous. I believe Team Sky intend to argue Froome's renal function affected metabolism of the drug. In any case, I will wait as long as it takes; I expect them to carry out an accurate and thorough examination of all of the available facts and that takes time.
I agree with you, the burden of proof is indeed on him and it doesn't look great - but I'm saying we should reserve judgment until we know all the facts. It is not inconceivable that there could be another reason for the adverse result - if anyone is confident enough to say otherwise at this stage then they either know more than all of the experts investigating the case or are simply dishonest. This bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/bcp.13619 was the paper to which I was previously referring (not sure which one you're referring to I'm afraid). In it, the authors discuss how recent reviews have demonstrated that salbutamol has "no positive effects on muscle strength, sprint or endurance performance, and that only high, systemic dosages can improve muscle strength and sprint performance, but not endurance performance" which should cause even to the biggest skeptic to pause for thought, and further that the pharmacokinetics of salbutamol can be highly variable. Granted, it was a simulated model but again, at the very least it provides potential for further consideration. Don't get me wrong, if Froome is found to have doped then I'll be the first to condemn him. But until the jury hangs him, we should refrain from tarring him with that brush.
yes ..2000 nanogram of salbutanol per mililiter in your blood is completely natural. the guy is mobile pharmacy. he shuldnt even been able to start this race.UCI= UNITED CLOWNS INSTITUTE.
Cycling sport should have been the winner of the day, after such an incredible race... Froome did everything right... Dumoulin made one small tactical fault... he should have try and drop on eof the white jersey contenders on the Finestre... then the other one and pinot would have helped out and Froome would never have gotten away... most of the way with Dumoulin riding first they did not loose any time or made some up.... with Reichenbacher, they just loosed a few secconds each turn he took... in the end Froome was just a little stronger then Dumoulin.. but the deficit was so big due trough the perfect execution of the tactical plan.. lets see what today brings, Froome still isnt as strong every day...Dumoulin has had rockstable performances all Giro long... woould be incredible if Dumoulin could turn the tables today yet another time... love cycling, love this race.... to me cycling was the winner of this race..
Congrats to froome! what an amazing attack... by the way, it’s a bit funny how many negative comments are tossed out to him. I’m not even a froome fan but I know that until it’s proven whether he dopes or not, I will assume it was a clean race! great job to him!
Anon Ymous False... you don’t give a shit - and you have every right not to - but many are interested in his opinion. It’s ok to be on either side as there are much bigger scam bags in the world and look how far they go... with the current POTUS the bar is set very low. :)
What a Phenomenal race from Chris Froome. Many will say he is doping but cyclist either gets stronger in a tour or they suffer towards the end. If he was so strong at the begging to now it would've also be a problem. A big thank you goes to his team for the support. #Team_Sky
First Yates was doped and Froome was just so bad because he does not doped anymore. Now Yates cracked and Froome rides an incredible race. Now all of the sudden it is Froome who is doping again... you guys are pathetic!
Chris Froome had a great race. He is NOT doping. He and his team planned the race very strategically and Chris Froome was obviously preparing right (without drugs). He is smart. Very sad to see Simon Yates of the back though.
Don’t know why you haters are surprised that he pulled this off. About 50 riders dropped Yates, not just Froome. Dumoulin has and never will be as good and consistent of a climber than Froome is so it’s just logic that he would put time on Tom during the climbs. And honestly he didn’t had to work that hard, during the descents either. The entire Sky team knew the game plan and jus a reminder, this is 3 weeks of racing, not 1 not 2 not 2.5, so get over it.
If Froome wins the TDF in dominating fashion as well, I will call BS on this line of reasoning. If he was focusing on this race and timed his peak for today, that's one thing. If he is able to do this kind of ride, and then do it all again in a month's time? No. Not possible without significant chemical help on recovery. The sad thing is we WANT to believe it was clean...but it looks too good to be true, and recent history in the sport leads to a certain cynicality when dealing with performances of this type. Relax...it will blow over and nothing much will be done even if it was doping.
Hey, all Pino, Lopez and Carrabarry did was suck Tom's wheel until Tom got tired and had to ease off the pace to protect his 2nd place position!!! How do you expect these jokers to win if they continue to suck wheel? They all thought Tom was going to do all the work to catch Froome (and burn himself out in the process) but it didn't work. Shame on them. Look closely at the race. Froome gained about 30 seconds on the first climb, over a minute on the down-hill and gained another minute when Tom had to ease off the pace to protect his 2nd place. If these wheel-suckers would have worked with Tom they could have reeled Froome back in and this would have ended up very differently. Shame on them
You do realize that Froome primarily gained time downhill and on the flat sections, right? How does that fit in with Dumoulin not being built for the climbs?
Dumoulin is not the climber that Froome is. Dumoulin is good at a steady pace while Froome is good at a steady pace and he is also good at a varied pace. I think Dumoulin wasn't ready for Froome to attack that early and was willing to let Froome go ahead and then gain time back on the flat sections (with the help of others). If Pino, Lopez and Carapaz would have helped Dumoulin at any time things would be different right now and Dumoulin would be in pink. Unfortunately they wouldn't and Dumoulin could not overextend himself for fear for being dropped on the last climb and possibly losing 2nd place. Hell, Pino wouldn't even fully commit his team mate. If you noticed in the race, the Dumoulin group lost a few seconds every time Pino's team mate led the group. Tomorrow is another big climbing day and I think the 3 stooges are going to be attacking Dumoulin.
You could argue it's not possible with significant chemical help on recovery too. He's only ever tested positive for over-using an asthma inhaler. That's not "significant chemical help".
Yates attacked in the wrong direction! Sorry to see him off of the back. Sad day :( Hoping to see him back on form and attacking off the front in short order.
You mean tactically he rode to a plan, tried to measure his effort over the whole race as you would on a 10, 25 or 50 mile TT or a 125-150 mile single day stage race and had a team that had a single purpose and knew when to attack. Get over yourself, I bet you think Merckx and Moser, Hinault and Indurain were all clean too? Merckx is the biggest dope cheat in cycling history ... FACT!
Anon Ymous Dont be a hypocrite, we all thought for years that Amstrong did his achievements fair... Well we know better now. Froome is also just a human being with limits. And he already has an investigation against him with that " asthma " medicine.
Measured effort, great planning, great teamwork and great tactics. Everyone knew Froome was slightly under done coming into the race as he himself admitted, also he had a crash early doors that injured his knee which didn't help. He and his team proving that it's not all about who is the single fastest rider on a few days but who can measure the effort and time it right to be fastest over 21/22 days.
And what about the whole Wiggins case? All the weird packages delivered to Sky in the Tour? Not cooperating at all in all the cases against them? No transparancy whatsoever. Which is exactly what the sport needs.
Just like doping certain 'micarles' should also be banned. Each rider should be tested several times out of season to see if they have received some banned micacles. I'm not sure though if miracles show up in either blood or urine.
Jay S sports wouldn’t be this entertaining without pharmaceutical assistance, so shut the fuck up, do ur research and you can listen to adele as well and then make ur own judgement
How would sport not be as enjoyable ? No one needs world record paces to still have healthy competition. Even if they all moved slower on average they would still be grinding it out against each other. To aay doping makes it better makes you an idiot
recur68 how would u know u work for team sky, and what about the whole salbutamol case, how about when uci records got hacked it when wiggins won he had a couple of tue’s
I rode 65km yesterday on some rolling hills and I need a day off. Hats off to all these guys.
Good job. Maybe you're a clean rider ;)
Solid 👍😃 Chapeau a vous, sir. Chapeau.
Massive respect for the Sky team for how they brought the hammer down to prepare for Froome's attack.
Especially Kenny Elissonde, as the last man before Froome's attack, rode his f**king heart out.
Massive effort from this talented prospect
Facts Elissonde was going 100% gas on his turn at the front for a solid 2-3 minutes. Mad respect to this domestique
Most incredible cycling performance I have ever seen live in my lifetime.
2009 - Floyd Landis TDF Stage 17 - was better...
...of course, he was incredibly doped.
Hopefully that isn't the case here...but I have my doubts. It just looks too good to be true.
I felt the same, witnessing cycling history. The win itself was impressive, but if you consider the fact that it is for the historic consecutive Grand Tour triple, it just becomes that more epic.
If he wins the Giro today, he joins the select club of only 6 riders to have won all three Grand Tours and the even selecter club of just Merckx and Hinault, that have won all 3 in a row, a feat that was widely thought impossible in modern cycling.
Even though I don't like Froome, I find it fitting that it took such an epic ride to cement his name as one of cycling's true greats
For anyone disappointed they didn't say how far behind Yates dropped today, he is now 35' 42" behind Froome. In one stage. Unbelievable.
useful! I was about to take a look
he'll get it back tomorrow
yeah if he ride unicorn
Yep, people kept thinking he had it in the bag and Froome was out of it but these stages are hours long. It only takes one bad day.
One of the reasons nobody (not even Yates himself) mentionned, but the commentators picked up on: Mitchelton-Scott was riding full on to reel in the early break away when they passed the feeding zone before the start of the Col delle Finestre, so nobody picked up drinks and supplies.
You could see later on when Yates started to crack that he didn't have a single bidon on his bike.
That is why I assumed Yates fell victim to what the french call a "fringale", which is tge body shutting down for lack of nutrients to go on.
Andy Schleck famously fell victim to this at the Tourmalet in 2008 and ended up losing the TdF
I used to root against Froome in all 4 tour de Frances that he won. But after this, man, he really brought me to his camp. I hope he gets back to 100% and gets him another grand tour win.
Always knew Froome was a good rider way back when he was pulling Wiggins's arse up the mountains back in 2012.
Karl. Yes , I agree with that.
I'am a Big Nibali fan..... But yesterday i see one of Greatest day in Cycling!!! And i am very happy that Froome this Attack , 80k to go.... simply Amazing Froome !!! Bravo ;-)
Usually i dont like the riding style of Froome and his team, but hats off to them for blowing up this stage today. Doped or not, thats top class and a joy to watch. Feeling sorry for Yates, but he already won 3 stages
The most exciting GIRO ever!!!
agree!
Have you watched more than 5 of them? This wasn't a terribly exciting stage. Mostly just one long attack and not the back and forth that makes stages fun to watch. Yates' stage wins weren't loaded with attacks either. I've seen better from Aru and Nibali
Well at least it's really exiting! there's no need to compare if it's the best. the whole point is the emotion from watching this! Let along this one long attack made him get his pink and make room for tomorrow!
of course you're probably right. The back and forth battle from Aru and Nibali was incredible!
Veganpotter Thevegan "This wasn't a terribly exciting stage" - Oh it was dear boy. Deal with it sunbeam.
CnE some are easily entertained...
Everyone knows Froome practically never gets caught if he gets any real gap. You knew what was going to happen as soon as he left his domestique. That's not exciting. That's a foregone conclusion...
This has to be among the best rides of 2018
The most iconic ride in grand tour history
Floyd Landis 2006 ;)
Froome is just a different class to everyone else. This was a huge confidence boost for Chris.
It's amazing that being 4 minutes above Pinot is seen as superhuman. It's Pinot.
solo ride 80km to victory not to mention that he was in the second position taking all the wind before hand, yet still had the energy to make sure Dumoulin doesn't catch up to him the next day. This just proves that Froome was exceptional.
Well done Froomie! You are the best. Please, don't pay any attention to the haters. Followed cycling for 30 years. Never believed Lance. But I know you are clean. It is of course sad to see Simon go, but he impressed everyone and will have many victories in his career.
You say that you know Froome is clean, while he is under investigation for a positive test (Meaning he is not clean).
Pro cyclists have all been asthmatic since forever, if you think that some extra bronchodilation can let you win a stage like this, you don't know what you're talking about
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.......
Best comment on this thread. Although i'm a Contador & Nibali fan I totally agree with Alexander Marfin.
It's kinda obvious from the psychology of the interviews that Froome is a genuine nice guy. He donated money, equipment & help to the poor youngsters trying to succeed in cycling in Kenya. He's a hard trainer, determined & has all the scientific benefits of T Sky.
I suspected Armstrong all along - I felt it suspicious that he only peaked at TdF. I found it strange that he never attempted the other Grand Tours apart from one disastrous outing (was it la Vuelta?)
So sad to see yates go :(( but what a ride by Froome
Levi Vandervelde very sad that Yatesy faded so badly, really thought he was going to win it
Yeah a shame for Yates. Matt White almost looked a beaten man yesterday when he was interviewed, so perhaps they knew Yates's race was run.
Yeah, he actually expected this to happen as he was pretty tired after the time trail.
Yates will never win a GT if he doesn't eliminate that usual bad day out of his system.
sad to see a beaten exhausted yates, it looks like a standing knock out but still manage to continue...
HATS OFF TO FROOME... he's won the greatest race I've ever seen. HISTORIC RACE, FROOME IL RE DIL GIRO!
albertodf1234 ahahahahahahahah
Amazing how everyone goes straight to doping... he attacked far out yes, team sky are scientific and strategic, Froome said from beginning of the Giro "lets see how I am in the 3rd week", clearly kept reserves in first 2 weeks now Giro has come to him. Hater will hate...
What an attack, brilliant from Froome. The fact that he looked so fresh and left the others for dead is extraordinary but he always rides into Grand Tours and finishes strongly. Don’t really know what to think after today.
Charlie Nicholls i
WoW! Great comeback Froome! I become interested once again watching this event.. Drill it hard for tomorrows stage and get the trophy..
such an amazing tour
Defining stage of the Giro! Great ride, Froome!
One of the greatest lone attacks in cycle race history. This is how to stamp authority on a race like Merckx used to
Bennett's reaction after the stage was priceless 😂
Just face facts he's the best end of.... salute a great ride
Bravo bravo Chris Froome. - he won today by 3 minutes but gained 1 minute 31 seconds on the downhills - for this reason i believe the result. The time trail totally destroyed Yates a few days back remember he cracked on Stage 18 (yesterday). really sad for him - he was living the dream - now the dream is gone. To attack alone with 80k to the finish is unimaginable - Bravo Chris Froome
Amazing stage!
contador's stage at fuente de is the only one in the entire decade that matches this masterpiece
IT WAS JUST EPIC!!!!
reminds me of what Stephen Roche did many years ago at the tour in 87 ,incredible for Chris Froome..
Congratulation for the big win CHris...fantastic man ended !
OH MY GOD - WHY COULDN'T THIS WHOLE THING HAVE BEEN TELIVISED IN THE US??!?!? Missed everything!
Sadly your broadcasters have a dlfferent idea of priorities from the rest of the world
What a stage wooooow! You have to give it to Team Sky! That's was absolutely amazing to see him make up 3min ahead of number two on the Queen stage ! Frooooome smoked the pelaton but you have to give Kudos to his team for setting up such and attack. Great lead out topped off with a wonderful finish! #giro2018
Wow, what a classic Giro
most amazing ride of the modern era
I have to Admit it!! You will always be a Hall of famer in my book!!!
Froome's cadence is unreal on those climbs!
Such a epic day for Froome
We have to give team sky and Froome something, they know how to pace a entire stage race, I thought It was over for Froome, what a legend.
soon as I saw the profile my first thought was the big middle climb would be where Froome would if he could. I mean, is my math right on this? Over 5550 feet in just over 11 miles? I'm surprised but not shocked. No, ok, I'm shocked...
Any athlete, especially in cycling it seems, that has an incredible race is criticized for doping. It's ridiculous. Chris Froome is one of the hardest working athletes on the planet. He loves this sport and wants to win. He is also one of the most tested athletes on the planet. He is not doping. Why do people want to punish and shame someone/a team that wins a lot? That's a terrible way treat people. Chris deserves to feel the glory of his efforts. Congratulations Froomie!
Are you living under a rock? People don't like Froome precisely because he failed a drugs test, didn't admit fault, and is prolonging his sanction. His ride today, as incredible as it was, doesn't matter because it's going to be deleted when his inevitable ban catches up to him.
You don't crush the opposition on a big climb, then ride alone for 80km and crush the opposition on a subsequent uphill finish without some chemical help.
The question of the day is whether or not it was legal doping (through the 'therapeutic use exception') because of his created Asthma (as is common for endurance athletes).
When I first saw the highlights, I didn't feel elation at a great, dramatic, performance....I felt the sinking feeling of the same old - my drugs / doctor is better than the other team's drugs / doctor.
Molly Hill PaperZebras the only thing Chris Froome loves more then cycling is a good old chug on an inhaler!!!
I mean he is absolutely doping. They all are. Just be OK with it and its still a fun victory
These are terrible arguments. That he is "one of the most tested athletes on the planet" is pretty much a word-for-word quote from Armstrong. That didn't make Armstrong less of a cheater, now did it? That he "wants to win" is the case for cheating athletes, too, is it not?
Just goes to show, endurance events are really only about who finishes first at the end. The tortoise (Froome it seems from his placing, and pacing thus far) has beaten the hare. I won’t be surprised if he has another wide margin for the final stage. He’s been storing his energy all race for these last two days, while everyone else is exhausted.
WTF SUCH A GREAT RACER. LEGEND MY GOD! froome!
Vamos Richar Carapaz eres el mejor, todo Ecuador t está apoyando en este emocionante circuito... Vamos Ecuador
you just don't see days/wins like this in modern cycling. one of the greatest stage wins in grand tour hisotry
The most amazing move in the Giro for more than a decade!
Very interesting stage indeed. I really hope it doesn't repeat the fallout from 2006 Tour de France stage 17 as it's kind of a similar attack and an amazing performance.
There's very little similarity to Landis if you actually look at it.
WOW! Great ride Chris!!
Don't under estimate someone who won 4 times the TdF.
Incredible ride!
This guy(froome) has a very distinctive way of ridding(attacking the mount while sitting),this is why we love cycling,surely the most physical sport on earth👊
Fenomeno indiscusso
What an overwhelming victory!
Richard Carapaz!! Future champion!! #Ecuadorpresente
Grande impresa, da ciclismo d'altri tempi
Now, I'm not a big fan of Froome because he's boring, formulaic and, let's face it, a plastic Brit. But that was an epic ride, and he deserves the lead. It's such a shame that we can no longer watch the greats of our sport produce history-changing rides without asking ourselves questions over the "reality" behind it. The wounds left by Lance Armstrong clearly have not healed.
Uh, you seem to be conveniently failing to mention the drugs test and laundry list of ridiculous explanations for twice the legal quantity of an anabolic agent Sky and Froome have put forth... It's not like this wanker didn't earn this skepticism.
Everyone dopes, Froome, Armstrong, etc. Cycling had a black eye long before Lance and until there is a reliable testing method, nobody at the top of the sport should be given the benefit of the doubt. The sad matter of fact is you don't average 25 mph over a 2100 mile race with hard work alone.
Froome occasionally isn't boring, I'm thinking of this and also the Pyrenees in the Tour in 2016(He attacked on the descent on Stage 7 or 8 to gain a few seconds, and then got clear with Sagan, Bodnar and Thomas in the crosswinds a couple of days later)
Fantastic performance by Froome here. To all those calling doping, wait until the jury has had it's say. Innocent until proven otherwise, in my view.
I'm aware he failed a test, but failing a test does not equate to doping. There are a number of factors that can contribute to or cause a failed test, one of which is doping. Whether that was in fact the case has yet to be decided, and I think we should all reserve judgment until it has.
Once again, it does not necessarily equate to cheating. There are numerous things that affect the metabolism of salbutamol. Moreover a recent paper ("Futility of current urine salbutamol doping control") suggests a large volatility in test results even from legal salbutamol use with as many as 15.4% of tests returning a false positive. Perhaps that threshold isn't so generous.
I believe Team Sky intend to argue Froome's renal function affected metabolism of the drug. In any case, I will wait as long as it takes; I expect them to carry out an accurate and thorough examination of all of the available facts and that takes time.
Yeah just like in Lance's case. Can't wait for the Froomey Podcast is 20 some years when this is all history lol.
I agree with you, the burden of proof is indeed on him and it doesn't look great - but I'm saying we should reserve judgment until we know all the facts.
It is not inconceivable that there could be another reason for the adverse result - if anyone is confident enough to say otherwise at this stage then they either know more than all of the experts investigating the case or are simply dishonest.
This bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/bcp.13619 was the paper to which I was previously referring (not sure which one you're referring to I'm afraid).
In it, the authors discuss how recent reviews have demonstrated that salbutamol has "no positive effects on muscle strength, sprint or endurance performance, and that only high, systemic dosages can improve muscle strength and sprint performance, but not endurance performance" which should cause even to the biggest skeptic to pause for thought, and further that the pharmacokinetics of salbutamol can be highly variable. Granted, it was a simulated model but again, at the very least it provides potential for further consideration.
Don't get me wrong, if Froome is found to have doped then I'll be the first to condemn him. But until the jury hangs him, we should refrain from tarring him with that brush.
yes ..2000 nanogram of salbutanol per mililiter in your blood is completely natural. the guy is mobile pharmacy. he shuldnt even been able to start this race.UCI= UNITED CLOWNS INSTITUTE.
Cycling sport should have been the winner of the day, after such an incredible race... Froome did everything right... Dumoulin made one small tactical fault... he should have try and drop on eof the white jersey contenders on the Finestre... then the other one and pinot would have helped out and Froome would never have gotten away... most of the way with Dumoulin riding first they did not loose any time or made some up.... with Reichenbacher, they just loosed a few secconds each turn he took... in the end Froome was just a little stronger then Dumoulin.. but the deficit was so big due trough the perfect execution of the tactical plan.. lets see what today brings, Froome still isnt as strong every day...Dumoulin has had rockstable performances all Giro long... woould be incredible if Dumoulin could turn the tables today yet another time... love cycling, love this race.... to me cycling was the winner of this race..
Capolavoro assoluto di Froome, come vincere il giro d'italia_2018 >> 19^ tappa a bardonecchia, impresa epica, grande chris, vittoria meritata .
Well done ;-), Super Cadence is the winner here... good going.
Woah
El mejor!!.. para aprender..
Respect for Froomeeeeee
Congrats to froome! what an amazing attack...
by the way, it’s a bit funny how many negative comments are tossed out to him. I’m not even a froome fan but I know that until it’s proven whether he dopes or not, I will assume it was a clean race! great job to him!
Will be interesting to hear what Armstrong says to this in his podcast
Smokey why would anyone care what that man has to say
Ewan Pincott not a fan of him, but like listening to his opinion and trying to read between the lines of what he says
Ewan Pincott because he's a doper tho taught these dopers how to dope
Lance was still a smart racer tactically, Even know he doped, he still has good insite into the race
Anon Ymous False... you don’t give a shit - and you have every right not to - but many are interested in his opinion. It’s ok to be on either side as there are much bigger scam bags in the world and look how far they go... with the current POTUS the bar is set very low. :)
What a Phenomenal race from Chris Froome. Many will say he is doping but cyclist either gets stronger in a tour or they suffer towards the end. If he was so strong at the begging to now it would've also be a problem. A big thank you goes to his team for the support. #Team_Sky
Well Chris Froome was innocent no case to answer to, what a masterclass in cycling.
I don't believe it! Froomey is on a different planet! Thought he was gone!!!
First Yates was doped and Froome was just so bad because he does not doped anymore. Now Yates cracked and Froome rides an incredible race. Now all of the sudden it is Froome who is doping again... you guys are pathetic!
Johannes Really, that the best conclusion you can reach ? Wow, with such analytical deduction you should be heading WADA !
Yep. Froome deserves respect as well as Yates. The race is hard. That's the game.
No, he was always doping. He was just recovering from his crashes.
I agree
BOOOOOOOOORRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG
Froome was faking being weak in the Giro so he could save his legs and destroy Yates in the end and do the double...
didn't Froome crash early in the race?
Giro D'Italia is the best.
Mountain stages are the best.
Chris Froome had a great race. He is NOT doping. He and his team planned the race very strategically and Chris Froome was obviously preparing right (without drugs). He is smart. Very sad to see Simon Yates of the back though.
Stunning performance by the briton....uow!!!
Best sport
Don’t know why you haters are surprised that he pulled this off. About 50 riders dropped Yates, not just Froome. Dumoulin has and never will be as good and consistent of a climber than Froome is so it’s just logic that he would put time on Tom during the climbs. And honestly he didn’t had to work that hard, during the descents either. The entire Sky team knew the game plan and jus a reminder, this is 3 weeks of racing, not 1 not 2 not 2.5, so get over it.
If Froome wins the TDF in dominating fashion as well, I will call BS on this line of reasoning.
If he was focusing on this race and timed his peak for today, that's one thing. If he is able to do this kind of ride, and then do it all again in a month's time? No. Not possible without significant chemical help on recovery.
The sad thing is we WANT to believe it was clean...but it looks too good to be true, and recent history in the sport leads to a certain cynicality when dealing with performances of this type.
Relax...it will blow over and nothing much will be done even if it was doping.
Hey, all Pino, Lopez and Carrabarry did was suck Tom's wheel until Tom got tired and had to ease off the pace to protect his 2nd place position!!! How do you expect these jokers to win if they continue to suck wheel? They all thought Tom was going to do all the work to catch Froome (and burn himself out in the process) but it didn't work. Shame on them. Look closely at the race. Froome gained about 30 seconds on the first climb, over a minute on the down-hill and gained another minute when Tom had to ease off the pace to protect his 2nd place. If these wheel-suckers would have worked with Tom they could have reeled Froome back in and this would have ended up very differently. Shame on them
You do realize that Froome primarily gained time downhill and on the flat sections, right? How does that fit in with Dumoulin not being built for the climbs?
Dumoulin is not the climber that Froome is. Dumoulin is good at a steady pace while Froome is good at a steady pace and he is also good at a varied pace. I think Dumoulin wasn't ready for Froome to attack that early and was willing to let Froome go ahead and then gain time back on the flat sections (with the help of others). If Pino, Lopez and Carapaz would have helped Dumoulin at any time things would be different right now and Dumoulin would be in pink. Unfortunately they wouldn't and Dumoulin could not overextend himself for fear for being dropped on the last climb and possibly losing 2nd place. Hell, Pino wouldn't even fully commit his team mate. If you noticed in the race, the Dumoulin group lost a few seconds every time Pino's team mate led the group. Tomorrow is another big climbing day and I think the 3 stooges are going to be attacking Dumoulin.
You could argue it's not possible with significant chemical help on recovery too.
He's only ever tested positive for over-using an asthma inhaler. That's not "significant chemical help".
AMAZING！！！！Froooooom!
Simon Yates was superman until this day. Nobody could touch him.
A shame.
Best stage I have seen in years..Pitty for the Moulin,Froome were to strong
I feel so bad for Yates... He had a great few weeks in pink and I hope he can find success later this year
D O P I NG !!!!!
"For me, the action IS the juice." - Michael Cherrito (Heat)
Epic ride today for Chris Froome.✌️
Wow.
How d'ya like those apples.
It all happened. A very exciting 5mins highlights.
Gano el rei del dopin desde colombia
Respect!
Congratulations to the medics!!!
Wow oh wow. When I saw Yates drop I said come on Tom just hold on to froome. I did not expect froome to win the stage with suck a time advantage.
This year race
One day to go ...
Classic 🤘
Grande Chris.
Yates attacked in the wrong direction! Sorry to see him off of the back. Sad day :(
Hoping to see him back on form and attacking off the front in short order.
Doesn't seem like they needed gravel bikes.
Amazing...
I must be dreaming...
Enjoyed watching this and I'm a fan of clean cycling but damn...this reminds me of Floyd in 2006.
Froome rides like it's 1998
Yeah not normal
Some substances were used around 1998 too
You mean tactically he rode to a plan, tried to measure his effort over the whole race as you would on a 10, 25 or 50 mile TT or a 125-150 mile single day stage race and had a team that had a single purpose and knew when to attack. Get over yourself, I bet you think Merckx and Moser, Hinault and Indurain were all clean too? Merckx is the biggest dope cheat in cycling history ... FACT!
Anon Ymous Dont be a hypocrite, we all thought for years that Amstrong did his achievements fair... Well we know better now. Froome is also just a human being with limits. And he already has an investigation against him with that " asthma " medicine.
Who cares about drugs in sport
I really want to believe this was a miracle, but too much has happened with Sky and Froome. What a ride..
Measured effort, great planning, great teamwork and great tactics. Everyone knew Froome was slightly under done coming into the race as he himself admitted, also he had a crash early doors that injured his knee which didn't help. He and his team proving that it's not all about who is the single fastest rider on a few days but who can measure the effort and time it right to be fastest over 21/22 days.
Hardly anything has happened with Sky and Froome actually. Overusing an asthma inhaler once isn't "too much has happened".
And what about the whole Wiggins case? All the weird packages delivered to Sky in the Tour? Not cooperating at all in all the cases against them? No transparancy whatsoever. Which is exactly what the sport needs.
Just like doping certain 'micarles' should also be banned. Each rider should be tested several times out of season to see if they have received some banned micacles. I'm not sure though if miracles show up in either blood or urine.
EPICO.
chris Froome out there looking like Floyd landis on stage 17👀
recur68 lmao its called TUE’s try again
Jay S sports wouldn’t be this entertaining without pharmaceutical assistance, so shut the fuck up, do ur research and you can listen to adele as well and then make ur own judgement
How would sport not be as enjoyable ? No one needs world record paces to still have healthy competition. Even if they all moved slower on average they would still be grinding it out against each other. To aay doping makes it better makes you an idiot
recur68 how would u know u work for team sky, and what about the whole salbutamol case, how about when uci records got hacked it when wiggins won he had a couple of tue’s
CéB 11EVEN No Froome needs to be banned. He is abusing the pharma assistence (dope) too much. He cheats more than Usain.Bolt did on his girlfriend.
If froome hadn't crashed in Israel this race would have been blown away after week one. Amazing feat
Legendary ride by Froome.
Omg Froome will win the Giro!
Which will not matter for him, since he will be banned anyways for his positive test in the Vuelta last year.