2018 PRO thread

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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KWalker
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by KWalker

I was told by a bike fitter that fits a lot of pros that a ton come to him with saddles that are either custom by the manufacturer or look a lot like Speci saddles, but are painted and modified to look as close to stock as possible.

That's the first time I've seen Froome on the Power and I'm sure there must be a million pics of him at the Giro.
Don't take me too seriously. The only person that doesn't hate Froome.
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mike
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by mike

i am starting to like froome's riding style. if he can pull off these great feats without the sky train, i am won over. superb talent and exciting to watch.

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spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

shimano has saddles with that similar shape as well..
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djbowen99
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by djbowen99

That is for sure a power saddle.

Shrike
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by Shrike

antonioiglesius wrote:
Sun May 27, 2018 1:13 am
Was the saddle change because

1) Froome doesn't like the new Fiziks,
2) Froome likes the new saddle more,
3) Fizik doesn't want Froome on their saddles (what do the rest of the team ride?),
4) <insert new manufacturer> paid Sky/Froome more than what Fizik can?
Froome’s having saddle issues one way or another. He has saddle sores and it’s been quite painful to ride this Giro. No chance he’ll come out complaining about a particular brand or saddle directly though.

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micky
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by micky

It's very normal for pros during a GT to make minor changes; most of time trying to solve pains here and there, while sometimes a desparate attempt to find an excuse due to things not going their way.
A little bird told me Froome had a bad saddle sore in Trento which probably started after the crash in first stages (keeping a different contact point on saddle due to muscles soreness?).

edit; here there's better pictures https://www.cyclinside.it/web/froome-ha ... e-e-sella/

antonioiglesius
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by antonioiglesius

Thanks for the link 👍

Wookski
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by Wookski

Pro mechanics are so lazy- there are much better ways of removing the logos without plastering the saddles with black tape. Bloody gear modification hubbards.
Last edited by Wookski on Sun May 27, 2018 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Rob81
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by Rob81

peted76 wrote:
Sat May 26, 2018 9:37 pm
watching him develop his skills year on year has been noticeable
especially before and after September 2011 :lol:
Believing in clean (and even if cleaner than in the past, it doesn't mean it's clean...) pro Cycling is like pretending that WWE is a "sport".
NOBODY comes out from nowhere in a 90% physiology dominant vs 10% technical skills sport like road cycling. All these guys at the top had shown talent and victories since they were Juniores or even before. Pinot shared his develop in years (scientific publication). Sky had not much to share about CF "almost fired pre Vuelta 2011 to star". CF was a nobody before 2011. This is the main unresolved issue.

It was indeed a good entertaining (as WWE states) stage, he didn't gain "most on the downhills", actually it was 51% on uphills, especially Sestriere, and 49% on downhills. And this is not making things "better", performance wise....he was actually never resting (compared to the chasers) and still he had the power to climb the last one at the same level of "lazy" chasers.
Only time will tell how guys in the top ten of a stages lost 8+ minutes in 80K in a competition/level (these are not amateurs) where differences are in the x.0 of %.
PS using Gesink (same weight) data as reference for delta performance, CF had a ~345 NP power on the whole stage.

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themidge
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by themidge

@Peted76 was talking about Froome's skills, not his fitness. I agree about his skills, his entire riding style has got so much more exciting since 2013 (the 2016 tour was where it all seemed to change).
You can say what you like about his 'transformation', but sometimes a change of scene or race program can make a big difference to a rider's performance, it doesn't have to doping. I might add that Froome didn't suddenly become the best, he was a strong domestique first, then became the leader after Wiggins had had his turn.

maquisard
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by maquisard

themidge wrote:
Sun May 27, 2018 1:26 pm
I might add that Froome didn't suddenly become the best, he was a strong domestique first, then became the leader after Wiggins had had his turn.
Yes he did, he is a major anomaly in the sport as a result. His ride in the 2011 Vuelta was spectacular and he would have won the race if he had not had to wait for Wiggins. It is also worth pointing out that he was not even originally scheduled to ride the 2011 Vuelta such was the level of regard in which Sky held him. He then went on to dominate the 2012 Tour de France, again a race he would have won if it were not for Wiggins.

It was like a light switch was flicked before the 2011 Vuelta - one day we will know the real truth.

happyon2wheels
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by happyon2wheels

[/quote]
especially before and after September 2011.... NOBODY comes out from nowhere in a 90% physiology dominant vs 10% technical skills sport like road cycling. All these guys at the top had shown talent and victories since they were Juniores or even before..... CF was a nobody before 2011. This is the main unresolved issue.
[/quote]

So very true. But apparently the same mechanisms (money? lawyers?) that kept Lance in the sport for so long remain unchanged. I guess that particular aspect bothers me more than just a(nother) greedy individuals' ambitions.

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Rob81
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by Rob81

themidge wrote:
Sun May 27, 2018 1:26 pm
You can say what you like about his 'transformation', but sometimes a change of scene or race program can make a big difference to a rider's performance, it doesn't have to doping. I might add that Froome didn't suddenly become the best, he was a strong domestique first, then became the leader after Wiggins had had his turn.
and still his skill improvements does not explain his sudden (aka dramatic) change in level. Actually your answer/POV is corroborating more any doping doubt than anything else ( e.g. his FITNESS improved A LOT). He become a better descender, for sure, but that's really not enough.

re. "saying what you like to say about" his improvement: it's a simple fact he was a nobody -"broom wagon meat" actually- before late Summer 2011. Such a talent that Sky was ditching him at the end of 2011...
Strong domestique ala Poels? Where/When before 2011. Please, facts.

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Rob81
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by Rob81

happyon2wheels wrote:
Sun May 27, 2018 1:51 pm
So very true. But apparently the same mechanisms (money? lawyers?) that kept Lance in the sport for so long remain unchanged. I guess that particular aspect bothers me more than just a(nother) greedy individuals' ambitions.
With a difference, LA was a good one day racer due to his physiological traits (but a bad W/Kg, not so big aerobic engine/Vo2max....Ferrari made the miracle here) before cancer. He was a very good talent as a teenage athlete (triathlon), he was a winner when he switched to cycling. Any of these guys at the top were extremely good and winners since they pushed a bike.
CF anomaly is the donkey that had became (or made?) into a racehorse, a huge anomaly in any sport, especially in one where technical skills are not dominant and PURE physiology (= doping is more effective) is. Nobody in cycling history become the best of his decade at 26 years old (secondary) and (mainly) with absolutely no sign of talent before that. He was ill (for 8 years?), hard to believe.
Political and sponsors influence are for sure still there; it's just a show, billboards on pedals creating a theatrical show for us.

AJS914
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by AJS914

Indurain went from an ok rider and domestique to best rider in the world for 5 years straight late at the age of 27.

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