Froome sitting up?
 

I saw a report on Velo News that Chris Froome is once again battling a parasite called Bilharzin. It's been an on-again/off-again thing for him over the past few years. Call me cynical, but I think it's all a sham to give him an excuse to stay in second place! He can gain loads of time on Wiggins and be in yellow...but this "sickness" gives him the perfect excuse to hang back. Whatever.

Yep! I think you are on to something there. Froome went after the money when he signed his Sky contract, and since it's very possible that he might never have another chance at winning the TdF GC crown, they have to come up with a ruse/excuse.

Yeah, vanGarderen, Pinot and Sagan are future contenders...Froome may need to act this year or next lest he looses his chance!

Are you guys really this dim? That you can't understand that it's "professional" cycling? And, for that, the teams need money from sponsors? And, that GT's are for the most part a "team" event? And, that it makes absolutely "no sense" for Sky to jeapordize the "yellow jersey they already have" just so another of their riders can wear the same thing? And, in the process of swapping riders in the same jersey, provide just the opportunity Nabali needs? And, that it makes no sense for Froome to ignore team priorities? These guys (all of the peloton) live and work with each other day in day out for a good portion of the year. You usually only see a rider attack their own team lead when that rider has the ability to build their own team the next year, or, when it's already a forgone conclussion that the senior rider will be retiring at the end of the season.

That's a bull**** article rehashing old news. It has nothing to do with Froome right now in the TDF.

Froome will get his chance.

There are elements of it that kinda remind me of LeMond and Hinault, however.

The article points out how he had another bout in the spring, and will need to be checked again in the fall. (http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/...xpelled_230162)

He's not taking a back seat this year because of the bilharzia, and he's not using the bilharzia as an excuse for being 2 minutes behind. He's in second place because he agreed to work for Wiggins.

this..

So far more in the minds of people on boards like thisi who have very limited knowledge of the history of the TDF.

To me it looks far more like Ullrich and Riis. And those with any brains and a knowledge of history (which if we define brains as racing smarts I can promise you the team managers have far more of than any of us) might jsut remember how Ullrich won in 97 and how he lost in 98. At this point I Froome reminds me very much of Ullrich when it comes to race discipline and perhaps in the ability to deal with the preasure of being the team leader.

Once again, the masters of hindsight come out to play.

Yup. Cycling is a loooooong pursuit for good riders. What one does (or fails to do) often sticks with them throughout their career. Paying respect to the team, to plans, and to fellow riders is vital for GC contenders who hope to one day also be honored with the leader slot. It is a balance of personal desire and team pragmatism. Young riders either master that balance or make their mistakes and must fight to overcome the consequences.