Yep. I also don’t think it’s up to fans to determine when a rider should retire. That’s for the rider and team to sort out.
IPT got their money’s worth, wins or no wins. Froome put them into the conversation from year one.
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Regarding Froome’s power numbers getting back to, or better than, pre-crash numbers. Didn’t Bernal said the same? That he had reached power numbers matching his pre-crash numbers, but they were not long competitive in the current peloton? The question, in my POV at least, is would they have kept up with the increasing performance required to be at the top of the peloton had they not have crashed? Or have they reached their peaks around the time of their crashes?
It’s likely not just about power numbers. It’s about recovery, ability to push those over 3 weeks, training volume, etc.
I also agree that we shouldn’t be expecting althetes to retire if they can’t perform at the same level. The guy is still a world tour cyclist. Imagine if in your job you have an off year, maybe you have a kid. Someone new comes in who’s really good. Whelp, you’re no longer the best. You should get out and go find a hole to retire in. Over the hill. Actually, your company should just call it quits altogether. Theyre no longer the best in the business. Why do they even exist.
Agree that there are lots of ways to contribute to a team if you’re not getting podiums. Some former GC riders have a productive “second career” as a superdomestique or a road captain/mentor – Rigo being a great example of the latter. I think if Froome had embraced that role he’d have a lot more sympathy, but insisting “I can be a contender!” when he’s clearly not doesn’t make any friends.
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It was a horrific crash with severe injuries, and by all accounts he did put in a ton of work to get back to his current level. That I respect.
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Has anyone seen the podcast interview of Lemond where he practically says that Froome was using a motor? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNFyYjKCcKU
Not to forget Shane Sutton and his involvement with British Cycling alongside Dave Brailsford - now back at the helm at Ineos, and perhaps another ‘project’. 
I love LeMond, but that’s a claim without supporting evidence. Some folks may see such statements as conclusive evidence, I don’t. I like actual evidence, empirical evidence, facts. I’d rather be proven wrong than make baseless or unsubstantiated accusations.
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Lemond has made all sorts of outrageous claims about motors in frames and top riders doping all from the perspective of someone who’s an “insider” who wants to clean up the sport. However he never follows through and provides any actual evidence that someone with such privileged information and noble intentions would.
At this point I’ve simply written him off as someone who’s clinging to relevance and found that when he says ridiculous things it gets him the attention he desires.
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I don’t think I have an opinion about Froomey, but I think it’s hilarious that you’ve forced him to the top of my forum posts so he’s all I can see when I check the EC forum.
Surely I can force a Cookie Monster image over your Froomey image. 
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I agree, aside from the American bias from presenters and reflected dislike of all British riders associated with Sky, EC is a pretty balanced group. Certainly compared with the old CT weekly show.
A store I worked for set up a charity ride with Froome maybe 5 years old. The weather was wet and cold but he rode with a smile and good grace. Afterwards instead of ducking into the warm and dry he hung around the parking lot chatting and smiling with all until the last ride left or headed inside.
I will only comment on what I see and that day he was a genuinely nice and kind guy.
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One wonders if he was deluding himself a little, but it’s probably also true that the standard was rising quickly whilst he was recovering from that crash, so getting back to where he was wasn’t enough any more. Bernal has made similar comments about coming back from his crash and producing the same numbers he did when he won the TdF, but the big three had moved the goalposts!
Also, IF Froome was cheating, I’m sure he’d have made sure he had access to the same stuff on a new team?
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I’m delighted to hear that. He comes across as a bit of a personality vacuum to me at least!
Froome seems like someone who was brought up to always be polite and never upset anyone. Which is all well and good if that’s your thing but it means there can be a lot of personality cues missing. To me I find that hard to warm to but anecdotes like yours really help to fill in the gaps .
I have not had a chance yet to meet him personally, but a cycling buddy has some of his old bikes, and he and everyone else I know who met him called him the nicest person ever. Another friend met Froome with kids grocery shopping, and was having a hard time getting his words together, so Froome suggested that he would take a selfie for my friend.
His crash injuries were life threatening, and he came back close to at least a stage victory in Alpe d’Huez in 2022. As long as he likes riding his bike, and gets paid for it, why would he stop?
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Agree re: the salbutamol. There’s a lot of cries of “Sky bought the best lawyers” but I think the actual scientific evidence about salbutamol pharmacokinetics did make it plausible that he was within the legally allowed dose but still had an adverse analytical finding, and as you say the levels were adjusted going forward.
I also find the bilharzia story plausible.
The whole Sky jiffy bag/Freeman stuff is defintely very dodgy and it looks clear they were abusing the TUE system with Wiggins’ triamcinilone use, so I can see why Sky riders get the benefit of the doubt for the salbutamol and bilharzia. I don’t recall Froome ever having a TUE though (unless that refers to salbutamol, I thought one wasn’t required for that, but maybe misrembering)?
Related Q - what do people think of Geraint Thomas?
He just comes across as incredibly dull to me.
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I have nothing for or against Froome as a person (never met him, so don’t want to judge!), probably a bit more of a ‘negative’ perception as an athlete. The Sky train was boring and uninspiring. When he went to other races, it seemed like it was just to fill the pack - which is in such stark contrast to the current generation of racers that go for the win every single time.
I also got a bit put off sometimes seeing him seemingly not really bothering anymore. Looking at Bernal, I feel like he cares more about it and wants to fight for any result.
It’s Froome’s right to ride out his contract in any way he deemed necessary - but it didn’t get me excited to watch the sport…
You are taking the view there that he is dishonest. Was he pretending to still have it, or did he genuinely believe he could return (perhaps he was delusional/refused to accept he couldn’t, but to claim he was pretending is a stretch, unless you know something we don’t). Ultimately, IPT chose to sign him and agreed to pay him the salary. That’s on IPT, not Froome.
If you could get paid a shed load based on past performance, and potential return to that, you’d absolutely take it.
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I think because cycling fans seem to be quite toxic in general.
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Just admit that your career is over, Chris…..this kind of response is just silly.
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