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Froome and Thomas say Olympic team leadership not yet decided

Froome admits that one-day racing is not his strength

Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas have both said that team leadership for Saturday’s Olympic road race has not yet been decided. The Sky team-mates are part of a five-man Great Britain line-up completed by Adam Yates, Ian Stannard and Steve Cummings.

On a hilly 237.5km course, Froome is widely expected to be team leader, but the man himself told Sky Sports that the team had other options.

"We still need to discuss tactics when we are all out there and come up with a plan, but with five guys, we could look at having different winning strategies. I don't think it has been decided yet, so it is something where we will have to make the call once we get out there."

Froome also admits that despite his stage-racing successes, his one-day record is not so impressive and says that the Olympic road race will have to be tackled rather differently to the Tour de France.

"It's very different. In the Tour you are thinking very much about riding each stage in the most conservative way possible, staying at the front not to lose time, whereas for a one-day race like Rio, it's basically about putting it all on the line on one day.

"It's a bit more of a gamble. You don't have tomorrow to back it up if things don't go well today. It's a very different kind of event."

Thomas too emphasised the importance of having different options, saying: "As long as one of us gets a medal, that's the main thing. Whether it's me or Froomey or Adam Yates or Stannard – anyone really – it's all about just getting a medal for GB."

Froome, Thomas and Stannard were initially set to compete alongside a fourth Sky rider, Peter Kennaugh. However, after withdrawing from the team in the belief that he would not be able to give his best, Kennaugh was replaced by Steve Cummings.

Cummings had earlier called for men’s road race coach Rod Ellingworth to step down from that role because he believed there was a conflict of interest due to his coaching position with Team Sky.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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10 comments

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levermonkey | 8 years ago
2 likes

I would be tempted to do the following:

  1. Ian Stannard - Road Captain
  2. Stannard, Yates, Thomas & Froome - run them as a unit looking to get Podium for Froome or Yates.
  3. Use Steve Cummings as a Wild Card

With any luck everyone will be watching Froome which will leave chances for the others. Those three lumps in the final third of the course look good for Cummings.

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rjfrussell | 8 years ago
1 like

5 man team means entirely different tactics to grand tours etc-  the breakaway has a much better chance of success, so we have to have at least one man in there.

The trouble in 2012 was putting everything on Cav-  once the break got clear, no other team had any incentive to help chase them down-  since Cav would win the sprint- and the small team wasn't enough to chase on its own.

 

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Leeroy_Silk | 8 years ago
0 likes

Does anyone know what bikes they'll be riding? Their own or BCF supplied Cervélo's? 

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tritecommentbot replied to Leeroy_Silk | 8 years ago
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Leeroy_Silk wrote:

Does anyone know what bikes they'll be riding? Their own or BCF supplied Cervélo's? 

 

Was thinking there must be a fuss about it because they haven't done a press release about the road bikes like they have with the Cervelo track bikes. In 2012 they used their own plain black British Institute bikes. Maybe some open mold aero bike effort lol.

 

Was ugly as sin, whatever it was.

 

//keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/07/11141_7C000007e4b_7C9747_UKSI_GB_bike_front_end.jpg)

 

//keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/07/Bradley_Wiggins_UKSI_Olympic_bike.jpg)

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Leeroy_Silk replied to tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
2 likes

unconstituted wrote:

Leeroy_Silk wrote:

Does anyone know what bikes they'll be riding? Their own or BCF supplied Cervélo's? 

 

Was thinking there must be a fuss about it because they haven't done a press release about the road bikes like they have with the Cervelo track bikes. In 2012 they used their own plain black British Institute bikes. Maybe some open mold aero bike effort lol.

 

Was ugly as sin, whatever it was.

There's having a right to be ugly but no need to take the piss! 

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1961BikiE | 8 years ago
0 likes

After the Tour performances G, Yogi, Luke Rowe & Steve C all equally deserve to win. Froomeys done his bit this year.

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Stumps | 8 years ago
3 likes

I imagine the heat will play a big part so if a decent break gets away it will be hard for other nations to chase it down.
I would love to see Stannard get it more than any other GB rider.

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tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
0 likes

Might put some money down on Froome winning the TT. Odds are probably balls though. Put down a tenner and get 50p profit 

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Broady. | 8 years ago
2 likes

Big Steve C should take it.

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notfastenough | 8 years ago
1 like

Looking at the parcours (largely flat until they repeat the key climb 3 times, then finish with a descent then final flat section), they seem to have a lot of options. 

Do you use Stannard as a diesel to keep everyone on the front until the climbs start? Put Cummings, G or Adam in the break?

Put Cummings and Adam in the break, then launch Cummings off the front of that? That would give you a solo chance, a breakaway chance, and three others in the peloton in case they catch the break.

All 5 of them are flying.  What a dilemma.

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