UKC

Surprised at the lack of discussion on this - a very long interview of Froome by one of his most outspoken cynics.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/cyclist-chris-froome-i...

Some snippets:

1 - Kimmage is a cock! Some pretty crass attempts to get CF to discuss Wiggins, in particular the reference to his mums funeral - "they don't do things like that in Kilburn"

2 - likewise "they gave wiggins a knighthood and SPOTY for winning the tour and you got nothing". Wrong, wiggins got it for success over 4 Olympics, and for making an effort to endear himself to the British public.

3 - I do have some sympathy with Froome over his nationality - he doesn't fit into a neat pigeonhole, but then again it shouldn't really matter. He draws a very valid comparison with British Asians in that he never felt assimilated into Kenya.

4 - but I would like to hear an explanation of why he bases himself in Monaco

5 - Drugs is obviously PK's obsession, and CF is on his guard. He does draw the admission that he was given recovery injections whilst at Barloworld - not illegal or uncommon at the time, but often regarded as the gateway into crossing the line. You do get the impression that he didn't ask too many questions though.

6 - Lienders - CF does his utmost to distance himself from him, suggesting that Lienders and Kerrison were just working with a select group that included Wiggins but not Froome. It's clear what conclusions PK wants you to draw from that.

7 - Asthma and TUEs - sky may be within the laws, but are they within the high ethics that the have professed ? I don't think CF does a very good job of answering, but he is on a hiding to nothing. And we don't, and shouldn't, know who else is riding with a TUE.

8 - behind every great man is a strong woman ! Actually I think it needs to be remembered that Michelle Cound is his manager as well as his girlfriend

In reply to Chris the Tall:

#4 - Tax? A large number of highly paid sports people reside there, think F1 drivers and tennis players.


Kimmage is definitely a one-trick pony, I don't think he does himself any favours by always looking for the negatives in everything and everyone.

We only got to know about Froome's TUE because the various anti-doping agencies are fighting a turf war.

In reply to Bob:


Which will also count against him in terms of honours, rightly so!

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Kimmage attitude was great for hunting down Lance, it needed someone with a strong personality but when he meets with more 'normal' riders he just comes over as aggressive and unreasonable which doesn't endear him to the readers.

Mind you if there is something under a stone then he might well be the one to find it...

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Kimmage has an ego that needs feeding - same for David Walsh. I'm not criticising them but they are driven people who want their opinions heard.

There is an irony that Kimmage's whole journalistic career is based on doping. His newspaper career wouldn't be what it has been without it. You could argue he's benefited from it as much as riders who did dope !

In reply to Henry Iddon:

I've a lot more time for Walsh than Kimmage - Walsh is more open-minded. He did his research on Armstrong then came to his conclusions. Likewise with Sky, different conclusions and despite his links he did criticise them over TUEs.

Kimmage seems to believe that every pro cyclist ever has doped, but he's the only one to admit without being caught, and that's why he's ostracised. He likes to play the victim, hounded because he stood up to LA. Actually I don't think he's a great writer, calling LA "cancer Jesus" wasn't going to win him any friends and his trust in Landis showed major gullibility.

In reply to Bob:

also a lot of professional cyclists live on the continent. Nice or Northern Italy both seem popular for the quality of the cycling. Once you're in Nice, you might as well hop over to Monaco - especially if you get to pay low tax.

Bertie is saying his current form is down to moving to Switzerland where his friends don't drop round for a coffee every 5 minutes and he can focus on his cycling.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Yes Walsh is the real deal when it comes to quality writing and investigative journalism. My understanding is that Kimmage isn't particularly respected in the press room as a writer.

In reply to Chris the Tall:




blimey, some small slights on Wiggo and Kimmage is panned !

In reply to Jim Hamilton:

Go on then, explain the relevance of Kilburn in relation to chris Froome's mother's funeral ?

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Journalistic banter pointing out differences in their upbringing/experiences, trying to get as much out of the interview as possible ?

In reply to Bob:

I got to know about Froome's TUE because he was puffing on an inhaler during a race. Dodgy Tw*t.

E