Updated: Chris Froome and BMC Racing rubbish Team Sky star transfer rumour

As pointed out above, if Froome were unhappy about Sky's reputation, why would he go and join Jim 'I'm Lance Armstrong's friend' Ochowicz at BMC? It doesn't make any sense.

"a home victory for the first time since Bernard Hinault's fourth and final victory in 1985?"

Hinault won the TdF five times

Its a load of shite, stirred up by the french because their great race has been won by a British team, remember them complaining that our track riders wheels were too round ? 

Its the eve of the TdF and they can't stand to see their so called superstars humbled once again so they start to stir it up in the hope that it causes friction in the team and puts Froome and possibly Porte off.

This would be great. Right now, we have the strongest GC rider with the strongest team. I'd far rather see more of a mix of GC strength and team strength. Perhaps then we'd see a lesser GC rider fall apart in the mountains once their stronger team has done there work etc. The recent TdF's just seem to have been Froome getting a lead and gradually growing it to Paris. The 2017 Giro was great with the lead changing hands at least. You didnt know who was going to win until Qintana got to the last couple of km's in the ITT.

Poor TJ would need to rethink things if he drops to the No:3 GC rider at BMC. And Sky would need to go poach Aru or someone to replace Froome. Thomas has too much bad luck.

Eh...what..?

L'Equipe making mischief on the eve of the Tour de France?

Sacre bleu!!

Also, let's pause and reflect on Jim Ochowiscz's impeccable and uncontroversial regime as a cycling team manager for a moment.

Done.

Like he is any better than Sky with 'baggie-gate'.

http://“It’s a complete lie. That’s a lie,” Ochowicz told Cycling Weekly. “I wouldn’t even classify it as a rumour. It’s a flat-out lie.” Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/complete-lie-bmc-slam-chris-froome-transfer-story-334669#1m3HRpc3Lq5tcFcc.99

Is this perhaps a pre-emptive release ahead of him not having a good tour this year? putting it down to not being happy at his current team? or trying to stir up Sky a bit to offer him some more money and focus on him more?

Not sure I could see that many teams for him to go to, BMC possibly if they're thinking of letting Teejay VG go at the end of the year, Movistar, Sunweb, Astana (career suicide) Orica, all have their own GC riders that they're built around, Trek would maybe be the other option but doesn't seem like the best fit.

I don't really understand a lot of the general dislike for him, he's a bit different and seems slightly like an outsider, but he seems like a nicer guy than some of those out there (but he's no Tom Dumoulin)

Fake or real, If I am BMC I wouldn't take on Froome.  Porte looks in great shape. 

Froome should be content where he is at. 

Good luck to him. 

If this is true (I'm not sure at all) then it's pretty unprofessional of whoever (presumably) at BMC leaked this isn't it?

I still don't understand all the hate for Froome.

Whre would it leave Sky's Tour GC ambitions if he went to another team?

It's odd how some people seem to find it very easy take a dislike to him. He's not British enough; he's not African enough; he rides for Sky; he's better than Wiggins; he's the wrong shape for a climber; he hasn't had the 'correct' route to the top level; he doesn't compete enough; he takes a gel late in a crucial stage; he's no pedaleur de charme; he is too driven / too polite; he rides faster than Lance up certain climbs....

I thought cycle sport was about trying to win races, but too many people seem to want to find heroes to worship that must have all the qualities they admire (and lack themselves) and none of the ones they dislike. Yet these athletes are just men or women like the rest of us. They're just very, very good at pedalling.

I can't see what they find so bothersome. After reading his book I had the feeling that he is possibly more interesting than most pro cyclists.

If Contador is really retiring at the end of the season this time, there'd be a gap at Trek-Segafredo. But, let's face it, if it's bad PR that he's worrying about (it can't really be the jiffy bag itself, surely in the six years since either he has become accustomed to their methods or they've genuinely changed) then professional cycling in general hardly has much better a reputation than Team Sky. Perhaps a change of sport? We know from last July he can run, so how about that? Maybe he could ask Mo Farah to put a word in with his coach... oh... no... Tennis? Maybe Maria Sharapova could give him some tips... ah... um... Tiddlywinks?

Journo's on the Twitter all writing this off as nonsense.

Even cycling news and I always thought they would hype anything for an click!

However hard I try I just cannot foster any find of affection for Froome as a rider or an individual - not that he cares, of course.

This episode doesn't really help.

Smells of fake news to me.. or worse a falsely leaked but convieniently times news story by Froomes' agent... A rider's manager should be doing his or her job and be on the look out for a better contract and I'm sure they have lots of informal conversations about what it would take and would they be interested, a year left on Froomes contract is probably the perfect timing to be having these conversations and or releasing these rumours.

Nothing to see here, move on. 

Thought this might be on the cards when he was so slow to back Brailsford.

Not sure BMC is the best fit, depends how Porte goes in the TdF I suppose.

But he has also taken TUE's?

Sky subject to more scrutiny than most teams so does he think a move to BMC will lessen the scrutiny he is under?

Would be good news for Thomas at least.

Porte will need a strong guy in the mountains getting him bottles.  

Clearly, this is something that he has to do. Is this the beginning of the end for team sky?

Bmc, where great cyclists go to get paid and perform poorly. Possibly froome's last big contract, lets make it a huge one! 

He would need a team with the right backup (domestiques) and also presumably, a team which does not have a poorer rep than Sky.

Why would BMC sign him, they already have porte, makes zero sense. Surely he would go to a team without a GC contender