Door opens for Porte

Unfavourable course could knock zoom out of Froome

PAST success aside, there isn’t much to suggest that Chris Froome will cruise to a fourth Tour de France title in five years when the race begins in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Saturday.

For the first time since Froome began dominating four years ago, the Team Sky rider enters cycling’s showpiece event without having won a single warm-up race – or even a stage for that matter.

With neither a long time trial nor many mountain top finishes, the course doesn’t suit his strengths.

And Froome’s rivals are improving – namely former teammate Richie Porte, the Australian who won the Tour de Romandie and finished second in the Criterium du Dauphine.

But Froome seems unconcerned.

“I’ve had a slow build-up, but that was always part of the plan,” the Kenyan-born British rider said.

“I haven’t done as many race days as I have in previous seasons. That will hopefully mean I’m going to be a lot fresher coming into this period, when I’ll be racing a lot.”

Froome did acknowledge that the course doesn’t favour him.

Whereas the Tour route traditionally travels clockwise around France one year, then counterclockwise the next, this year’s edition zigzags to traverse all five mountain ranges of continental France for the first time in 25 years.

After opening with stages in Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, the peloton will climb the Vosges and Jura Ranges in eastern France. The Pyrenees

follow an air transfer to southwestern France and then comes the Massif Central before the race will likely be decided in the Alps with an unprecedented mountaintop finish at the Col d’Izoard in Stage 18

“It means that it’s going to be a lot closer race and a lot more exciting for the fans,” Froome said.

“I’m going to have to make sure I’m absolutely at my best and to take advantage of any situations out on the road.”

One more victory would move Froome closer to the Tour record of five shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain – after Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles for doping.

Standing in his way is Tasmanian Porte.

“I think my main rival is Richie,” Froome said of Porte, team leader at BMC.

“I’ve said for a long time that Richie has got the potential to win the Tour de France. It’s just a matter of time until everything works out for him.”