Time trial last hope to catch Froome

TWENTY- NINE seconds, three riders, 22.5km.

The optimist would say the Tour de France has come down to this. The realist would say Chris Froome’s rivals would need a miracle to dethrone the Brit on the penultimate day time trial.

Froome, hunting a fourth Tour crown and third in succession, leads Frenchman Romain Bardet by 23 seconds and resurgent Colombian Rigoberto Uran by 29 seconds heading into a Stage 20, 22.5km test in Marseille.

The trio have traded blows for 19 stages around France to produce the closest Tour de France of the modern era.

“It’s all still to race for in the time trial in Marseille. If everything goes well, I fancy my chances against the other guys in the time trial, but it’s still very close,” Froome said.

Whether genuine, or for political correctness, Froome remains cautious. But he is clearly the most consistent time trialler of the leading trio.

Irishman Dan Martin, who has thrown the kitchen sink at Froome and Team Sky since crashing on Stage 9, said Froome was home.

“I think it’s decided now. The top three guys are set,” said Martin, sixth.

“It’s Chris that is so much better in time trials.”

Bardet also rolled the dice in the mountains to push Froome, but he remains a flaky performer against the clock.

“I’m certainly motivated for the time trial,” Bardet said. “I like the final time trial of the Tour de France and everything is still possible in any case. I’ll fight like I did today, with a lot of heart and desire.”

Uran has proven he can churn out a decent time trial, but he would need to put half a minute into Froome – more than a second per kilometre – to overhaul the Brit.