HOSTILE FANS, TEAMMATE TEST FROOME
CHRIS Froome’s Grand Tour veneer has been bulletproof, but it’s friendly fire that’s threatening to shoot down the all- conquering Brit.
Froome, who has all three Grand Tour titles in the trophy cabinet, finds himself locked in a Tour de France war with his chief lieutenant, Geraint Thomas. And after years of repelling rival raids in three- week races, it’s teammate Thomas who poses the biggest danger Froome has faced for some time.
But after a day of controversy, Froome is also facing threats from the roadside.
One spectator was arrested by French police after running over and pushing the four- time Tour champ, who was also spat at by another fan.
Froome’s teammates were booed most of the way up a packed Alpe d’Huez. Vincenzo Nibali was cruelly denied the chance to contest the win when a police motorbike stopped in front of him to avoid hitting encroaching fans, causing him to crash with less than 5km remaining.
The Italian was last night taken to hospital with a suspected fractured vertebra.
Thomas, who won the first mountain stage of his career to take the yellow jersey at La Rossiere on Wednesday, made it two in a row with another summit success yesterday.
He burst clear in the final metres to lead home Tom Dumoulin and Romain Bardet after 175.5km and 5000m of tough climbing.
“This is just unbelievable,” Thomas said.