Froome never far from controversy
in Dusseldorf A few weeks ago, Chris Froome was pedalling along near his home in the south of France, minding his own business, when a car ran him off the road, mounting a footpath before smashing his bike into a lamp-post.
The three-time Tour de France champion only just hopped off in time, or he probably would not be lining up in Dusseldorf today for the start of the 104th Tour de France, where he will be attempting to win a fourth yellow jersey in five years.
“It was a scary moment,” he recalls. “Unfortunately they haven’t caught him yet, which is surprising given the amount of cameras up around there.”
It remains to be seen what other close shaves Froome will be forced to endure over the next three weeks. There is no doubt the 32-year-old begins this Tour as the favourite. He has the experience and the team behind him, albeit he has had an indifferent build-up. But there is also no denying there is a different sort of energy in the air this year. Froome largely managed to dodge the long (northern) winter of discontent at Team Sky; keeping a low profile as the UK Anti-Doping inquiry into the infamous Jiffy bag dragged on and his team boss, Sir Dave Brailsford, was grilled by journalists and parliamentary select committees.
He actually came out of the whole farrago with his hand strengthened, if anything.
By openly questioning Sir Bradley Wiggins’s use of Therapeutic Use Exemptions last (northern) autumn, and then refusing to go to Sky’s preseason media camp in Majorca, holding his own pre-season interviews separately, Froome appeared to register disapproval of Wiggins’s use of triamcinolone and reserved judgment on Brailsford and Sky.
Earlier this year when Sky’s other riders tweeted — en masse — that they were standing behind their boss, Froome was notably absent.
All of which makes Froome’s current stance the more intriguing. Despite the fact the UKAD inquiry is ongoing, and despite the fact that Brailsford’s position has not materially changed, Froome is now standing shoulder to shoulder with his team.
He insists he has “no issues at all” with Brailsford. In fact, speaking before Friday’s announcement that he has agreed a new two-year deal with Sky, he said. “I’m completely happy with the team. The fact that we’re discussing an extension I think just goes to show the confidence I have in the people around me.”
Does that mean he feels more positive about Sky than he did six months ago?
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that I felt things were that bad then either,” Froome says. “I mean, I have been keeping to myself a lot more this year. Not necessarily due to the media [spotlight] or anything. More due to my personal circumstances; trying to focus on the Tour and my family and not get dragged into this. I’ve pretty much just had my head down this year.”
There are two ways of reading this volte face. First, Froome could be saying one thing in public while thinking another privately. After all, it is in neither his nor Sky’s interests to air their dirty laundry in public, and fan the flames of controversy, when they are about to embark on a threeweek grand tour, especially in a country where their riders have been spat at, punched and been doused in cups of urine over the last few years. It may, therefore, be expediency.
Alternatively, Froome really might feel that he is satisfied by Brailsford’s explanations and it is time to move on.
Froome is on firmer ground when discussing the race itself, and his chances of winning it.
“I feel as if I’m where I need to be. I think I only had 19 race days going into the Criterium du Dauphine [a race he won], which is the least I’ve ever had going into this stage of the season. I’m feeling good. And I think the fact that the Dauphine was such an intense race will have moved me on and been great preparation.”
Geraint Thomas’s premature exit from the Giro — the victim of a badly parked police motorbike which triggered a multi-rider pile-up — could, Froome says, work in his favour.
“I think he could potentially be up there on GC himself and give us another card to play — as could Mikel Landa,” he says. “It’s a really strong team. Luke [Rowe] has really come on as a road captain, too. We’ve had a couple of incidents in the last 12 months where we’ve been caught out — at last year’s Vuelta and at Catalunya this year. Both times Luke wasn’t there.”
Today’s 14km opening time trial is probably too short to affect the GC battle — the big question will be whether Tony Martin can give the home fans something to cheer — but Froome says he is looking forward to getting to La Planche des Belles Filles on stage five and testing his rivals’ legs for the first time.
Ultimately, it may be how much he is tested by the furore swirling around Sky which could decide this Tour. Froome says he hopes not, but at the very least that people will trust in his ride. “Hopefully they are performances people can trust.”