Undercooked Froome still the Tour’s hottest rider
CHRIS Froome may look far from his best and might say this year’s route does him no favours, but the Briton is the overwhelming favourite to win his fourth Tour de France crown next month.
His main rivals – an ageing Alberto Contador, a too-cautious Nairo Quintana and an unreliable Richie Porte – all seem short of the combination of ingredients needed to unsettle Froome’s Team Sky machine, and Romain Bardet looks a little green to become France’s first Tour champion since 1985.
The route will suit the most aggressive riders.
Only four mountain-top finishes mean the peloton’s opportunists will look to launch long-range attacks and cause chaos – of the kind that Contador used to eliminate Froome in the 2016 Vuelta.
Team Sky’s conservative approach to the race might expose the Briton, who has not won a race this season and was bested by Porte in the time trial and the mountains during this month’s Criterium du Dauphine.
“Richie has been amazing this season. I think this year’s Tour suits Richie really well,” Froome told Reuters.
Porte was Froome’s lieutenant at Sky from 2012-15 before leaving for American outfit BMC to become a team leader.
The Australian, however, has a tendency to suffer bad days that can quickly become liabilities in the grand tours.
Froome might wait for the punishing stage ending up the Col d’Izoard at 2 360m above sea level in the final week to kill off the opposition.
But he showed last year that he was able to take the initiative by attacking in descents and on the flat.
Two early summit finishes suggest Froome’s rivals will be on the offensive early on. The opening block of this year’s race will end with a gruelling mountain stage in the Alps with three out-of-category ascents climbed between Nantua and Chambery.
Contador, 34, will be the man to watch here.
Having skipped the Giro d’Italia this season, the Spaniard has put all his eggs in the Tour basket.
He has not won the Tour since 2009 and his attacks are not as sharp as they used to be, but Contador remains one of the three opponents Froome will be most wary of.
“My biggest threats come from guys who did not do the Giro – Richie Porte, Alberto Contador and Romain Bardet,” said Froome.
Quintana, runner-up to the Briton in 2013 and 2015, does not rate a mention, having finished a disappointing second in the Giro.
The Colombian, who will ride in tandem with the in-form Alejandro Valverde of Spain, has tended to slip too easily into the role of play second fiddle to Froome, looking content to settle for a podium finish.
“I would love to see Quintana win but he lacks the ability to attack,” said three-time Tour champion Greg LeMond.
Other contenders include Italian Fabio Aru, Dane Jakob Fuglsang and Ireland’s Dan Martin.
But should Froome be spared the repeatedly denied allegations of doping that clouded his 2013 and 2015 rides, he could end up enjoying a relatively smooth passage to Paris.
In the points classification, world champion Peter Sagan is expected to pick up a sixth straight green jersey, while France’s Thibaut Pinot will target the king of the mountains’ polka dot jersey.
Sprinters will have several chances to shine and Briton Mark Cavendish, recently recovered from the Epstein-Barr virus that causes glandular fever, will hope to add to his 30 Tour stage wins as he looks to close in on Tour legend Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34.
The race starts in Germany on July 1 with a 14-km time trial in Duesseldorf, where local rider Tony Martin will be one of the favourites to claim the first yellow jersey.
That would serve as a powerful symbol in a country that has shunned the race for many years in the wake of doping scandals and only resumed televising it in 2015. – Reuters Previous winners 2016 Chris Froome (Britain) 2015 Chris Froome (Britain) 2014 Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) 2013 Chris Froome (Britain) 2012 Bradley Wiggins (Britain) 2011 Cadel Evans (Australia) 2010 Andy Schleck (Luxembourg) *** 2009 Alberto Contador (Spain) 2008 Carlos Sastre (Spain) 2007 Alberto Contador (Spain) 2006 Oscar Pereiro (Spain) ** 2005 * 2004 * 2003 * 2002 * 2001 * 2000 * 1999 * 1998 Marco Pantani (Italy) 1997 Jan Ullrich (Germany) 1996 Bjarne Riis (Denmark) 1995 Miguel Indurain (Spain) 1994 Miguel Indurain (Spain) 1993 Miguel Indurain (Spain) 1992 Miguel Indurain (Spain) 1991 Miguel Indurain (Spain) 1990 Greg LeMond (USA) 1989 Greg LeMond (USA) 1988 Pedro Delgado (Spain) 1987 Stephen Roche (Ireland) 1986 Greg LeMond (USA) 1985 Bernard Hinault (France) 1984 Laurent Fignon (France) 1983 Laurent Fignon (France) 1982 Bernard Hinault (France) 1981 Bernard Hinault (France) 1980 Joop Zoetemelk (Netherlands) 1979 Bernard Hinault (France) 1978 Bernard Hinault (France) 1977 Bernard Thevenet (France) 1976 Lucien van Impe (Belgium) 1975 Bernard Thevenet (France) 1974 Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1973 Luis Ocana (Spain) 1972 Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1971 Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1970 Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1969 Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1968 Jan Janssen (Netherlands) 1967 Roger Pingeon (France) 1966 Lucien Aimar (France) 1965 Felice Gimondi (Italy) 1964 Jacques Anquetil (France) 1963 Jacques Anquetil (France) 1962 Jacques Anquetil (France) 1961 Jacques Anquetil (France) 1960 Gastone Nencini (Italy) 1959 Federico Bahamontes (Spain) 1958 Charly Gaul (Luxembourg) 1957 Jacques Anquetil (France) 1956 Roger Walkowiak (France) 1955 Louison Bobet (France) 1954 Louison Bobet (France) 1953 Louison Bobet (France) 1952 Fausto Coppi (Italy) 1951 Hugo Koblet (Switzerland) 1950 Ferdi Kubler (Switzerland) 1949 Fausto Coppi (Italy) 1948 Gino Bartali (Italy) 1947 Jean Robic (France) 1939 Sylvere Maes (Belgium) 1938 Gino Bartali (Italy) 1937 Roger Lapebie (France) 1936 Sylvere Maes (Belgium) 1935 Romain Maes (Belgium) 1934 Antonin Magne (France) 1933 Georges Speicher (France) 1932 Andre Leducq (France) 1931 Antonin Magne (France) 1930 Andre Leducq (France) 1929 Maurice De Waele (Belgium) 1928 Nicolas Frantz (Luxembourg) 1927 Nicolas Frantz (Luxembourg) 1926 Lucien Buysse (Belgium) 1925 Ottavio Bottecchia (Italy) 1924 Ottavio Bottecchia (Italy) 1923 Henri Pelissier (France) 1922 Firmin Lambot (Belgium) 1921 Leon Scieur (Belgium) 1920 Philippe Thys (Belgium) 1919 Firmin Lambot (Belgium) 1914 Philippe Thys (Belgium) 1913 Philippe Thys (Belgium) 1912 Odile Defraye (Belgium) 1911 Gustave Garrigou (France) 1910 Octave Lapize (France) 1909 Francois Faber (Luxembourg) 1908 Lucien Petit-Breton (France) 1907 Lucien Petit-Breton (France) 1906 Rene Pottier (France) 1905 Louis Trousselier (France) 1904 Henri Cornet (France) 1903 Maurice Garin (France) *** Spain’s Alberto Contador was stripped of the title after testing positive for a banned anabolic agent during in 2010. ** American Floyd Landis was stripped of the title after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone during the 2006 race. * American Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles from 19992005 for doping. The titles have not been reallocated. – Reuters