Froome’s top 5 moments
1. GIRO D’ITALIA, 2018, STAGE 19
Chris Froome’s racing has often been criticised for lacking panache. But riding solo for 80km to capture the stage, the jersey and ultimately the entire Giro, had that in spades. A performance fitting of a champion was only made possible by the support of an equally ambitious and committed team fuelling him from the roadside.
2. TOUR DE FRANCE 2013, STAGE 15 Already in yellow and having extended his lead in the mid-race time trial, Froome distanced Alberto Contador before successfully attacking Nairo Quintana to become the first Brit to win atop the Giant of Provence.
3. VUELTA A ESPANA 2011, STAGE 17 Team-mate Geraint Thomas recalled to CW last year: “That was insane. Froomey did a monstrous attack and then [Juan José] Cobo came back. And then Froome got up the inside of him – that’s a typical Froomey move when there was so much space round the outside!” He’d win the stage and in 2019 he was given the Vuelta win when Cobo was banned.
4. TOUR DE FRANCE, 2012, STAGE SEVEN Making a cast-iron case for being the best climber in the race, Froome out-kicked his own team leader Bradley Wiggins, and Cadel Evans, in the sprint to the line. It started an intra-team rivalry which would see him cement his place in the squad’s future. 5. TOUR DE FRANCE, 2016, STAGE EIGHT The turning point between young Froome and latter-day Froome, he won this stage with an audacious and unexpected downhill attack off the Col de Peyresourde. He was winning as much with his head as with his legs from this point on.