So streetwise

Froome took two steps forward, it seemed he or Sky took two steps back.

Taking the lead in the first week was clouded by a dangerous attack by Italian national champion Fabio Aru that Froome failed to counter.

Staying upright on an horrific, crash-filled, rainsoaked trek through the Jura mountains was overshadowed by two bad falls and abandons for Thomas and Froome’s arch-rival (if close friend) Richie Porte.

Come the second week, Froome’s bid hit two crisis points when first he lost nearly 25 seconds in 200m to his rivals, and with them the overall lead, on one Pyrenean summit finish.

And No2 was even riskier, when Froome stood on the side of the road, broken back wheel in hand, as his rivals tore away in the distance. He was almost convinced the Tour was lost. But,

having roared up the climb to rejoin the other contenders, he fought his way back into the game.

This grittiness of Froome when the chips are down is far from a surprise.

Michel Theze, his trainer in 2006, recalled in yesterday’s French sports paper L’Equipe that in a key amateur Italian race, Froome crashed three times but won the stage.

What is different is how this July the British rider’s aura of automatic superiority has all but disappeared.

The devastating displays of climbing power seem to belong to the past. It is no coincidence this is his first Tour with no stage wins at all.

Yet the tenacity Froome first showed two decades ago has given him the edge.

Strong time-trialling, a solid defensive game in the mountains, staying calm despite a nail-bitingly close overall advantage of fewer than 30 seconds for stage after stage, and above all, keeping his eye on the prize.

“Conservative but efficient,” is how Froome described his winning style, although he could have added “well supported”.

The backing from Sky in the mountains, when Froome needed it most, is the best the team have provided thanks to the three Michaels, team-mates Michal Kwiatkowski, Mikel Landa and Mikel Nieve.

Landa was so strong he claimed fourth overall, missing out on the podium by just one second.

Froome has tipped him as a future Tour winner.

This race, though, belonged to Froome. And after winning when the odds were stacked against him, there is every chance that one Sunday next July, the 32-year old will be listening to the same anthem on the Champs Elysees.