NATIONAL DISGRACE
Disgusted Sky boss claims spitting & abuse of Froome is a ‘French cultural thing’
TEAM SKY godfather Sir Dave Brailsford fears there will be no ceasefire in the abuse of his riders – and does not expect Tour de France organisers to do anything about it.
Fed-up Brailsford branded the atrocious treatment of defending champion Chris Froome, current leader Geraint Thomas and Sky’s support staff as a “French cultural thing”.
Froome has been punched, spat at, showered in an unidentified liquid, and dodged a smoke bomb tossed into the peloton, while Thomas has been booed on the podium when presented with the Yellow Jersey.
But Brailsford says his cyclists are entitled to the same respect France’s World Cup-winning footballers were shown in Russia.
When Mirror Sport asked the Team Sky principal if enough was enough, he replied: “I don’t think it’s going to stop. I’m not too optimistic on that front.
“We accept it, but it’s challenging – and we have to make a decision as to how we behave and we’re all trying to remain dignified, not react and stay in a mindset where we don’t get distracted by it.
“But I also don’t think spitting and throwing things has a place in professional sport. I’m not sure it’s got a place in everyday life, but it seems to be the done thing here. It’s a shame, but we’re not going to let it distract us.
“It’s interesting that we’ve just done the Giro d’Italia, when Chris’s case was still open, and the Italians were fantastic. The Spanish were the same last year. It just seems to be a French thing, a French cultural thing.
“I’m not sure they would have liked their football players being spat at in Russia, I’m sure there would have been a word or two about that, but it’s OK to spit on us and our staff.
“Emma Kennaugh (Team Sky marketing executive) is 21 and trying to drive around France. It is very intimidating for her to be spat at.
“Personally, I would have an issue with it, if it was going on in my country, but there we go. We’ll just carry on.
“The Tour de France is promoted as the world’s greatest annual sporting event and, if you want the best international riders to come to your country, then maybe treat them with a little bit more respect.
“If you don’t want them to come, maybe you could have the Tour de France just for French teams – that might work. Other teams are respected – but they aren’t winning, are they?”
Brailsford (above) will decide next week whether to sack Italian domestique Gianni Moscon, who was thrown off Le Tour on Sunday for punching French rider Elie Gesbert.