THE FROOME CONNECTION
Leader Chris says he has a thick enough skin to finish the job again
CHRIS FROOME will today have the biggest chance to clean up in Marseille since Gene Hackman in the French Connection.
And he will not even risk more controversy by wearing one of Team Sky’s aerodynamic ‘vortex generator’ skinsuits in the decisive time trial – as he will be modelling the official version of the Yellow Jersey. Froome will take a 23-second lead into the 14-mile individual race against the clock, which starts and finishes in the Stade Velodrome. To all intents, he only needs to stay upright from here until Paris to seal his fourth Tour de France win and enjoy another golden sunset on the Champs Elysees tomorrow. When his team-mate Geraint Thomas won this year’s opening time trial and Froome stole a march on his major competitors in the GC, rivals squealed that Sky’s bubble-wrap, incorporated into the fabric of their go-faster clingfilm, was illegal. But world governing body UCI had cleared them to use it in May at the Giro d’Italia, when there was not a murmur of protest.
But just to make sure they can not get under his skin again, Froome confirmed he would wear race organisers ASO’s standard-issue Yellow Jersey. He said: “I think I’ve ridden in the official Yellow Jersey almost every year I’ve won the Tour, so it hasn’t been a problem. It’s just a huge honour to be in the leader’s jersey.” In the longest sector of this year’s race yesterday, Froome never looked like surrendering his place at the top of the leaderboard on stage 19’s 138-mile slog.
He was in such a relaxed frame of mind that he even found time to high-five Tour superfan Didi the Devil – the dotty German who camps by the road in satanic fancy-dress.
Froome finished 12 minutes behind stage winner Edvald Boasson-Hagen (above), and after 83hr 26min 55sec in the saddle it is remarkable that less than half a minute separates Froome, Romain Bardet and Rigoberto Uran.
“There is no obligation on me to win the trial,” said Froome. “I’ve just got to make sure I don’t lose it. If I’ve got the legs, everything else should fall into place.”