Froome eyes up fifth Tour title as ‘brutal’ route unveiled
Chris Froome will target victory in next year’s Tour de France after watching organisers announce one of the toughest routes in recent history yesterday.
The four-time Tour winner was on hand in Paris as ASO unveiled a route which visits all five mountain ranges in France, with the serious climbing starting as early as stage two and spread throughout in a move designed to encourage attacking racing.
There are only 36 kilometres of time trialling in the 3,470km total distance, all on the penultimate stage as the battle for yellow is set to be decided against the clock on the climb to La Planche des Belles Filles.
Froome was quick to note the lack of time trialling in a route which may well be more suited to his Ineos team-mate and defending champion Egan Bernal, but said it was a challenge he would relish. “I think
it’s a brutal Tour – probably the hardest I’ve seen in the last five or six years at least,” he said.
“It’s great – there’s loads of opportunities for the general classification to play out and the main rivals to go head to head. That’s what everyone wants to see.
“It should be an exciting race, hopefully it will live up to the same standards as this year.
“There are no guarantees in sport but I’m going to give it everything I have.”
The 34-year-old missed this year’s Tour after suffering huge injuries in a highspeed crash at the Criterium du Dauphine in June, but he is ahead of schedule in his recovery and plans to ride in the Saitama Criterium, an exhibition event, later this month.
The 2020 edition of the Tour will begin on 27 June with two stages starting and finishing in Nice, including a tough second day which includes almost 3,700 metres of climbing.