Geraint Thomas of Team Sky effectively secured victory in the 2018 Tour de France after retaining the yellow jersey in Saturday's individual time trial—the penultimate stage of this year's Tour—which Tom Dumoulin won.
Dumoulin completed the 31-kilometre course from Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle to Espelette in 40 minutes and 52 seconds, one second ahead of closest competitor Chris Froome, who sealed an overall podium place behind Dumoulin and ahead of Primoz Roglic.
Thomas was 14 seconds back on Dumoulin, but having entered the stage with a lead of over two minutes, it was more than enough for him to keep the yellow jersey. As tradition dictates, the wearer of the yellow jersey is not attacked on the final stage, and Thomas needs only to complete Stage 21 on Sunday to win the Tour.
Here is the classification for Stage 20 and the overall standings with one stage remaining:
Thomas showed his intent throughout the course—he was the quickest through the first two intermediates at the 13 and 22-kilometre marks, despite an early wobble:
Indeed, at the latter he was 13 seconds faster than team-mate Froome, who had earlier laid markers at those two points in his bid to secure a place on the podium ahead of Roglic. The LottoNL-Jumbo man disappointingly finished more than a minute behind.
Although a slower final sector allowed Dumoulin to secure the stage win, the Welshman had done enough to secure a far grander prize:
Thomas was elated with his victory:
Owing to their position in general classification, Thomas and his immediate rivals were last out of the blocks, and the conditions they faced were somewhat more favourable than what the early riders had to contend with as they duelled for the lead.
Despite rain contributing to slippery roads, Michael Hepburn had set the early lead with the first notable time of the day at 42:15. Soren Kragh Andersen beat that time by more than 30 seconds as the roads dried, but just moments later, he was beaten by Team Sky's Michal Kwiatkowski, who was a second quicker.
With a time in excess of 47 minutes, Lawson Craddock hardly troubled the classification for Stage 20, but his completion of the time trial was an emotional moment:
Cycling writer Mihai Cazacu offered a reminder of how far the American has come since his Tour began with an inauspicious start:
Unless Craddock can make up more than 18 minutes on Jacopo Guarnieri on Sunday, he'll finish the Tour as the lanterne rouge, a title he'll be able to bear with honour after his time in France.
All eyes will be Thomas on the Champs-Elysee, though, with Team Sky set to win their sixth Tour out of the last seven.
Primoz Roglic proved the best descender during Stage 19 of the 2018 Tour de France on Friday, finishing solo and moving past Chris Froome in the overall standings and into the top three.
Geraint Thomas took second and has all but secured the overall classification, with just one more individual time trial and the ride to Paris to come.
Here's a look at Friday's stage results:
Friday's stage in the Pyrenees was the final tough mountain stage of this year's Tour, and event organisers saved some of their best climbs for the last, with the Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque ascents all part of the route.
The result was yet another brutal stage that weighed heavily on the riders, and few suffered more than green jersey-wearer Peter Sagan, who is still dealing with the consequences of a heavy crash.
Spectators were in awe of the effort he put in:
The stage was perfectly suited for a big early break, and there were a number of top riders in the breakaway group, including Bob Jungels, Warren Barguil, Julian Alaphilippe, Bauke Mollema and Gorka Izagirre.
But riders dropped out of the leading group and the peloton throughout the day, with both groups thinning out rapidly on the way to the final climb.
The stage exploded after the ascent of the Col des Borderes, with multiple attacks in both groups. Per the Inner Ring, the tactical games started well before the Aubisque:
Froome cracked after a double attack from Roglic, but he was able to make it back to the group with the help of some team-mates. He continued to struggle, however, with a dangerous descent still to come.
Everything came together before the summit, and in a hectic finale, Roglic found the gap he needed with some brave descending.
Saturday's ride will be the only individual time trial of this year's Tour. The stage profile is rather bumpy, with steep climbs and tricky descents, and the top riders could win some serious time in the GC.
Thomas leads Tom Dumoulin by more than two minutes, and that should be enough to survive Saturday's stage. Barring a crash or devastating mechanical issue, the Welshman will ride into Paris in the yellow jersey on Sunday.
Peter Sagan won Stage 13 of the 2018 Tour de France after a late sprint finish saw him cross the line first at Bourg-d'Oisans in Valence on Friday.
Sagan finished ahead of UAE Team Emirates rider Alexander Kristoff and Arnaud Demare of Groupama-FDJ.
It's a third stage win this year for Bora-Hansgrohe's Sagan, who retained the green jersey, while Geraint Thomas remains in the overall lead.
Sagan had set the pace after a frantic finish:
Yet it's Team Sky's Thomas who still leads the way in the general classification:
Afterwards, Sagan reflected on keeping his winning run going:
The stage had begun under something of a cloud, following the news Vincenzo Nibali had left the race due to a shoulder injury after a crash during Stage 12. Bahrain-Merida team doctor Emilio Magni confirmed the news to Tuttobiciweb (h/t Cycling News).
With Nibali unable to compete, Friday's race began with Thomas De Gendt and Stefan Kung attempting an early break. However, Demare and FDJ kept the pair in sight.
FDJ had an early grip on the peloton, but De Gendt continued to fight to maintain the break further ahead. He, Michael Schar, Tom Scully and Dimitri Claeys had a lead of over two minutes on the peloton with 83 kilometres left.
The foursome's advantage was pegged back to one minute and 45 seconds with 70 kilometres remaining. There was some separation among the peloton after the climb at Cote Sainte-Eulalie-en-Royans, with the lead being reduced to 40 seconds.
Sagan's team-mate Tobias Ludvigsson was working hard to rein in the four leaders. The peloton had plenty of motivation to keep the break in sight:
De Gendt withdrew with 25 kilometres remaining, leaving Schar to lead the break, albeit with a slender advantage of just 25 seconds.
Even so, Schar was still on the front as the tricky final 15 kilometres approached:
His lead wouldn't last much longer, though, as Sagan's team made its move:
Although he still held the lead for another 9.5 kilometres, Schar was eventually reeled in. A bunch formed with Daniel Oss, Demare and John Degenkolb among those involved.
It was Philippe Gilbert's cue to launch a late attack and sneak on to the front. The Quick-Step Floors rider stayed there briefly until Demare reasserted himself with Kristoff not far off his wheel.
However, Sagan timed his move perfectly to round the pair and claim the stage.
While he's padded his points tally, Sagan and the rest will know Thomas is still in control ahead of Saturday's stage at Mende.
Team Sky have a lead to defend in the 2018 Tour de France general classification for the first time on Thursday, when Geraint Thomas will set off for Stage 12 with the yellow jersey.
Stage 12 is the third successive high-mountain stage and will see riders start in Bourg-Saint-Maurice and finish at Alpe d'Huez, a trek totalling 175.5 kilometres across some of the fiercest inclines in France.
Thibaut Pinot was fastest to finish in 2015, when Alpe d'Huez was last used as a stage venue, but a new champion of the climb will emerge on Thursday as the Frenchman is not racing in this year's Tour.
Chris Froome sits second in the classification and one minute, 25 seconds off Team Sky team-mate Thomas, while Tom Dumoulin made the jump to third after he finished behind the Welshman in Stage 11:
Read on for a look at the Stage 12 route and a preview of the race, as well as a television schedule and live-stream information.
Date: Wednesday, July 18
UK TV Info: Eurosport 1 (12:05 a.m.-6 p.m. BST), ITV 4 (11 a.m.-5:15 p.m. BST)
U.S. TV Info: NBCSN, 6:30 a.m. ET
Live Stream: Eurosport Player, ITV Hub, NBC Sports App
Preview
Stage 12 will bring an end to the alpine phase of this year's Tour and could be the segment in which we begin to see some riders officially lose hope of a result in the general classification.
The profile of the stage is daunting and features three category HC climbs, as well as one category 2 ascent. Alpe d'Huez has a reputation as a demanding finish for a reason and holds an 8.1 per cent incline over 13.8 kilometres:
Riders will rack up almost 5,000 metres in altitude over the course of the stage, and this could be the point at which we see Froome's tremendous lasting power at a heavy pace come to the fore.
That being said, the spotlight is on Thomas after his triumph in Stage 11, and Off the Ball's Eoin Sheahan jested we're set to see Team Sky dazzle again, a feat which would be to the chagrin of some:
The ongoing furore that surrounds Froome after his anti-doping case was closed means many fans would likely be upset if he succeeded in clinching a fourth successive Tour title in 2018.
Thomas raced to one of the best finishes this year on Wednesday, and it will be intriguing to see how he's able to sustain pace in a bid to keep the yellow jersey.
Even the Alpe d'Huez is excited to host one of the most anticipated portions of the alpine stage of the Tour, posting a preview of the challenge to come:
Team Emirates rider Dan Martin has already won one stage in France and been close to the finishing action on several occasions, while Bora–Hansgrohe's Peter Sagan is also sure to be a contender on Thursday.
The Tour will weave deeper into its second half in Stage 12 with a stiff 175.5-kilometre gauntlet, and Team Sky's front-runners will be hard-pressed to emerge at the other side with the yellow jersey in either Thomas or Froome's possession.
Marcel Kittel booked an early victory in the 2017 Tour de France after winning Stage 2 of the competition on Sunday, although Geraint Thomas retained his place atop the general classification.
Kittel bulleted to first place following a scrappy sprint finish into Belgian territory from their German start to inject some life into his challenge on this year's Tour title.
Thomas won the individual time trials in Saturday's opening stage, but the wet conditions made Sunday's race that much more difficult to predict and featured a big crash among Team Sky's stars.
The Inner Ring broke down the top finishers from the second stage of the 2017 Tour de France:
And here's a look at the general classification following the conclusion of Sunday's ride:
Riders set off from Dusseldorf and in the direction of Monchengladbach following a circuit of the city and later toward the Belgian border, as well as their finishing point in Liege.
Yoann Offredo, Thomas Boudat, Taylor Phinney and Laurent Pichon swiftly formed a four-man breakaway and put a distance of more than two minutes between them and the peloton, where they would remain for much of the race.
LeTourData tracked the quartet's run from the first break off, charting their progress as they put an almighty effort into retaining their places:
After overcoming the Category 4 Cote de Grafenberg near the race's beginning, riders enjoyed a relatively flat run past Monchengladbach and toward their Belgian entry.
The conditions on hand for the trip from Dusseldorf to Liege left something to be desired, however, and CyclingHub provided a glimpse at the kind of adversity riders had to fight against:
Along the route, Boudat reaped the benefits of his early initiative and won the first intermediate sprint, via the official Tour de France Twitter account:
Misfortune struck as the peloton was coming around a roundabout heading toward one of the stage's final climbs, however, when a crash involving between 15 and 20 riders put a halt on proceedings.
Team Sky were found to be at the front of the peloton when the crash occurred, per their official Twitter account, and Chris Froome was forced to change his bike twice after his first pick of temporary ride was too small:
The leading riders held an advantage of two-and-a-half minutes heading toward the Category 4 Cote d'Olne, one of the tallest peaks on the stage and marking a distance of around 12.5 kilometres to the finish.
Phinney beat a stubborn Pichon to the summit of the Cote d'Olne which, combined with a safe enough finish at the end of the stage, was enough to earn him the maillot a pois as mountains classification leader, which he will wear on Monday.
Boudat eventually lost his place among the pack with about 10 kilometres remaining, and both Phinney and Offredo finally fell victim to the same fate with only one kilometre remaining, losing the cushion in agonising fashion.
And after biding his time to a tee, Kittel timed his late dart for the damp Liege finish line to perfection, understandably showcasing huge emotion at the stage's conclusion, per Cycling Central:
The German's victory was his 10th Tour de France win overall, while Thomas' safe finish among the pack was sufficient to keep him in the yellow jersey in time for Stage 3 on Monday.
Team Sky will be glad to keep their position at the front of the pack, continuing to pick their battles in the hopes that the likes of Thomas and former champion Froome can keep them ahead.
Team Sky secured their first yellow jersey of the 2017 Tour de France on Saturday, as Geraint Thomas won the opening time trial in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Movistar's Alejandro Valverde became the first rider to abandon the race after a crash. Poor weather conditions plagued the stage, with plenty of top contenders hitting the tarmac.
Race favourite Chris Froome gained an advantage over his main rivals, finishing more than 30 seconds ahead of BMC's Richie Porte.
Here's a look at the stage results, via the Inner Ring:
Recap
Saturday's stage was longer than a traditional prologue but shorter than most time trials, and with the rain making the course very dangerous, the top contenders for the general classification had to choose between going for the win and limiting the risks.
The white lines covering the streets of Dusseldorf were particularly slippery, and as shared by ITV Cycling, plenty of rain didn't help matters:
Team Sky impressed early, with Vasil Kiryienka and Michal Kwiatkowski both clocking good times before Thomas and Froome even ventured out on the course. Not to be outdone, Thomas went even faster than Kiryienka, giving Sky three of the top four riders at the time.
Most fans were waiting for the GC contenders to take off, however, with Jakob Fuglsang kicking things off. Valverde crashed, and as shared by Philousports-Yahoo, it was a nasty spill:
The Spanish veteran didn't get up immediately, with Movistar holding their breath, as he's a key setup man for Nairo Quintana. Despite the team's best efforts, they couldn't patch him up, and he became the first rider to abandon.
At the front, stage favourite Tony Martin couldn't beat Thomas' time, and neither could Stefan Kung. Froome went close, but he won't mind giving up the stage win to his team-mate. Porte, Quintana, Alberto Contador and Fabio Aru all lost well over 30 seconds on the defending champion, and Sky's form looks ominous after just a single stage.
Paris and the Champs-Elysees one week, London and The Mall the next. The literal nature of road cycling means it has a near monopoly on some of the world's most tourist-friendly streets, boulevards and avenues.
For British cycling the two locations have come to represent important and historic landmarks in its increasing influence and prominence in the sport. After Team Sky's Chris Froome sealed his second Tour de France in Paris, the third edition of RideLondon-Surrey Classic this past weekend reiterated the current standing and future potential that might have seemed unreachable as recently as a decade ago.
Things have changed. The fortunes of the country's riders are now intrinsically linked to so many of the biggest and most notable races. On Saturday, another new location to mark that burgeoning strength was added in the Basque Country.
Adam Yates—a highly rated product of the British junior ranks who joined Orica-GreenEDGE with his similarly well regarded twin brother Simon in 2014—broke from a pack featuring several fellow survivors of last month's Tour de France to become the first rider from his country to win Clasica San Sebastian.
The event counts multi-time Tour winner Miguel Indurain and this year's third-placed general classification man Alejandro Valverde among its past victors. But for a crash with 3.5 km remaining, Yates may have had a say in stopping the latter winning last season.
This time Yates was partly aided by the fractured nature of the race in its final kilometres. The hopes of BMC's Greg van Avermaet were cruelly and dangerously dashed when he was knocked down by a motorbike on the final climb up Bordako Tontorra. Problems with the host broadcasts' feed also confused matters.
Still, Yates' determination in surging forward suggests he might have grabbed first even with more formidable accompaniment to the finish line.
Having made up for last year's disappointment in the process, the short-term image of the 22-year-old's momentous victory is likely to be him not realising he had crossed the finish line. "I spoke on the radio to my sport director but because of the crowds the radio was too quiet," he told his team's official website before adding, because of the previous "carnage," he "didn’t know if I had reached the lead or not."
The lasting takeaway from San Sebastian relating to Yates will—all being well—be the part it played in a fledgling career that is developing patiently but encouragingly. A solid neo pro year was lit up by impressively winning the varied Tour of Turkey. His recent multiple Tour de France top-10 placements on the way to 50th in the GC has combined with this latest victory to suggest the expectation around him has not been misplaced.
Over in London a day after Clasica San Sebastian, some of the names who have led Britain's rise to prominence in the Tour and elsewhere were participating in the climax to the now yearly cycling festival regarded as one of the successfully sustained legacies of London 2012.
The RideLondon-Surrey Classic tracks a course featuring the landmarks of the Olympic road race route such as Box Hill and The Mall, concluding a weekend of public-participation events and other competitions (notably the fiercely contested but all-too-short women's Grand Prix criterium, won this year by Velocio-SRAM's Barbara Guarischi).
At Sunday's start point outside Horse Guards Parade plenty of fans could be found waiting outside the Etixx-QuickStep and Team Wiggins vehicles to meet Mark Cavendish and, you guessed it, Sir Bradley Wiggins. The former hoping for a return to winning ways after he was unable to build on his Tour de France Stage 7 win amid endless days in the mountains. The latter former maillot jaune winner promoting his eponymous development team and clocking a few extra miles in preparations for a planned return to the track at Rio 2016.
Froome was absent, but the Team Sky bus proudly bore yellow bands in commemoration of their main-man's achievement. "There was a lot of support out there," 2014 Classic runner-up Ben Swift said post-race of the roadside backing for the British outfit post-Tour. "I saw a few banners for myself and I think it’s just how cycling is in the UK now. It was massive."
Prior to the roll-out Swift chatted with the man who beat him a year earlier, Adam Blyth, then of NFTO, now back on the WorldTour with Orica-GreenEDGE. Among the last to make their way out once things were underway were the old team-mates Cavendish and Wiggins, enjoying a catch-up of their own while the pace was still slow.
As it was, none of Blythe or the latter pair would be involved in the deciding actions of the day.
Wiggins enjoyed what is set to be one of his farewell laps on British roads, but kept his activity to a minimum. Cavendish briefly tested his legs out of the peloton, but was then absorbed back in, left to watch as the breakaway that did last included his new team-mate and fellow fast-man Fernando Gaviria.
EQS did not feel the need to give chase, and nor did Sky with a motivated Swift among the number also including Lotto NL-Jumbo men Mike Teunissen and Sep Vanmarcke, as well as BMC's Jean-Pierre Drucker. The latter established his position after good softening work from his allies Floris Gerts, Rohan Dennis and Philippe Gilbert (the latter having also ridden in Spain the previous day).
Swift was glad to be back racing after a three-month absence resulting from a broken shoulder at the Tour de Yorkshire. "The first 20 km was flat out, it was a bit of a shock to the system—the lungs were burning, pretty hard—I kind of rode myself into it," the 27-year-old admitted. "It was quite controlled the first couple of climbs and then once we hit the last climb of the circuit I was given free role to start following moves and attacking."
Describing it as an "aggressive last 50 km and then a super aggressive last 10 km", Swift helped Drucker reel in Vanmarcke's solo escape heading into central London, a reluctant Teunissen in tow. Heading onto The Mall it was to be BMC's Luxembourger who had the legs and strategic timing to pip the others.
"I knew if we keep him (Vanmarcke) close we can come back and I always try to keep an eye on Ben Swift because I was thinking he is very motivated to win here," Drucker recounted. "So I tried to race a bit on Ben and at the end I think I didn’t steal the victory, I did my work as well and I attacked as well.
"It’s my first pro win so it’s even nicer to win in front of the Buckingham Palace."
After being denied a win in the Classic again, Swift initially and understandably cut a disappointed figure on his way to the podium. Having had time to reflect he was pleased his training form had translated relatively well, "to get that solid result in a race straight off." His upcoming schedule includes the Tour of Denmark and Brazil's Olympic test event, to "have a good look at that and go and lay on Copacabana beach for a little bit."
Drucker heads to the Eneco Tour and then the Vuelta a Espana. The latter may also feature an attempt from Froome to improve on two second places in Spain and win Britain's first Grand Tour outside of France.
With Froome's success and the continued efforts of men like Yates and Swift to make their own way, British cycling should have plenty more to celebrate. The flip-side of that is guys like Drucker will have even more reason to try to stop them. Be it in Paris, London, the mountains of Spain or wherever.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Standing atop the Tour de France podium on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday, Chris Froome ended his victory speech with a stirring call for belief in the race, the sport of cycling and himself.
"The maillot jaune is special, very special," the Team Sky leader said, per British Eurosport. "I understand its history, good and bad. I will always respect it, never dishonour it and I will always be proud to have won it."
Two years earlier Froome had expressed a similar sentiment from the same spot after winning his first maillot jaune, describing it as "one yellow jersey that will stand the test of time," per BBC Sport. His need to reword it in 2015 came after three weeks in which skeptical elements of the French public and media had cast doubt on his efforts.
If nothing else, you can sympathise with their cynicism.
Ten years ago Lance Armstrong celebrated his seventh and last Tour de France victory* with a defence as similarly evocative as Froome's. "You should believe in these people," the American pleaded, via BBC Sport. "There are no secrets. This is a hard Tour and hard work wins it. Vive Le Tour."
One year later, the Operacion Puerto investigation into Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes' doping network struck on the eve of the race, removing Armstrong's peers Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich from the race. Floyd Landis, a former team-mate of Armstrong's and the winner* of that 2006 Tour, was found guilty of fouling a drug test within a week of taking yellow in Paris.
Cycling's age of the asterisk eventually caught up with Armstrong too, leading to his admission of doping in January 2013.
No matter the positive changes that had been taking place in the sport—more stringent testing, a culture more hostile to cheating—the confession of its biggest event's most prolific champion cast a shadow over the confirmation of Froome's rise to prominence later that year. One that, as evidenced by this summer's edition of the Tour—littered with unsavoury roadside abuse and unfounded insinuations—has not disappeared.
Froome is staking a claim as the most dominant grand tour rider of this decade.
Backed by a Sky team able to successfully recalibrate after last year's Tour de France disappointment, his second triumph here yet again included a commanding first-place assault in the first mountain stage proper up to La Pierre Saint-Martin. Also as in 2013, Froome's overall superiority was all the more impressive for the calibre of riders competing with him for the general classification.
Indeed, the final top five—Froome, Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde, Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador—was made up entirely of former grand tour winners.
France's most famous sporting event has been damaged too often in recent decades. The thought it could suffer even more embarrassment in the form of another disgraced champion is understandably hard to take for those for whom its annual appearance marks a high point in their sporting calendar.
Armstrong and others have battered that trust. Now that reluctance (certainly not just from the French, but some of theirs stood out in their home grand tour) to believe is leading to an unfortunately strained relationship with a competitor who has provided no indication he is competing anything but fairly.
Sky's groundbreaking but polarising methods (not strictly adhering to cycling tradition), the various responses to cycling's doping past and the more prominent contemporary aspects of performance evaluation like power data—these are among the many contradictions, complications and contentions shaping debate and perception around the modern peloton.
Froome has twice given his word on the biggest stage he can be trusted. The past and that mix of present-day issues should rightly ensure all who enjoy the sport show great vigilance. But the guilty-until-proven-innocent narrative being written by some every time Froome has a great day has to be dispensed with as soon as possible.
The skepticism over Froome and Sky did not detract from the spectacle and competition of this year's Tour. How could anyone not have been enthralled by Movistar men Quintana and Valverde's valiant but fruitless penultimate-day attempts to move the Colombian ahead of Froome on the roads to Alpe d'Huez (as it was, the leader's final-week struggles may have soothed the fears of some doubters).
Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, Sky boss Dave Brailsford said having their backs against the wall ultimately even inspired a fighting mentality within the British-based team. Still, the speculation did unnecessarily distract from the racing at times. The prospect of it doing so again in the months and years to come is a concerning one.
Froome and Quintana could face each other as soon as August's Vuelta a Espana. The latter's attendance was confirmed by Movistar team manager Eusebio Unzue during the Tour, per Cycling Weekly's Stuart Clarke, while the Sky man has hinted at his own participation (above, via Sky Sports Cycling).
The Vuelta does not carry the same profile as the Tour, but especially should Froome compete, it will be intriguing to see if there is an carryover from France.
If this past month's top two come together and the racing is allowed to speak for itself, we should be in for a treat. Froome would be bidding to improve upon two second places in the grand tour where he made his breakthrough, in the process retaining a high level of performance for the winter. Quintana would be looking to record his second major win and make up for crashing out in Spain last year.
If their competitive rivalry is intensified further by another compelling duel at the Vuelta, next year's Tour de France could have the makings of one for the ages, with two talented cyclists in their peak attempting to establish or confirm their superiority in the current generation.
It would be foolish to rule out the veterans Contador and Nibali regaining their best form by that summer (the Spaniard intends to retire at the end of 2016, per the Press Association via the Guardian, and would love to go out on a high), nor to assume someone else will not break through by then. But it is difficult to look past the 2016 Tour not significantly featuring Froome and Quintana again.
For that to be undermined by more unsubstantiated doping innuendo would be a blot on cycling.
If there is evidence, so be it. But until then it is time to roll back on the cynicism or risk any enjoyment of the sport's grand tours being all but killed off. Those who have ruined it in the past cannot be allowed to any further.
Shortly after the 2015 Tour de France route was announced in Paris, 2013 champion Chris Froome suggested that he may skip the famous race to focus on the Giro d'Italia. But in reality, Froome's absence will not be a possibility for Team Sky—not through choice anyway.
Le Tour's general director Christian Prudhomme was all smiles as he laid out the parcours for the 102nd "Grande Boucle," but Froome was left disappointed by the lack of time trial kilometres on offer.
The 2015 Tour will only contain 14km of individual time-trialling—the fewest since 1945 (via William Fotheringham of The Guardian)—meaning the yellow jersey will be fought out over the race's seven mountain stages.
In a statement on his website, Froome admitted that the route did not particularly inspire him. With so much emphasis on mountain climbing, it would be hard for him to repeat his 2013 triumph.
The team and I will have to give it some careful consideration before we make any commitments to which of the grand tours I will compete in. I see myself as quite a balanced GC rider and the Giro with it's inclusion of a long TT of 60km and tough uphill finishes will make it a well balanced race which suits me well. If I did the Giro I may also be able to get myself back to top shape for the Vuelta and go there with a realistic chance of aiming for the win.
The reaction in the Twittersphere was pretty unanimous—there is no way that Team Sky will let their star man miss the biggest race of the year, even if it does mean having to settle for the inevitable outcome of Froome not winning.
The Kenyan-born rider's victory in 2013 was greatly boosted by his speed in the two individual time trials. He put two minutes into his nearest rival Alejandro Valverde over the 33km to Mont Saint-Michel on Stage 11 before winning the 32km Stage 17.
Despite winning two stages in the mountains, the Brit was heavily marked throughout the race by the likes of Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador, both of whom have said they will contest the Tour next year.
I think it's fair to say that Froome's climbing ability is up there with the best, but even he—judging by his thoughts on the route—doesn't believe that he can beat Quintana, Contador or even Frenchmen like Thibaut Pinot in the mountains alone.
But here is where the politics come in. In recent years, Sky's whole season has revolved around the Tour de France. The popularity of the race has boomed in the UK thanks to the successes of Froome and 2012 champion Sir Bradley Wiggins, not to mention the Grand Depart in Yorkshire this year.
While the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana hold Grand Tour status, their appeal in Britain is fairly limited—perhaps due to the relative lack of British success in the races—meaning it would be a waste for Sky to "hide" their biggest asset in those two races.
To be clear, given what Sky are investing & the level of UK interest in Giro & Vuelta, they'd be barking mad to let Froome skip the Tour.
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) October 22, 2014
Stephen Roche, winner of the 1987 Tour, made the point in his Daily Telegraph column that it would be fairly unprecedented for one of the main contenders to voluntarily skip the race. Roche, who's son Nicolas transferred to Sky from Tinkoff-Saxo this winter, believes Froome was merely "voicing a bit of frustration at a parcours which...does not play entirely to his strengths."
Roche makes a good point. This could be Froome's way of telling the organisers that just because the Tour is the world's biggest cycling race, it does not mean the world's biggest riders will automatically attend.
But journalist Richard Moore suggested on Twitter that while Froome may prefer the Giro's parcours, Sky's sponsors may have other ideas of their main man opting out.
Riders hinting that they'll miss the Tour until sponsors say, 'don't think so, sonny m'lad.'
— Richard Moore (@richardmoore73) October 22, 2014
In their 2013 accounts (via The Inner Ring), Team Sky revealed their title sponsor pumped £14.5m into the team's coffers, while other minor backers provided nearly £6m more.
In a sport where money talks, Froome's participation in the race for the yellow jersey is pretty much paramount for the continued success, and sponsors' backing, of Team Sky.
So expect to see Froome in his Sky skin suit rolling down the start ramp on Stage 1 in Utrecht next July, trying to prove a point in the race's only time trial.
