“I’ve raced for three weeks for that, ” Greipel said. I’d love to come back next year and fight for it again’. If you look at the guys who are behind him, I don’t know who can beat him in the next years.
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In another crucial change, Froome also said that compared with 2015, he had had a much warmer welcome from the French, too.
Speaking about the second crash, which occurred two days before the end of the race, he told Radio 4’s Today programme: “It was pretty scary – the initial feeling is just to get straight back up again and in the next two or three minutes you go through the checks thinking, right, is everything still working?”
In the Pyrenees and the Alps, Froome’s teammates deployed their strong-arm tactics, riding at the front to set a punishingly fast tempo that prevented Quintana, Bardet and other pure climbers from attacking.
We saw it when he launched himself off the descent of the Col d’Aspin in a style reminiscent of the maverick Graeme Obree, snatching the yellow jersey before his rivals realised what had happened on stage eight.
“We all love the Tour de France because it is unpredictable, but we love the Tour more for what stays the same – the passion of the fans from every nation along the roadside, the beauty of the French countryside and the bonds of friendship created through sport”. Two crashes put his ambition to the test, but Froome recovered each time.
The rain comes down on Friday and Froome is not the only rider to fall in treacherous conditions.
But for Thomas he didn’t have the same effect like he did a year ago, when he was by Froome’s side every step of the way.
Ahead of them are five-time champions Miguel Indurain of Spain, Belgian great Eddy Merckx and Frenchmen Bernard Hinault and Jacques Anquetil.
Froome rides in the Olympic Games road race and time-trial, on August 6 and August 10, respectively, and has realistic chances of gold in both events in Rio. “We haven’t won the team competition but by far we’ve had the strongest team here – I’m incredibly grateful for that”, he added.
When it comes to the time trial, where he won the bronze medal at London 2012, Froome said that he has “been thinking about it for six months”. “I think that has been genuinely achieved for the first time by Sky’s involvement in cycling”.
On his way to Rio, Froome will take part in the RideLondon classic next Sunday.
“I think it’s a course (in Rio) that suits me well, there’s nearly a thousand meters of climbing and it’s nearly 60 kilometers in length”, said Froome, who will also compete in the road race in Rio.
Froome travelled to Rio last November to check out the Olympic courses, a trip that encouraged him to sign up for the time trial.
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With Thibault Pinot out of form, the French hopes of producing a first home Tour victor in 31 years hung on Romain Bardet’s shoulders.
