“There has been a plan, there have been structures, riders of talent”.
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When Froome was asked about a suggestion that the reason he hasn’t been able to attack successfully uphill in this Tour was because he doesn’t have a motor in his bike, Sky team principal Dave Brailsford responded for the rider.
On Monday, as riders enjoyed the first day of the Tour that finishes on Sunday week in Paris, many others were still wondering about Quintana who is fourth overall at 23 seconds. “I’m really happy with how it’s gone so far”, said the 2013 and 2015 Tour victor.
The defending champion led the Colombian by 23 seconds ahead of Tuesday s 10th stage from Andorra to Revel, back in France.
On Thursday, Bastille Day, the Tour will head up the feared Mont Ventoux – scene of a big victory for Froome in 2013.
“I’m still here for stages, I came to race for stages”, he said.
The big test will be endurance and whether he can maintain this level for three weeks.
The Aspin, which was included in the Tour for the 73rd time, was affronted from its longer southern slope, 12 kilometers at an average gradient of 6.5 percent.
He is now expected to turn his focus to next month’s Vuelta a España and the Olympic road race in Rio this summer. The stage win went to Holland’s Tom Dumoulin.
Others disagreed on the Team Sky riders’ form.
“Britain has invested heavily in the lower ranks and in development pathways and not only in cycling”.
“It really was just a bit of a gamble”, Froome. He had been setback early in the event by a pair of crashes.
Then on Sunday’s trek over five massive Pyrenean cols, Froome had to contend with freak weather conditions as much as his rivals, when four hours of blazing heat abruptly gave way to near freezing conditions.
“But that never came so I’d like to think he was on his limit”. “I’m going to do whatever I can to try and win the race”. Etixx-Quick-Step’s Dan Martin, BMC’s Richie Porte, and Trek-Segafredo’s Bauke Mollema all tried to escape, and Froome was forced to cover every surge.
Luckily for Team Sky (and unfortunately for their rivals), Thursday’s stage to Mont Ventoux gives them the flawless opportunity to fall back into the groove.
“It’s nice to see him mixing it in his first Tour”.
There has been no French champion since Bernard Hinault’s fifth victory in 1985. “We waited for our guys to come back after the first climb and then we went after them”. Team Sky had controlled the pace but when they had all been dropped and only Henao and Froome were left, Henao jumped.
That’s what happened when a fan wearing the yellow shirt of Colombia’s national soccer team and a yellow wig got too close to Froome during Saturday’s eighth stage of the Tour de France.
Spain’s Alberto Contador gets in his team auto after dropping out of the 184,5 km ninth stage of the 103rd edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Vielha Val d’Aran and Andorre Arcalis Sunday.
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Britain’s Chris Froome, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, and Mark Cavendish, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, ride behind the race director’s auto during the ceremonial parade of the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 184.5 kilometers (114.3 miles) with start in Vielha Val d’Aran, Spain, and finish in Andorra Arcalis, Andorra, Sunday, July 10, 2016.
