Chris Froome wins, Tour de France 2012, stage seven
Sky's Chris Froome is planning to win the Tour de France this year or the next. He said today in an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe that anything is possible.
"If I feel that the Tour can be lost," Froome said, "I will follow the best riders, be that [Cadel] Evans or [Vincenzo] Nibali, to preserve our chance and be sure of Sky's presence."
Froome said that the team's orders are first for Wiggins, who leads the race by 2-05 minutes on Froome and 2-23 on Nibali (Liquigas).
"I could win this Tour, but not at Sky. I cannot lie to you, it's difficult, but it's my job," he said. "It's a very, very great sacrifice. We have a strategy around Wiggins and everybody respects it."
Cycling Weekly and other journalists spoke with Bjarne Riis this morning about Sky. Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank's team manager, who guided Carlos Sastre to the Tour win in 2008, said it does not matter if Froome or Wiggins win the race.
"I think I'll leave it up to them, I'm not directing their team, so I don't exactly what's going on or how they feel. If I was there, I know what I'd do," he explained.
"Isn't [Froome] still English if he was born somewhere else [Africa]? The biggest interest of team Sky should be that they can win the Tour, no matter where [the rider] comes from. If they don't have that philosophy, one day or another, they will have a problem, that's for sure."
Alberto Contador will return to ride with Riis after his doping ban ends next month.
Froome signed a new three-year contract with Sky leading the team to second overall in the Vuelta a España last year. If not this year, he said that he wants to return to win the Tour in 2013.
"It all depends on the route," Froome told L'Equipe. "If there are passes, I hope Sky will be honest and all my team-mates will be at my service, with the same loyalty I have shown today."
Tour de France 2012: Latest news
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Tour de France 2012: Teams, riders, start list
Tour 2012: Who will win?
Tour de France 2012 provisional start list
Tour de France 2012 team list
Tour de France 2012: Stage reports
Stage 13: Greipel survives climb and crosswinds to win third Tour stage
Stage 12: Millar wins Tour stage nine years from his last
Stage 11: Wiggins strengthens Tour lead as Evans slips back
Stage 10: Voeckler wins and saves his Tour
Stage nine: Wiggins destroys opposition in Besancon TT
Stage eight: Pinot solos to Tour win as Wiggins fights off attacks
Stage seven: Wiggins takes yellow as Froome wins stage
Stage six: Sagan wins third Tour stage
Stage five: Greipel wins again as Cavendish fades
Stage four: Greipel wins stage after Cavendish crashes
Stage three: Sagan runs away with it in Boulogne
Stage two: Cavendish takes 21st Tour stage victory
Stage one: Sagan wins at first attempt
Prologue: Cancellara wins, Wiggins second
Tour de France 2012: Comment, analysis, blogs
Analysis: What we learned at La Planche des Belles Filles
Analysis: How much time could Wiggins gain in Tour's time trials
CW's Tour de France podcasts
Blog: Tour presentation - chasing dreams and autographs
Comment: Cavendish the climber
Tour de France 2012: Photo galleries
Stage 13 by Graham Watson
Stage 12 by Graham Watson
Stage 11 by Graham Watson
Stage 10 by Graham Watson
Stage nine by Graham Watson
Stage eight by Graham Watson
Stage seven by Graham Watson
Stage six by Graham Watson
Stage five by Graham Watson
Stage four by Graham Watson
Stage three by Graham Watson
Stage two by Andy Jones
Stage two by Graham Watson
Stage one by Graham Watson
Prologue photo gallery by Andy Jones
Prologue photo gallery by Roo Rowler
Prologue photo gallery by Graham Watson
Tour de France 2012: Team presentation
Sky and Rabobank Tour de France recce
Tour de France 2012: Live text coverage
Stage 10 live coverage
Stage nine live coverage
Stage six live coverage
Stage five live coverage
Stage four live coverage
Stage three live coverage
Cycling Weekly's live text coverage schedule
Tour de France 2012: TV schedule
ITV4 live schedule
British Eurosport live schedule
Tour de France 2012: Related links
Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Cavendish
Brief history of the Tour de France
Tour de France 2011: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
1989: The Greatest Tour de France ever
Reader comments
Add your comments
adam
July 15 17:50
I hear you Chris, but keep quiet til the end of the Tour. They'll be enough magazines wanting to hear your thougths then. For now your job is supporting Wiggins - and that means mentally as well. Keep schtoom for another week.... maybe your chance will come this Tour, but if not then it will come in the future.
redballoon
July 15 18:34
I am surprised CF has made such a comment. It is ivery disingenious. He always struck me in interview as person of integrity. If he was not prepared to make these very hard sacrifices, then he should not have signed up again with TS and should have left after the Vuelta. Sky will have been very patient with him, given his medical problems, and if it had not been for the Vuelta, he would have been out of their set up. He is obviously a talented rider, but these comments do nothing but undermine Wiggins, and to do it at this late hour is disgraceful. Moreover, to the say that he wants a full team to be backing him in the 2013 tour, leaves one incredulous. Ambition is one thing, but what arrogance! If I was Dave B, I would read him the riot act.
Braceylady
July 15 19:48
Totally agree with you redballoon. I also don't actually believe he is stronger than Wiggins. He hasn't the calmness, experience & discipline. Being stronger on 1 ascent does not make him a better rider. He's paid to do a job & that's what he should do.
sheldon
July 15 19:50
I'm not sure that CF could win this years Tour, he lost time to Wiggo in the time trial. Wiggo is riding well in yellow with all the added pressures the Jersey brings, we don't know how CF would cope with that responsibility and pressures. Wiggo is looking stronger on the climbs each day and I don't think he could take time from Wiggins if he was to attack. CF does not look as strong and with his health problems who knows when he might crack. Sky are backing the right man 100% sure of this. Wiggins is a class rider and the best may be yet to come. We will see.
Piskian
July 15 20:43
This's a translated article from L'Equipe.Take that as you like.French journos?CW taking it as read?Lazy journos?YOU figure it out!
Mark Jones
July 15 20:46
Wiggins has gained the respect of the team from his results over the last two years and especially this year. I have lost a lot of respect for Froome over the last couple of days and this sort of talk does nothing but harm the team's chances. Brad is 2:33 ahead of Nibali with the TT still to come, so they have no reason to panic at this stage.
Ali Manners
July 15 22:08
If he did really say these things, he got it wrong. However, I suspect that what he did say has been taken out of context or mis-quoted as we have seen time and time again from journalists after headlines. When he has been interviewed before he has always been very respectful of Wiggo. They are both great cyclists but team right to back and support Wiggo. After BMC gate today - I think they will have a new story about Cadel and TJ and froomgate will be forgotten.
KWC
July 15 22:20
What Froome is saying is that he has better DOPE then Wiggins.........
JMH
July 15 23:49
Few cyclists win a Grand Tour without a team behind them. Unfortunately, with comments like this Chris Froome will struggle to obtain the respect of anyone in the peleton.. Red Balloon is right if his loss to Cobo at last years Vuelta was eating him up inside so much, he should have turned down the big money offer and moved on. Sadly I doubt he would have found a team that would have put their full resources behind him at this years TDF. Even talented young riders have to serve an apprenticeship, prove their worth over more than a couple of climbs and earn their spurs.
Tom Knox
July 16 00:16
Chris has shown real poor form to make a statement like this mid- race. Personally I think Froome is delusional. We know Wiggo is the man in the TT and it appeared Bradly was gaping Chris, just be fore the infamous "attack". Chris may be able to jump away, but I think Bradley is fitter and would bring him back and I am not sure Chris could hold Wiggos wheel when he did. And besides riding a great Tour Bradley has really shown his class and leadership waiting for Cadel as well as addressing the doping issue. I must be tough having such great form in the shadow of the Pharmstrong scandal. And any cycling insider who has watched Bradley's progress realizes it is the result of talent, motivation, and an incredible work ethic.
Organised Confusion
July 16 10:12
Mr. Brailsford needs to shut him down and get him focussed on the task at hand. Unless L'Equipe has mistranslated his comments (and I have seen numerous suggestions that this is the case - a further attempt to destabilise the yellow jersey campaign perhaps?), Froome's timing is poor, a tad distateful and unnecessary. I think we can wait gfor your personal views, Mr. Froome, once you have completed the job next Sunday. Until then, keep your opinions to yourself.