Vincenzo Nibali attacks, Tour de France 2012, stage 16
Sky had the Tour de France's 16th stage to Bagnères-de-Luchon under control, according to Chris Froome. He said that he and race leader, Bradley Wiggins were comfortable despite Vincenzo Nibali's attackers.
"Worried? Not really, to be honest," Froome said. "Yeah, it was hard at the end of a long day, it hurts, but Brad and I both know they [Nibali's attacks] weren't really going anywhere. We were quite within ourselves there at the end."
Froome spoke to a group of five journalists after cooling down on the bus. He helped Wiggins come one step closer to winning the Tour in Paris on Sunday.
He brought back Nibali after two attacks with around three kilometres to race up the Col de Peyresourde. The third attack, through a tunnel of fans, Wiggins pulled back.
Team Principal David Brailsford was impressed with the effort, which sets up the team for first and second in Paris.
"Look at him [Froome], he's as fresh as a daisy," Brailsford said. "Like a Sunday clubber."
Some experts said that if Nibali of team Liquigas-Cannondale failed to gain time today over Wiggins then he would be unable to win the Tour. He trails Wiggins by 2-23 minutes.
"We were very comfortable there. I don't think he was really going anywhere," Froome added. "I mean it's great that he was able to put in those moves, but I he was only getting 50 metres or so, and then we were bringing him back."
"We saw at the end, it was just down to three, there's not many people left in the race," Wiggins explained. "I'm just glad we passed the test as a team... It was tough going out there."
The trio moved clear of their rivals. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) and Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing) placed in a group 58 seconds back. Defending champion, Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) was nearly five minutes back.
Nibali now sits safe in third overall by just over three minutes on Van den Broeck.
"He's in a good position," Froome said. "He's obviously now securing his third position a lot better by having dropped a lot of the other favourites. So, it was in our interest to work together and just keep it going."
Froome must help Wiggins defend in one more key mountain stage, tomorrow's summit finish to Peyragudes.
"Sky was too strong today," Nibali said. "I'm aiming for the podium. I'd still like to win the stage tomorrow, but it's getting too hard to open the door."
Tour de France 2012: Latest news
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Defending Tour champ Evans has work to do in Pyrenees
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Tour de France 2012: Teams, riders, start list
Tour 2012: Who will win?
Tour de France 2012 start list and withdrawals
Tour de France 2012 team list
Tour de France 2012: Stage reports
Stage 16: Voeckler the Pyrenean king as he wins in Bagneres de Luchon
Stage 15: Fedrigo wins, day off for peloton
Stage 14: Sanchez solos to Foix victory to save Rabobank's Tour
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 16 by Graham Watson
Stage 15 by Graham Watson
Stage 14 by Graham Watson
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
Paul
July 18 20:18
Nibali's attacks weren't going anywhere? against Froome perhaps but he would have eaten Wiggins.
Don Danberry
July 18 22:11
Seems a bit uncharitable of Froome to say that of Nibali - at least he was giving it a go and making for good racing. And the more I hear from and read about Froome, the more I want Wiggins to continue to be team leader for years to come, all being well. @Paul - Nibali would have 'eaten Wiggins'? What, apart from the several occasions when Wiggins himself covered Nibali's attacks you mean?
Mick W
July 18 22:29
Eaten Wiggins ??......absolute rubbish . Wiggo looked serene.
Philip Livingstone
July 19 12:25
I thought Bradley was majestic - he looked like he was on a Sunday club run, riding well within himself. As the team leader he is the protected rider and should be conserving energy as much as possible. Unfortunately Paul's comments highlight the amount of damage Chris Froome's comments in the press have done to Bradley's achievement - on the verge of greatness and people like Paul are undermining it already.
SJH
July 19 12:45
It's ok, Paul must have been going on about the 'Twiglet' tag or something. Didn't know you could get them in Italy...
carbon crank
July 19 16:42
Welcome to the bread and water era of cycling. There will be no more attacks that break a rider and win back minutes. Just faux attacks that have no chance so they can say they tried. It will make the grand tours in to time trial contests with some mountains thrown in for pretty pictures. This has been the most boring tour I've ever seen. And the stage racing all year, from Tour of California to Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice, Dauphine. they have all been snoozers, unless you are huge fan of time trialing. The mountains have become glorified training rides with attack that are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. And the only rider that may have animated the race sanctioned for picograms.