Dave Brailsford believes the delay to the Tour de France
gives Chris Froome an edge over other riders as he can train harder than them
and will have more time to continue his return from last year’s crash.
The Team Ineos boss added while Froome and team mate
Geraint Thomas were now in the “twilight” of their careers and time to win more
Tours was running it, this year was not necessarily the last chance for them.
He added while public health concerns must be prioritised
over sport at the present, it would soon be time to restart the economy and pro
sport and he believed the Tour de France will definitely go ahead at some point
this year.
“It will be different but everything is different at the minute. There might be social distancing among fans, and other regulations, but we will be back racing,” he said of the Tour, now rescheduled to start on August 29th.
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And with Froome due to turn 35 years next month and
Thomas set to turn 34 years, also next month, Brailsford said it was very
important for them that the Tour took place this year.
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"I wouldn’t say this year is last-chance saloon but
certainly they are in the twilight of their careers,” he told The Telegraph.
“Time doesn’t wait for anybody. So I think it’s important
to them that we do get a Tour this year.”
He added Chris Froome was “not complaining” that the Tour
had been set for two months after its original date, explaining Froome would believe
he could train harder in lockdown than anyone else.
“The one thing about him is, cor, the guy can train,” he
said of Froome. “What he’s doing in his man cave over there… it is just insane
it really is. I do think he sees it as an opportunity. And it is an
opportunity, let’s face it.
“If it gives him a little edge where he thinks he can
train harder than the rest, and make up for lost time when he was injured - he
sees that as well as everybody else and he’s making the most of it, there’s no
doubt about it.”
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