Chris Froome has introduced the first bit of doubt about his planned participation at the Tour de France this year, saying he would see how his progress went over the next few weeks.
Froome’s Israel Start-Up Nation team mate, Dan Martin, is
currently leading the team’s selection at the Giro d’Italia where he is chasing
a top 10 final place.
The team’s plan was for Froome and Canadian Michael Woods
to ride the Tour de France, with no doubt having ever been expressed about
Froome’s participation in that race.
Indeed, his team’s approach, and all of its public comment
around signing Froome, has been based around him winning a fifth Tour title.
Any suggestion he would not ride the Tour this year, especially having ridden
last year’s Vuelta, has never been raised before now.
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However, Froome has now said in an interview with Italian
broadcaster Rai he would ride the Critérium du Dauphiné and then, “if all goes
well”, he will start the Tour.
"I'm up Teide in Tenerife at the moment with the
team and there’s of teams here training for the Tour de France. After this
period I'll ride the Dauphiné and then the Tour if all goes well," he
said.
"I know that some people never race again after the
kind of fractures I’ve suffered,” he said, adding he was fortunate to be back
cycling again and to be back in the pro peloton.
"It's taking longer than I thought it would but I'm
working harder than ever. I do more hours of work now than ever. It's hard and
it's a long process, very long."
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