Tim Kerrison, Team Sky's coach, said Bernard Hinault and the French media are whipping up the atmosphere around Froome and the squad in the build up to the Tour de France.
Tim Kerrison critical of Bernard Hinault, French media
Team Sky’s coach Tim Kerrison has said recent comments by Bernard Hinault on Chris Froome, and the French media’s coverage, were worrying the squad.
In an interview with The Guardian he said the team has gotten advice from BSkyB’s security staff.
“We have been talking for a long time about safety and security,” he said.
“And we had a couple of BSkyB’s security team come to spend time with us, just to advise us on how we operate and can improve our safety and security at races.
“Our experience of riding in France and our experience of the public has been fantastic.
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“But we also know there will also be a small part of the crowd who will be hostile and a few people who are haters and are particularly hostile.”
In interviews carried in the French media, Hinault has characterised Chris Froome’s adverse salbutamol test result during the Vuelta last year as a failed drug test.
He believes Froome shouldn’t be regarded as a legend of the sport. And he said Froome shouldn’t have been allowed to start the Giro, which he won with an 80km solo breakaway.
Hinault added Chris Froome should not be allowed to start the Tour. He believes Froome should be banned and the Tour peloton should strike if Froome is allowed into the race.
Team Sky issued a statement saying Hinault’s remarks were ill-informed and that he should know better.
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Now Kerrison says comments and media coverage can inflame the atmosphere around Team Sky. And as the Tour de France approaches he has called for, what he terms, more measured commentary.
“If things are presented in a way that incites or sensationalises, or fuels anger or resentment towards Chris; then I don’t think that’s very responsible,” Kerrison said.
“I think fair treatment in the media is a responsible requirement to ensure the riders’ safety.”
Kerrison was adamant Froome was innocent. But he could not understand why the salbutamol test result process was taking so long.
However, international reports suggest Team Sky is trying to discredit the test carried out on Froome at the Vuelta. His asthma medicine, salbutamol, was far in excess of the permitted levels.
But he is allowed to race until the matter is resolved. And under current procedures he has an unlimited amount of time to argue his case and try to prove his innocence.
Kerrison said all of the pro riders were now going faster. He also believed when riders were heavily doped in the pastt other aspects of their performance preparation were neglected.
With those issues now being properly addressed, it was no surprise to him riders were improving. This would continue to be the case for a long time.
“From what I can see in the data we have and the climb rates, if our riders don’t continue to improve they will be overtaken by the next generation of young riders," he said of pro cycling generally.
“We are nowhere near the limits of human capability. A lot of the performances from a decade ago were enhanced. But they were also neglected in other ways.
“Resources were spent in one area and not in legitimate performance enhancement. Now they are.
“My objective is to keep us ahead of the curve. I know that the performances we’re doing now aren’t going to cut it in two or three years’ time.
“There is a constant evolution in performance; with equipment, engineering, our knowledge of physiology, how to get the best through training and nutrition.”
He explained Froome's marked improvement as the Giro progressed by saying his crashes undermined his condition early in the race. But he then recovered and came into his own in the final week.
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