Froome and Brailsford didn't want to be there: Normally for a rider of his standing, this press conference would be all about what he expected from the Tour de France and himself. But Chris Froome, and Dave Brailsford, had to respond to plenty of questions they didn't have much time for.
Team Sky Tour de France 2018 press conference
Chris Froome and Dave Brailsford have appeared before the media for a pre Tour de France press conference.
They faced the press at the Best Western Hotel in Saint-Mars-la-Réorthe. You can see the full Team Sky press conference video below.
As expected, Froome being cleared in recent days of committing a doping offence on last year’s Vuelta dominated the event.
And when journalists asked questions about the controversy of his salbutamol test result, the exchanges were at times terse; though things remained civil.
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Froome reacted to a question about his safety on the upcoming Tour by saying people shouldn’t bring negativity to the race.
Brailsford said people missed the “subtlety” of Froome’s test result.
He added if the public wanted more information about the test and exactly how Froome was cleared; they must get that from the UCI and WADA, not from Team Sky.
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Daniel Benson of cyclingnews, a website with whom Brailsford in particular has clashed – telling Barry Ryan "stick it up your arse" last year – asked whether they would publish the document that secured a verdict in favour of Froome.
Chris Froome replied that most of the information was already public. Brailsford said he was sure some of the information would find its way into the public domain in coming days, adding there was no single document.
He also said the case would help the dope testing system to evolve and be “made more appropriate”.
When asked another question about the test result; Froome and Brailsford said the information was already in the public domain for two days and immediately went to the next questioner.
Data would clear up questions
Froome later added people would in time understand the complex data more. And when they did they would accept his position in continuing to race while the process was underway.
He said the episode was damaging to him but he was drawing a line under it, as he says towards the end of this Team Sky press conference video.
Brailsford protested that the information about the test on the Vuelta should never have been leaked out.
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