Commenting in the wake of Bradley Wiggins’ assertion today that he does want to achieve the Giro/Tour double this year, Chris Froome has said that he has been told by his Team Sky bosses that he will remain the leader for this year’s Tour de France.
“I have been reassured by the management at Team Sky that I have their full backing,” Froome said in a statement released today. “At no time has the leadership of the Tour team been in question.
“There has been much speculation regarding the leadership for Team Sky at the Tour de France this year. I have made it clear that winning the Tour would be my main objective for 2013.
“Attempting to win the Tour de France, is a massive undertaking, and will take total commitment from each and every team member.
“The Tour team has yet to be selected but with the depth of talent that we have at Team Sky, I have no doubt that the strongest and most willing riders will be there to support me.”
Froome finished second to Wiggins in last year’s Tour de France, visibly holding back on some mountain stages as per team instructions. Since then he has said that he wants the chance to try to win the race this year.
Wiggins said at the Tour de France presentation last October that the Giro d’Italia would be his main focus and that while he would ride the Tour, he would most likely do so for Froome.
“I will be at the start, that is for sure. If Chris is the leader, then we go for it,” he told Eurosport then. “My priority will be the Tour of Italy. It has become apparent that it is very difficult to compete in two Grand Tours at that level, so it is more than likely that I will be there in a helping capacity.”
By December, though, his position had changed. “As it stands I’m probably going to try and win a second Tour de France, so I don’t know, maybe we’ll have two leaders,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “That’s more than likely, I guess. How that’s going to work with the team I don’t know, it’s more Dave’s [Dave Brailsford, team principal] problem, really.”
Since then his oscillation back and forth has continued. However as the final countdown to the Giro continues, he appears to have made his mind up.
“The Tour de France is my focus,” Wiggins told the BBC. “It’s just that I’m doing the Giro before.”
Froome’s statement above is in response to that.
The latter has been in strong form this year, winning the Tour of Oman, Critérium International and the Tour de Romandie. In contrast, Wiggins is yet to take a win, although he said on Monday that he considers himself to be in better form than when he won the Tour.
The Giro d’Italia starts in Naples on Saturday.