Team Sky Tour de France discord NEWS
Chris Froome, runner-up in last year's Tour de France, has insisted he will lead Team Sky in this year's event, despite last year's winner, team mate Sir Bradley Wiggins, suggesting he may still get the nod.
After Wiggins' magnificent win in last year's Tour de France, the first ever by a British cyclist, the consensus in Team Sky and the cycling fraternity has been that Froome, runner-up to Wiggo last year, would lead Team Sky whilst Wiggins would concentrate on the Giro d'Italia, the accepted wisdom being it is almost impossible to win both events in the same year.
The rationale behind this, perhaps odd to those outside of cycling, is that this year's Tour de France route, with more arduous climbs, will not be as accommodating to Wiggins, not the best mountain rider, but better suited to Froome. Also there will be fewer time trials for Wiggins, winner of that event at last year's London 2012 Olympics gold medal, to build a lead.
Also the double of Giro and Tour is a very tough ask with only seven riders in history having ever achieved it, the last being Marco Pantani in 1998. The Giro d'Italia starts in Naples this Saturday and Wiggins' record in the event is not one to prompt optimism, his best finish being 40th.
Whilst the original plan following last year's historic Tour seemed set, the innate competitiveness of Froome and Wiggins has meant that this has become an ongoing and developing drama. Comments from the two riders, team mates, but not close friends, suggest some friction within the Team Sky camp and a conflict in their understanding of the team's plans.
Froome insists he is still pencilled in as the leader of Team Sky for the Tour, which begins on June 29 in Corsica. Team Sky director, Dave Brailsford, appeared to set to support Froome's leadership late last year on the understanding that the team would support Wiggins' attempt to win the Giro.
However, as Wiggins, winner of last year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, started to indicate his desire to take a tilt at the Grand Tour double, there have been less concrete messages emanating from the Team Sky camp.
On Monday Wiggins publicly re-iterated his plan to win both the Giro and the Tour and he suggested that any decision on who would lead the team during the Tour de France would not be made until just before the race, taking into account the physical condition of the riders.
Obviously irked by this, Froome was moved to state 'I have been reassured by the management at Team Sky that I have their full backing. At no time has the leadership of the Tour team been in question'.
Froome certainly appears to be the man in form with recent victories in the Tour de Romandie, Tour of Oman and Criterium International events, but Wiggins has a special place in the hearts and minds of British cycling fans and Team Sky officials.
However, at the moment Wiggins is not indicating a willingness to act as a mere support rider for Froome in the Tour, a role the Kenyan born rider performed magnificently for Wiggo last year.
Of course the final word will come from the Team Sky management boss Dave Brailsford and it seems the extremely difficult decision of choosing between the two riders is one he will embrace, saying it is something he will 'relish'.
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