This was the kind of day that should ease the pressure on Chris Froome’s shoulders, a spectacular stage with seven Alpine climbs which ended with the leader of the Tour de France musing on becoming a multiple winner.
Froome finished safely among the main contenders to protect his 3min 10sec advantage over Nairo Quintana with just two days in the mountains remaining and the nationality of the actual winner of stage 18 a bonus. A second French victor in Romain Bardet should improve the mood of the French public as Froome closes in on his second Tour title, perhaps reducing the likelihood of more abuse on the roads.
Even so, the day did not go entirely smoothly for Froome. After more stories of secret motors in bikes, this being floated as a possible reason for Froome’s dominance, the Team Sky rider’s Pinarello bicycle was among those taken away for inspection at the conclusion of 185km of racing.
And once Froome had made his way to the post-stage press conference, there were yet more questions to answer with an undertone of suspicion. This time it concerned Froome’s visits to a doctor near his home in Monaco.
Froome’s relationship with Dr Stephane Bermon has surfaced in the past, with the questions simply focused around the fact that the sports physician is not employed by Sky.
‘He is a doctor at the Monaco Institute of Sport,’ said Froome yesterday. ‘I have been in there a couple of times for pulmonary function tests with Dr Bermon.
‘Those have all been documented and everything. It’s not as if he’s an employee of the team or anything. Seeing as we don’t have any doctors based down on the Cote d’Azur, we use the Monaco Institute of Sport for our riders who are down there. I’ve seen him on a couple of occasions.’
Yesterday’s actual stage was rather more dramatic; not least the 18 switchbacks that make up the breathtaking 3.4km ascent of Lacets de Montvernier.
The main challengers for the yellow jersey climbed it together, the attacks coming prior to that on the 21.7km Col du Glandon. Alberto Contador attempted to stretch the group, as did Vincenzo Nibali and Quintana.
At one point the pace proved too much for Alejandro Valverde, but the Spaniard recovered on the descent to protect the lead he has over the fourth-placed Sky rider, Geraint Thomas.
Barring some kind of disaster in the final two days in the Alps, Froome appears to have won this race and last night he revealed he won’t be satisfied to retire with two Tour victories. ‘There’s absolutely no way I’d change anything right now,’ he said. ‘This is the dream for me.
‘Some guys might see the Tour as like climbing Mount Everest. You do it once, you get to the top and it’s done. You tick it off and it’s finished. My goal wasn’t necessarily to win the Tour de France. It was to try to be the best cyclist I could be. I don’t believe in winning the Tour once and saying, “Right, let’s call it a day now”. I don’t believe that’s my character. I don’t believe that’s who I am. I believe I could do more than that. That’s what I’m going to push for, definitely.’
He even considers the possibility of taking a stage win before Sunday’s finish in Paris. Perhaps today on La Toussuire, where he famously rode away from Sir Bradley Wiggins on the 2012 Tour, only to be ordered back by Sky. Or on the 21 hairpins of the iconic Alpe d’Huez, which the organisers have selected for the penultimate stage of this year’s race.
‘It would be amazing to win another stage,’ he said. ‘Although my priority is the yellow jersey. I’m not going to kill all my team-mates chasing a breakaway unless Valverde or Quintana is in it.’
As for concealed motors, he responded: ‘The technology exists, yes. My bike was one of those bikes checked today. I’m happy they’re doing the checks. It’s probably needed given all the rumours out there.’
Stage 18 results:
Gap to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 186.5 km: 1 R Bardet (Fr) AG2R 5hr 03min 40sec, 2 P Rolland (Fr) Europcar +33sec, 3 W Anacona (Col) Movistar +59. Others: 12 C Froome (GB) Sky +3min 02sec, 13 A Valverde (Sp) Movistar, 14 G Thomas (GB) Sky, 15 A Contador (Sp) Tinkoff-Saxo, 17 N Quintana (Col) Movistar, 18 V Nibali (It) Astana, all same time.
Overall standings:
1 C Froome 74hr 13min 31sec, 2 N Quintana +3min 10sec, 3 A Valverde +4:09, 4 G Thomas +6:34, 5 A Contador +6:40. Other: 7 V Nibali +8:04.
King of the mountains:
1 J Rodriguez (Sp) Katusha 68, 2 R Bardet 68, 3 J Fuglsang (Den) Astana 64, 4 C Froome 61. Others: 6 R Porte (Aus) Sky 40, 8 N Quintana 32. – Daily Mail