Paris – Chris Froome, and not last year's winner Bradley Wiggins, will be Team Sky's leader on the Tour de France, the British team's head Dave Brailsford said on Monday in ending months of speculation.
“As always, the team selection is a management decision and it will be evidence-based. However, it is crucial there is clarity of purpose and, for that reason, we will go to the Tour with one leader,” Brailsford said on Team Sky's website (www.teamsky.com).
“Taking that into consideration and given Chris's step up in performances this year, our plan, as it has been since January, is to have him lead the Tour de France team.”
Wiggins, whose primary target this season is the Giro d'Italia, won the Tour last year after it had been made clear by Sky's management that he, and not fellow Briton Froome, was the sole leader on the race.
Froome expressed frustration on the bike as he sometimes looked capable of beating his leader, finishing second overall, but after the race Wiggins said he would repay his lieutenant in 2013.
Last week, Wiggins fuelled the speculation again by saying that he was considering a Giro/Tour double.
It prompted Froome to issue a personal statement in which he said he was to lead Team Sky on the Tour, which starts on June 29 in Corsica.
Froome has enjoyed a solid start to the season, winning the Tour of Oman, The Criterium International and the Tour de Romandie.
Wiggins has been less dominant than last year.
However, the time trial Olympic world champion sits in second place overall on the Giro after Team Sky won the second stage, a team time trial on Sunday. – Reuters