London - Sir Bradley Wiggins has backed Chris Froome to match his exploits of four years ago and follow Tour de France victory with Olympic gold.
Wiggins became the first person to win the Tour and Olympic gold in the same year, following his exploits in France with success in the time trial at London 2012.
Froome was just behind Wiggins that year, finishing second on the Tour and taking bronze in the time trial. Since then Froome, 31, has surpassed the 37-year-old’s success on the Tour, racing to his third title on Sunday, and has the chance to match him in Rio.‘He can do it definitely,’ said Wiggins.
‘The way he won the Tour, that’s not going to go anywhere for two weeks. If anyone can do it, he can do it of all those people who were at the Tour.’ After sealing his third Tour de France win on the Champs-Elysees, Froome celebrated with his Sky team-mates and family late into the night at l’Arc nightclub in Paris.
On Monday morning he flew to London on a private jet for a tour of his sponsor Sky’s offices in west London. From there he was back on the jet to Belgium in the afternoon to race in Monday night’s post-Tour Aalst Criterium, a low-key city-centre event with a strong party atmosphere, and another criterium in Belgium on Tuesday night.
These post-Tour exhibition races shouldn’t put too much strain on a tired body, though after last year’s Tour Froome admitted that he did too many. He will finally go home to Monaco for a few days’ rest before flying back to London for Sunday’s RideLondon Surrey Classic.
But throughout all this he will be thinking carefully about his next goal, the Rio Olympics, where he will arrive as favourite to win the gold in the time trial.It is a very different routine to the one followed by Froome and Wiggins four years ago.
Then, the London Games opened five days after the Tour.
Although Wiggins had just become the first British cyclist to win it, there was only one glass of champagne and a flight to the Team GB holding camp in Surrey.
The extra week between this year’s Tour and the Rio Games means Froome can show off his yellow jersey and pick up appearance fees on the lucrative criterium circuit, spend time at home and engage with British fans.
On Monday, Froome will fly to Rio. He liked the courses when he visited them last year. Both are hilly and the climbs will make the road race more selective.
But in the time trial he will have a better chance, and nobody should underestimate Froome’s desire to win gold. It is why he started his season relatively late and raced sparingly in the spring.
The Olympic road race is on August 6, with the time trial four days later. ‘It’s a course that suits me well,’ said Froome.
‘I took bronze in London and it would be incredible to win a medal again.’
His chances were boosted by the injury suffered on the Tour by Tom Dumoulin - the heavily fancied Dutchman fracturing his wrist in a crash.
Dumoulin built his season around his ambition to win gold. For Froome it would be the icing on a cake that is already his.
Daily Mail