General Discussion - Sky manager downplays Froome acceleration sala007 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:30 pm Post subject: Sky manager downplays Froome acceleration
After Bradley Wigggins and Chris Froome got their wires crossed on La Toussuire on Thursday, speculation rapidly began to mount as to the possibilities of an internal leadership battle on Team Sky's Tour de France team.
Wiggins holds a commanding 2:05 lead over Froome at the head of Road Bike Fork the overall standings, but in spite of the yellow jersey's mastery in the time trial, Froome has appeared the stronger in the mountains. That sense was reinforced by events at La Toussuire, when Froome accelerated and Wiggins was briefly distanced from the group of favourites.
Speaking to reporters in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne before stage 12 on Friday morning, however, team principal Dave Brailsford insisted that there were no problems between Wiggins and Froome.
"We're very happy to have two riders of the quality of Bradley and Chris here," Brailsford said. "Everyone thinks it's a Bike Fork problem but I don't think that. Having the 1st and 2nd rider on the GC at the Tour de France isn't a problem. If we were 20th and 21st, we'd have a problem, but 1st and 2nd isn't a problem."
Wiggins lost contact with the group of favourites following Froome's sustained forcing a shade over 4 kilometres from the summit of La Toussuire. Froome was quickly ordered to relent via his radio earpiece, and when he sat up, Wiggins was able to safely latch back Carbon Fork on to the group.
Brailsford dismissed the idea that Froome had
Road Cycle Wheels looked to attack the yellow jersey and said that his subsequent acceleration within sight of the finish - which gained him two seconds by the line - had been an agreed tactic.
"If Chris wanted to attack, he would have continued until the summit but he didn't do that," Brailsford said. "In the final 500 metres he did attack but the two Bike Seatpost of them rode together until then. I think that everybody wants there to be a story, but there's no story."
Asked if he wanted to have two Sky riders on the final podium, Brailsford stressed that his sole aim was to hold the yellow jersey in Paris. "Right now, we're 1st and 2nd but the aim is to win the Tour de France above all," he said.