Cannondale-Drapac rider one of four Kiwis to start 2017 La Grande Boucle
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Paddy Bevin (Cannondale-Drapac) riding to tenth in the Suisse time trial
(Fotoreporter Sirotti)
For defending Tour de France champion Chris Froome, baring serious injury, he is all but assured of lining out each July for the French Grand Tour. For Paddy Bevin, he only received confirmation he would be making a Tour debut just over a week out from the race and one day before Cannondale-Drapac announced its roster.
"I was a fairly late inclusion. I wasn't really on the long list until after Tour de Suisse so it was a big of a last minute run," a relaxed Bevin toldCyclingnews.
The Tour de France will be the second Grand Tour of Bevin's career after he raced the Vuelta a Espana last year having also received a late call-up.
"I had twice as much time as the Vuelta a last year so that is something," he said of the race he was forced to abandon due to injury. "I think it is just something that is part of being where I am in the team. I am not the first on the list and so it is part and parcel of this league. It has been the story of my year. I have had a few races come and go and adapting to that has been a skill."
Following an interrupted start to the season, a consistent Bevin finished sixth overall at the Tour of Norway, rode the Hammer Series, the headed to the Tour de Suisse. Racing without any pressure of nailing down a Tour position at Suisse, Bevin recorded four top-ten results including a narrow loss to Philippe Gilbert on stage two.
"If you are racing in June, any strong performances will help your cause for a Tour spot. I don't think any team will turn away riders who are showing they are on form. It was obviously in the back of my mind, but in some ways it was nice, as selection hadn't hung over my head. Going into Suisse, it wasn't even on my radar. My radar was Suisse and restock from there."
Tenth place in the final day time trial, his first over 25km in length since winning the 2016 New Zealand nationals, was further confirmation of his form and condition at the race. Despite mixing it up against the likes of Peter Sagan in what is arguably his best WorldTour stage race to date, Bevin isn't expecting to be challenging for stage wins at the Tour just yet.
"The Tour is a whole other realm. It would be naïve to think that Suisse went well so let's take that into France. I think Suisse was nice but it was fairly low-stress race on the scheme of WorldTour races and the Tour is as high stress as it gets," said Bevin, one of 49 Tour debutants in 2017. "For me personally, to come in with the form I have is all I can do. I don't have any previous experience at the Tour so I am walking in blind. I am trying to keep my head down and pick off what I can as the race unfolds."
While some riders may be daunted by a late call up the Tour, Bevin explained that in 2017 he has become accepted to playing a role whenever the team requires and has benefitted from the experience thus far.
"For me, the biggest learning curve is being able to slot in and out and create or carry form into a race programme that is fairly flexible and really wide-ranging," he said. "Being fit and ready to go and not overtraining and being ready for the wide range of races has been the biggest step up from the Continental level. I think each time you build on that you are getting more experienced."
Kiwi representation
In 2017, there will be a record number of New Zealanders at the Tour de France. Jack Bauer(Quick-Step Floors) will line out for his fourth, George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo) for his second while Bevin and Dion Smith (Wanty-Group Gobert) are the debutants.
"It is cool and it's cool to have Dion there making a debut as well having raced a lot with him coming up out of New Zealand," Bevin said of his compatriot. "I think it is exciting and an exciting time for New Zealand to have so many riders in a race like the Tour and it shows it has been a slow build but there are more and more guys filtering through into Pro-Continental and WorldTour teams which is good for the sport."
With four starters, the elusive Tour stage win for a Kiwi is well within grasp added Bevin.
"It is as a good a year as any. Statistically it is a tough one but eventually, it will happen," he said. "The more the riders you have starting the Tour in roles that they can potentially win a stage, eventually it will happen."
With the All Blacks consistently proving themselves as the top team in world rugby, and New Zealand taking a famous victory over the USA in the America's Cup, Bevin added there would be plenty of interest in how he and countrymen fare at the Tour this July and whether they too can take on the world's best and come out on top.
"It has been a funny week. I never realised that being announced as a starter for a race was such a big deal. As far as my whole career goes, I don't think I have had any kind of reception other than being announced for the Tour de France," he said of the newfound attention. "The country goes crazy for it and I think, with the Americas Cup, the Lions Tour and the Tour, we have a lot of sport going on and New Zealand is really keen to get in behind it."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-debutant-paddy-bevin-ready-for-the-unknown/
'I can completely understand where they're coming from,' Briton says
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Alex Dowsett gives it his all
(Swpix)
Alex Dowsett's run without a Grand Tour start continues after he missed out on selection for the Tour de France. Dowsett was part of Movistar's long list but he was not on the final nine-rider roster announced by Movistar on Monday. It is now two years since the British rider rider has lined up at a Grand Tour.
It's another source of frustration for Dowsett after he was overlooked for the Giro d'Italia earlier this season, despite making it his early-season goal.
"I'm 28 now, and I've done just two Grand Tours. It's not enough,” said Dowsett bluntly.
Dowsett's last Grand Tour appearance was the 2015 Tour de France, where he was forced to abandon due to an injury he picked up earlier in the race. His one other Grand Tour start came in 2013 at the Giro d'Italia, when he won a time trial stage, beating Bradley Wiggins by 10 seconds.
Dowsett has one more chance to start a three-week race in 2017, at the Vuelta a Espana, but a ride at home, at the Tour of Britain, is enticing too.
"I might ask about the Vuelta, but at the Tour of Britain there is a time trial that is in Clacton just down the road," said Dowsett, referring to his home in Essex, in southern England. "I need to be doing them as well. I'll have a big think and see what happens."
Dowsett was speaking after he finished second to Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data) at the British national time trial championships. He was yet to be informed about missing the final selection, but he sensed the writing was already on the wall.
"I'd be surprised if I got selected just because of the calibre of the riders that my team has got to do that job," he said. "It's been a tough year. I was aiming for the Giro, and I was really fit for the Giro, and I didn't get selected on a similar basis. I'm not holding out hope of getting selected for the Tour."
Dowsett has been trying to take the disappointment in his stride. He understands the team's decision and says that he would have done exactly the same.
"I've worked hard this year, and it's been kind of frustrating, but I'll keep plugging away and aim towards whatever happens at the end of the year," he said. "The decisions that the team have made I would have made at the same time.
"Movistar has been a fantastic place for me these past few years, but this year with how good Nairo has been and how important that team around him is, they have made some decisions that haven't gone in my favour. It's a shame for me, but I can completely understand where they're coming from."
A fork in the road
Missing out once again leaves Dowsett with a decision to make, a fork in the road.
Should he keep pushing down the same path and continue to train as a time triallist? Or should he allow that talent to slip a touch and train to work as a domestique?
It's a tough decision for Dowsett. His time trialling ability has served him well - earning him at least two victories per season and several podium finishes. It might not sound like a whole lot, but for Dowsett it is important. The Briton is a haemophilia sufferer and standing on the podium, he says, is an opportunity to be an example to other sufferers.
"I'll reassess whether I want to be a time triallist. I'm no Tony Martin, I know that, but on my day I can win. Or whether I go down the domestique route, but I kind of like winning. I like where I'm at. I can do a good domestique job but I want to continue being a good time triallist," said Dowsett.
"Mick Rogers said to me, when I was at Team Sky, the best bit of advice he had for me was to stick to what you're good at. I'm good at this.
"That's why I did this sport. I like being part of a team that helps a GC guy win, but I like winning myself. I know what it does for the haemophilia community, the rare disease community. Seeing you on the podium is a real example of what you can achieve. Plugging away on the front, while it's part of cycling which I like doing as well, this is my bread and butter and why I get up in the morning."
Dowsett will have at least a month off before he may be able to race again, with the Tour de Pologne or the Clasica San Sebastian potentially his next race.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dowsett-reflects-on-his-future-after-movistar-tour-de-france-snub/
Three-time world champion on living and training amongst the clouds
Michael Rogers celebrated his first Grand Tour stage win in the 2014 Giro d'Italia in Savona
(Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
As anticipation builds towards the start of the 2017 Tour de France, there will be much speculation on the preparation of race favourites. Who is showing the form of previous years and which is the strongest team are common themes throughout the month of June.
Going hand-in-hand with these broad-based observations is the topic of Altitude. Professional Cycling Teams invest a lot of time, money and human resources into altitude training camps. And rightly so because from what I experienced during my 16 years as a professional, altitude training works. But does living and training at 1600-2400m for two-plus weeks produce changes at a cellular level that translate to improved performance? Or do altitude camps create a unique training effect which is the result of completing 2500 to 4000m of climbing per day over a two-three week period?
Whatever the answer it's clear that to be considered a general classification contender in any of the three Grand Tours you must spend a lot of time living and training up amongst the clouds.
When looking at the time away from family, the cost and hassle of going to altitude and the physical challenges faced once there I said to myself on more than one occasion "this had better be worth it"? And by worth it I mean I wanted to see and feel an improvement in performance after exposure to Altitude. But before I share some of my own observations about altitude training I'll hand over to Sports Scientist Daniel Healey to set the scene on why all this effort is worth it. Daniel and I worked together on this precise topic in 2015 where we planned a very successful altitude camp prior to victory in the Giro that same year.
"It's been known for centuries that we live submerged at the bottom of an ocean of air and the pressure it exerts upon us decreases the higher we climb. At sea level the barometric pressure of air is 760 Torr (mmHg) however at the top of Mount Everest this pressure drops to 250 Torr. This gradual decrease in pressure as you climb higher is the main driver for some of the adaptations we see in riders training at altitude. Of course we don't train anywhere near as high as most mountaineers would routinely climb.
"Instead there seems to be a sweet spot of around 1600 to 2400m that works best for riders. Interestingly this altitude band coincides with cabin pressure on most commercial aircraft. But the key detail here is that the partial pressure of Oxygen (O2)at 1600-2400m is sufficient to ensure that blood is saturated with O2 in the resting state. But as soon as you start training at this altitude a fine line is crossed and the body is placed under increasing stress; which ultimately drives adaptations".
In my case, when I arrived at Altitude the physical sensations were so consistent and repeatable that I always thought there has to be something constructive going on within my body. From the outset my breathing was faster and interrupted sleep became the norm. But instead of worrying about these things I took it as a sign that my body was being put under stress and once I had made it through the appropriate period of acclimation I would emerge stronger and better for the experience. Some people do not respond well to altitude.
From my experience with various teams and numerous altitude camps these non-responders are the exception rather than the rule. And although it was unnerving at first it was good for me to learn that faster breathing and poor sleep had a logical basis as Daniel will explain: "As mentioned earlier the altitude band 1600-2400m is where cyclists derive the most benefit because here the partial pressure of O2 is sufficient to saturate the blood while the rider is resting. However as soon as they start walking around (or riding) the muscles demand for O2 outstrips supply so respiration increases to compensate. There is some fascinating physiology occurring at this time and the detail I like most surrounds the intelligent design underpinning this faster breathing. There are sensors called chemoreceptors located in the neck that detect a reduced level of O2 in the blood and send a signal to the respiratory centre of the brain to increase breathing.
"These chemoreceptors monitor the O2 concentration of blood entering the brain and will upregulate respiration accordingly. However faster breathing carries a consequence which manifests in poor sleep when 'Living High'. The increased rate of breathing combined with minimally acceptable partial pressure of O2 results in significant loss of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the body. It's actually the concentration of CO2 which drives normal breathing so any CO2 deficit will cause interruptions to the breathing cycle. It's not uncommon for some riders to wake suddenly with a loud gasp simply because the previous hours sleep was completed at high respiration rates and they lost too much CO2. More common is the sensation that sleep was light and restless".
If you speak to mountaineers they will tell you that high altitude starts at 3000m or 10,000ft, however I recall some of my hardest days on the bike were all between 2000-2400m above sea level. On a few occasions I raced above 3000m during the Tour of Colorado, but it was brief and not pleasant. Luckily the descent gained momentum soon after and I could feel a gradual reawakening of sorts as O2 began pouring back into my lungs. To think there are people who live and work above 3000m, heights that would completely disable most Grand Tour cyclists. However, it points to the main theme of this article: acclimation and adaptations.
It's well known that the minimum time for realising all the benefits of altitude is around two plus weeks. Hence most altitude training camps I attended were around 14-20 days. The reason why two plus weeks seems to be the magic number is that changes to kidney function and the multiplication of red blood cells (both hallmarks of altitude acclimation) take time. Daniel will explain: "Faster breathing at altitude can remove too much CO2 from the circulation but after a few weeks living and training 'High' the kidneys begin to adapt and restore acidity to the blood. But the greatest adaptation involves the O2 carrying capacity of blood, in particular, the red blood cells and therefore Haemoglobin concentration. This process is triggered by the kidneys in response to low O2 levels in the blood; a process which begins after three to five days of controlled altitude exposure. As more red blood cells are produced a rider's haematocrit can increase and the viscosity (ease-of-flow) of blood decreases".
Nutrition is another area where vigilance at altitude is key. I have, on numerous occasions, mistakenly used altitude camp as a time to reduce body weight. But with experience, I learned that this is the wrong place and wrong time to drop a few grams. Even short-term exposure to altitude places a greater demand on blood glucose as a fuel at rest and during exercise. But although I knew I should eat more carbohydrate at all meals I was generally not that hungry. In fact, it required a focused, conscious effort to stay on top of my carbohydrate intake.
Hydration is another critical element. Since the air at altitude is dry and cold a lot of body water is lost through normal breathing. One strategy that I have employed with good effect is to drink more sports drink while 'Living High'. As it was explained to me many years ago, sports drinks contain sugar so this took my carbohydrate intake up. They also contain sodium, potassium and chloride which continue the drive for drinking while minimising fluid loss through urine.
Finally, there is a range of supplements that I tried over time which seem to have helped. These are mainly the B group Vitamins and Iron together with some antioxidants such as Vitamin C, A and E. For those with a keen eye on sports nutrition you may be wondering why I would take Vitamin C at altitude since it is a powerful antioxidant known to affect mitochondria (the energy producing part of muscle cells). On this point, I was careful and only took very small doses; less than 500mg per day.
With shortness of breath even when climbing stairs, Cycling at an altitude of 1600 to 2400m has its challenges. The first few days of altitude camp are generally spent getting used to the environment and it might surprise some of you to know that I would only ride for an hour or two for the first 72hrs. Then the serious work would begin. To give you an overview of what a Grand Tour winning altitude camp looks like I have included a rough outline of my 2015 camp at Teide, Tenerife. What might not be clear from this table is the emphasis I used to place on riding up and down a wide altitude band. From 1000m, to 1500m, 2000m and 2500m. Up and down all day and always paying close attention to where I was in terms of altitude and adjusting my power targets accordingly. On this point there is a generally accepted rule of thumb: anything under 1000m you are fine to use your sea level FTP to set all training zones. 1000m to 1600m, take 20w off FTP and 1600m+ deduct 30w. Not only does such an approach make sense on paper but I would really feel the difference out on the bike from moderating my effort the higher I climbed.
As you can see from this edited version of a real altitude training camp there is just as much time spent recovering as there is riding. The first four days are super easy. Then there are only 10 days of longer training before we back off for two more easy days at the end of camp. This overview should give you some perspective on the respect with which we approach living and training at altitude. In such an extreme environment there are so many variables that must be acknowledged but one rule holds true: always err on the side of caution. I have seen many first timers commence training too hard upon arrival. These same riders usually finish way down the results sheet when it comes time to race after their stay in the mountains.
Although it takes patience, time and a lot of resources to host an altitude training camp nearly every rider in this year's Tour de France would have spent significant time living and training at 1600-2400m prior to competing. If done the right way these athletes will realise cellular adaptations which improve the capacity of their aerobic engine while being subjected to long days in the saddle and equally long days of recovery. There is not much to do atop Mount Teide or in Sierra Nevada but if channelled correctly the isolation and sensory deprivation that comes from living in such a rarefied environment can help narrow ones focus on peak performance. From personal experience and the research conducted to write this piece, it's clear that altitude produces changes to your body that make you stronger. The training done at camp is long and sometimes intense and with no other distractions, you and your teammates live in a tiny bubble where everything is geared towards winning the next Grand Tour.
Mick P.S. Keep an eye out for news of an exciting new project I'm working on: Pulse Planet. Together with Bjarne Riis and Lars Seier we are creating an online cycling universe that combines the best of our Pro Cycling experience with cutting edge computer technology and state of the art predictive modelling. Pulse Planet will launch late in 2017.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/michael-rogers-guide-to-tour-de-france-altitude-camp-preparation/
The Spanish squad are pinning their hopes on three-time podium finisher Nairo Quintana, coming off a runner-up performance at the Giro d'Italia. Although Quintana came up short in the first half of his attempt at Giro-Tour double, Movistar remain confident he has enough left in the tank to contend in the Tour this July.
Teammate Alejandro Valverde dominated his spring campaign, winning both the Volta a Catalunya and the Vuelta al País Vasco before defending his titles at La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but he has refutedsuggestions of co-leadership. The 37-year-old has stated unequivocally that he will be at the race to "help Nairo [Quintana], and nothing else."
The spots of Quintana and Valverde on the Tour roster were secure. The other seven spots were up for the taking, with Movistar naming 12 riders in the running on their long list.
Spanish national road champion Jesús Herrada, three-time Spanish time trial champ Jonathan Castroviejo, Colombian climber Carlos Betancur, and former Giro top five finisher Andrey Amador are among those who will comprise the strong staff of support riders that Movistar will send to Dusseldorf on Saturday.
Daniele Bennati, Jasha Sütterlin and Imanol Erviti will round out the starting nine, leaving Alex Dowsett, Daniel Moreno, Rubén Fernandez, Nelson Oliveira and José Joaquín Rojas the quintet of long listers missing the cut.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/movistar-announce-tour-de-france-squad/
Defending champion on Porte, Brailsford and ASO's route
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Chris Froome: Five days to go
(Immediate Media)
A winless campaign, question marks over his form, and a team boss facing a seemingly endless interrogation over his credibility – winning this year's Tour de France is without doubt Chris Froome's and Team Sky's toughest challenge yet. But as the three time winner packs his bags for Dusseldorf he tells Cyclingnews that he is up for the fight and on track.
The most noticeable and flagrant issue facing Froome ahead of this weekend's Grand Depart surrounds his own form. Not since 2011 has the British rider endured such a long spell without victory. Mediocre results through the spring and early summer have only compounded the matter. June's Criterium du Dauphine offered a glimmer of hope to suggest that Froome's condition was moving in the right direction but the race also brought into stark contrast just how far Richie Porteand several others were ahead of him.
That said, Froome and his coaching staff have remained resolute in their belief that he will peak for when it matters most - in July, before holding that form for a Vuelta a Espana challenge spanning August and September. Having finished second three times in Spain, this is the season in which the 32-year-old is hoping to attain the elusive Grand Tour double. In order to do so he has staked his claim by starting the season in a slower fashion. If not winning throughout the first six months of the season was part of the script, then Froome has learned his lines perfectly.
"I've certainly not questioned my preparations," he tells Cyclingnews in a phone interview.
"I've done everything possible to be ready for July. I've put in all the hard work and the training. Everything has gone in the right direction. My weight is right and everything is where it needs to be. Other people have upped their game and Richie is one of them. He's having the season of his career so far and he was the strongest at the Dauphine on both the climbs and in the time trial. As a result of that I'd put him down as the favourite for July."
Whether labelling Porte as the outright favourite is a true indication of Froome's genuine beliefs, or whether the soundbite – first uttered by Team Sky's leader on the final stage of the Dauphine - is little more than mind-games remains to be seen. However, Froome appears keen to ratchet up the pressure on his former teammate, in the nicest, and politest possible way, of course.
"No, no mind games," he says. "Genuinely, I think Richie's the guy to beat this year. Not to write-off the other contenders, as until anyone loses time we all start with a chance of winning."
The relationship between Froome and Porte promises to be one of the most fascinating subplots in this year's race.
Ever since Porte flew the coop from Team Sky at the end of 2015 and landed in BMC's nest, the pair have been pitted against each other. When Froome continued to dominate in 2016 all appeared rosy, but this season, as the Australian draws closer into Tour contention, the further the pair grew apart. They still reserve the right to call each other 'Froomey' and 'Richie' in the press to suggest that the embers of their bromance still burn, but their ambition is both a similarity that brings them together and a distinction that sets them apart.
"We're still good friends off the bike," Froome insists when asked about the final Dauphine stage in which Porte accused him of riding against him rather than seeking the win.
"We'll always have rivalries on the bike but we've spoken about it. He was disappointed and understandably so, losing the Dauphine the way he did. It wasn't due to bad form or not being strong enough. If anything he showed there that he's the strongest guy in the peloton at the moment.
"I certainly don't see it that way," Froome adds when asked about whether Porte had a case when it came to criticising Froome's Dauphine ride. "I was trying to do everything I could to win for Team Sky, and I wasn't going to leave it until the last mountain in order to try and do that, given the shape he was in.
"The Dauphine was just what I needed in terms of that preparation and the intensity," he adds.
"The last few days were so intense and that wasn't something that you could replicate in training. I certainly went as deep as I could and certainly the lights went out for me on that last climb. The Dauphine has always been a race that's full on and people pitch up very close to their Tour shape."
"No bluffing, no bluffing," he serves up when asked if he has purposefully held back during June.
"What you see is what you get. If I could have won the Dauphine I certainly would have, but I think I'm where I need to be in terms of the Tour. I've come into the season knowing that I was going to try and be ready for this summer and potentially going on to the Vuelta, if everything goes to plan. Coming into this period of the season a bit fresher has worked for me."
Greatest challenge
Porte isn't the only rider standing in Froome's way. Romain Bardet, Alberto Contador, andMovistar's double act of Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde are all headliners in their own right. Yet even the Tour de France route appears to be conspiring against another run-away victory for Team Sky.
"There are a few aspects to it," Froome explains. "One is that the rivals I'm up against are stronger than in previous years and secondly this year's course presents the biggest challenge to date in my Tour attempts. This year's route has so few time trial kilometres; it's quite a big challenge. I see myself as a strong all-rounder so this year's Tour is about the climbs but there are so few summit finishes so it does present the toughest challenge I've faced to date."
ASO's rather understandable stance is to try and design a parcours that provides every rider with a chance to shine but to also ensure, if they can, that the race remains exciting until the last. If that means nullifying Froome's favoured form of assault of attacking on first mountain summit before adding to his advantage in the time trials, then so be it. It might be unfortunate for Froome in this instance but if a rider is to win a Tour – as Froome has done three times – then mastering the terrain is part of the process.
"I don't feel that ASO are playing it against my skillset but I do think that they're going to look at the Giro and see that time trialling made it such an exciting race to watch and the dynamic that you can have, against the guys who can time trial amazingly and the guys who can climb amazingly. I hope that in the future we do see a more all-rounded race, which is what a Grand Tour is about. It's about being able to do everything really well. I hope going forward that they have more time trials.
"I definitely see that as a massive challenge. This year I'll have to be better than I've ever been in the mountains. I've had to really focus on that and those stages, over the time trials."
Brailsford's position
While Froome has to juggle the on-bike pressure that comes with being the defending Tour de France champion, the reality is that he and Team Sky's added challenge comes off the bike, where questions and incomplete answers continue to shroud the team.
It would be myopic to suggest that the team's problems surrounding their credibility and transparency start and finish with the revelations from the Fancy Bears 2016 leaks - which uncovered that Bradley Wiggins was injected with powerful corticoid steroids on the eve of several high-profile races. The common factor in every one of Sky's controversies has been Dave Brailsford. Once portrayed as a hero of British Cycling and Team Sky, the chair of a Select Committee last year described Team Sky under Brailsford leadership as lacking in credibility - while former employee Steven de Jongh questioned his former boss's long-term position.
This season Brailsford has ignored questions, dodged journalists at races and tried to keep a low profile, all despite Team Sky's previous commitment to openness and transparency. A duck and cover strategy might be best for Brailsford's own profile but it has left his riders – who had no part to play in the Fancy Bears leak, Jiffygate, testosterone deliveries, Wiggins' TUE use and missing laptops - facing public scrutiny and the ultimate, and laughable, indignity of having to Tweet their support for their leader after questions were raised about his future in March.
Brailsford's role should be to dissipate tension, not attract it, yet his continued presence leaves his riders, and most importantly Froome, facing not just the usual level of Tour opposition but continued pressure off the bike.
At times, this has tested the relationship between Froome and Brailsford. Froome was slow to declare his support for his beleaguered boss back in March when one rider on Team Sky toldCyclingnews that several members of the squad had discussed asking Brailsford to step down. The three-time Tour winner has declared several times that he wants answers in light of the Fancy Bears revelations.
With the Tour de France just a few days away, those feelings appear to have subsided. A new and improved contract for Froome is in the works, with both rider and Brailsford well aware that a peaceful race will benefit both parties.
"He's been at all the races with us and my relationship with him is good. It's been successful over the last few years and I don't see why that can't continue," Froome says.
"I've been out of the media a lot more," Froome adds when asked whether the negative press over the last year has been a distraction. "All my focus has been on July. I've not paid too much attention to it and any free time I do have, I'm with an 18-month old son at home. That takes up all the rest of my time.
"I don't know what [Brailsford's] been like with the journalists but it's business as usual."
Whether Froome can resume business at usual at the Tour de France this year remains to be seen. The form might not have been there in the first part of the season but few would write off the three-time winner before a pedal has been turned in anger.
He, unlike Porte and several other rivals, know how to get the job done at the Tour – a quality Froome will have to fall back over the next three weeks. Luckily for him Froome also knows from experience how to deflect and absorb difficult questions, a skill that will be just as necessary this time around.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/chris-froome-winning-this-tour-de-france-is-my-biggest-challenge-yet/
Australian a key climbing domestique for Chaves and Yates at Orica-Scott
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Damien Howson (Orica-Scott) at the Dauphine
(Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
At Orica-Scott, the triumvirate of Esteban Chaves and the Yates brothers are regarded as future Grand Tour winners following their breakout performances in the past 12-months. A key rider to the success of the trio working behind the scenes is Australian Damien Howson. The 24-year-old will shepherd Chaves and Simon Yates through the high mountains of France next month when he makes his Tour de France debut.
A former U23 time trial world champion, Howson hasreinvented himself as a key domestique at Orica-Scott and become an indispensable member of its general classification squad. When given the opportunity at the Herald Sun Tour, Howson also proved his winning instinct and ability when he claimed the queen stage and the overall title.
With Tour de France selection on the cards since December, Howson explained to Cyclingnews the satisfaction of securing a place in the nine-man team for July.
"I am super excited and elated with emotion. I knew from December last year that it was a potential for my programme to be riding the Tour de France this year. Everything had to go smoothly, and I had to be racing well and be injury and illness free. I was relieved to hear that I had done everything that I could and that the team put me in the starting nine for the Tour de France," said Howson of the team,built around Chaves and Yates.
"The team saw me as a valuable asset to join forces with Esteban. Things can change, and it was never guaranteed. Just because Esteban was doing a Grand Tour doesn't mean I will follow in his footsteps all the time. On this occasion, that was the case."
A promising basketballer in his youth, Howson added that his decision to change sports was well and truly the right one ahead of his Tour debut.
"As much as I did enjoy basketball and that was a massive passion of mine growing up, I made a tough decision when I was 13 to give up a sport I had been trying to make it in since I was five and I was getting places in," the Adelaide local said. "Cycling took my fancy and I just worked through the ranks through the years to the top of the sport and I guess you can call the Tour de France the very top."
After impressing at the Tour de Romandie where he finished 11th on GC, Howson, Chaves and Sam Bewley headed to Colombia for a May training camp in preparation for the Tour de France. Staying in a hotel in Bogotá at 2,600m, the trio were accompanied by a chef, physio, a coach, and a mechanic to ensure total focus on the task at hand.
"We had a good time with hard training and obviously being at that serious form of altitude, hopefully it had a positive effect," he said of the experience. "It was great to focus on everythin
The Manxman has battled glandular fever this spring but rode the British national road race championships on Sunday and has been named in the final nine-rider squad that will travel to Dusseldorf for the Grand Depart.
Also selected are double British national champion Stephen Cummings, who has recovered from a fractured collarbone and scapula, road captain Bernhard Eisel, lead out man Mark Renshaw, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Jaco Venter, Scott Thwaites and Serge Pauwels.
There is no place for the newly crowned Rwanda and Eritrea national time trial champions Adrien Niyonshuti and Mekseb Debesay but South African national champion Janse van Rensburg will fly the flag for Africa, alongside compatriot Venter. Thwaites and Venter both make their Tour de France debut, while 36-year-old Eisel rides his 12th.
Dimension Data said it would "once again target specific stages with individual riders during the 2017 edition of the race. Riding from the front, searching for breakaway's and looking to wear a leader's jersey will also bring further awareness to our #BicyclesChangeLives campaign. We are confident these nine riders will make an impact that matters on the African continent over the next three weeks."
It is the African team's third appearance at the Tour de France. Cummings won a stage for the team on Mandela Day in 2015 and took another stage in 2016. Cavendish won the opening stage in Cherbourg and so pulled on the first yellow jersey of the race. He also went on to win three other stages, taking his career total to 30 and edging him ever closer to Eddy Merckx's record of 34 victories.
Cavendish may struggle to be competitive in the highly contested sprint finishes expected in the first week of the Tour de France but can never be written off. He is determined to honour the Tour de France with his presence and see what he can do after only a few weeks of training.
"As has been widely reported, it's been a difficult few months for me on the back of the illness that set me back earlier on in the season. Despite this setback and my lack of race time, I've worked incredibly hard both to ensure I could firstly recover from the illness as well as then aiming to build my fitness up as much as possible in order to start the Tour," Cavendish said when the Dimension Data team was confirmed.
"If I am being totally honest, had this not been the Tour de France,we may have collectively taken a different approach with regards to my inclusion but I feel that I owe it to myself, the team, our sponsors and most importantly to the Tour itself given its history and everything that it stands for - as well as the emotional attachment I have for it - to give it my best and to put everything I have into trying to help the team.
"In addition, I also feel a great sense of pride to be supporting Qhubeka, and our Bicycles Change Lives campaign, and am keen to raise as much awareness as possible for what is such an incredible cause at the Tour."
Team manager Doug Ryder said: "This team was built on a dream and to be in our 3rd Tour de France is so special as we chase more dreams with every single rider that will represent this team and what it stands for on July 1st.
"Our two debutants, Jaco and Scott, will have their eyes wide open as they experience the enormousness of The Tour de France and what a privilege to do that with the incredible experience of the rest of the team."
The Manxman has battled glandular fever this spring but rode the British national road race championships on Sunday and has been named in the final nine-rider squad that will travel to Dusseldorf for the Grand Depart.
Also selected are double British national champion Stephen Cummings, who has recovered from a fractured collarbone and scapula, road captain Bernhard Eisel, lead out man Mark Renshaw, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Jaco Venter, Scott Thwaites and Serge Pauwels.
There is no place for the newly crowned Rwanda and Eritrea national time trial champions Adrien Niyonshuti and Mekseb Debesay but South African national champion Janse van Rensburg will fly the flag for Africa, alongside compatriot Venter. Thwaites and Venter both make their Tour de France debut, while 36-year-old Eisel rides his 12th.
Dimension Data said it would "once again target specific stages with individual riders during the 2017 edition of the race. Riding from the front, searching for breakaway's and looking to wear a leader's jersey will also bring further awareness to our #BicyclesChangeLives campaign. We are confident these nine riders will make an impact that matters on the African continent over the next three weeks."
It is the African team's third appearance at the Tour de France. Cummings won a stage for the team on Mandela Day in 2015 and took another stage in 2016. Cavendish won the opening stage in Cherbourg and so pulled on the first yellow jersey of the race. He also went on to win three other stages, taking his career total to 30 and edging him ever closer to Eddy Merckx's record of 34 victories.
Cavendish may struggle to be competitive in the highly contested sprint finishes expected in the first week of the Tour de France but can never be written off. He is determined to honour the Tour de France with his presence and see what he can do after only a few weeks of training.
"As has been widely reported, it's been a difficult few months for me on the back of the illness that set me back earlier on in the season. Despite this setback and my lack of race time, I've worked incredibly hard both to ensure I could firstly recover from the illness as well as then aiming to build my fitness up as much as possible in order to start the Tour," Cavendish said when the Dimension Data team was confirmed.
"If I am being totally honest, had this not been the Tour de France,we may have collectively taken a different approach with regards to my inclusion but I feel that I owe it to myself, the team, our sponsors and most importantly to the Tour itself given its history and everything that it stands for - as well as the emotional attachment I have for it - to give it my best and to put everything I have into trying to help the team.
"In addition, I also feel a great sense of pride to be supporting Qhubeka, and our Bicycles Change Lives campaign, and am keen to raise as much awareness as possible for what is such an incredible cause at the Tour."
Team manager Doug Ryder said: "This team was built on a dream and to be in our 3rd Tour de France is so special as we chase more dreams with every single rider that will represent this team and what it stands for on July 1st.
"Our two debutants, Jaco and Scott, will have their eyes wide open as they experience the enormousness of The Tour de France and what a privilege to do that with the incredible experience of the rest of the team."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mark-cavendish-selected-for-tour-de-france/
