Confident Froome trusts Tour de France safety measures

Chris Froome's hunger for a fifth or even sixth Tour de France victory remains undiminished although he is unsure race can go ahead in 2020 due to coronavirus, he told French daily L'Equipe in an interview published on Tuesday. Tour's postponement until late August suits four-time winner who has been fighting to regain fitness from severe injuries sustained in a training crash last June. "It's an advant for me, race being put back, but it's t something to celebrate," said Froome.

Froome trusts Tour de France safety measures

Kenyan-born racer feels Tour may still be cancelled due to pandemic, but is training hard for victory at his Monaco base.

"I'm confident I'll be 100 percent fit at starting line," said Froome, who turns 35 next month and who is in final year of his Ineos contract.

"Maybe it won't take place, but I'm training as if it will go ahead," he told L'Equipe.

"We have new date and mentally I'm focussed on being ready." 

Tour has been rescheduled to embark from Nice on August 29 from its original June start date in an attempt to make sure sport's central financial pillar can be std this season. Froome, who had a brush with death in his crash at Criterium de Dauphine in 2019, told L'Equipe health concerns should stand above ecomic ones. "It would be a pity if biggest race of season didn't go ahead, but people's health comes first," he said. "I'm sure that neir (French) government r (organisers) ASO will take risks with riders, ir teams and public," added Froome who won Tour in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

After winning Vuelta a Espana in 2017 and Giro d'Italia in 2018 to hold all three Grand Tours his star has waned.

His co-captain Geraint Thomas emerged as 2018 winner while Ineos protege Egan Bernal claimed 2019 title.

"My dream is to retire having won more Tour de Frances than any or rider," said Froome.

He needs one more to equal Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, who have all won it five times.

Im credits: AP