sky armada steering froome
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

To third Tour de France title

'Sky Armada' steering Froome

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice 'Sky Armada' steering Froome

Britain's Chris Froome (3rd L)
Saint-Gervais les Bains - Arab Today

They are the 'Sky Armada', the multi-national support team who are pushing Britain's Chris Froome towards a third Tour de France title.

Spaniards Mikel Nieve and Mikel Landa and Dutchman Wouter Poels, not to mention Sergio Henao of Colombia, were dubbed the 'Sky Armada' during this Tour by one of the overall contenders, Frenchman Romain Bardet.

Their role during the Grand Boucle has been to protect, support and propel Froome to a third Tour victory, after wins in 2013 and 2015.

While British pair Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe have marshalled Froome to safety on the flat, in the mountains it has been the Spanish-Dutch connection that has proved so effective.

For many, Sky's powerful team, with Froome's lieutenants setting a punishing pace on the climbs, has killed the race, turning it into a Froome-Sky procession.
Fans have marvelled at the strength of the Sky team, able to surround Froome with up to five team-mates until late on the mountain stages, while the reigning champion's rivals have been lucky to still have a single domestique alongside them.

According to Sky's sports director Nicolas Portal, it has all been thanks to a relay tactic to try to keep the riders as fresh as possible.

Asked why Poels has been so strong in the Alps, Portal said: "If he's in form in the third week it's also because during the first 10 days, along with Mikel Nieve, we asked them to sit up.

"They did their work earlier on, at the start of the stage."

This rotational policy, where some riders have been supporting Froome while the others relax at the back of the peloton, has been possible because of the single-mindedness of the team.

"We put egos to one side, we relax, we avoid crashes at the end and like that we're sure to have two good climbers in top form in the final week," added Portal.

- 'One goal' -
That belligerent tunnel-vision in chasing only the biggest prize of all is what Froome believes has given him a significant edge over his rivals.

"I think one of the big differences with our team, when I compare it to other teams, is that all eight team-mates of mine are focused on one goal," said the 31-year-old, who was born in Kenya.

"If you look at other teams, they've got a sprinter, they've got two GC (general classification) riders, they're trying to put guys in the break for stages.

"There's a lot of different things happening but I've got eight guys, nine including me, dedicated to one goal and that makes a big difference."

One of the most impressive team-mates has been Poels, who showed in April when winning the prestigious 'Monument' one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege, that he is a great rider in his own right.

"When we signed him (in 2015), few teams or media thought he was a great rider," added Portal.

"We had identified it, we knew he was a great climber."

Poels has been attracting a lot of positive press recently, increasing the possibility that other teams might try to recruit him to be their leader, something Portal admits is a poisoned chalice.

"It's a personal choice, do they want to stay 100% and have their chance (to lead) from time to time, or try to be their own leader but without the same support?"

One such case in point is Spaniard Landa who was third at last year's Giro d'Italia before joining Sky this year.

He has a different role and led the team at this year's Giro, but he had to pull out due to illness after 10 stages.

He then asked to be part of the Tour team, although the 26-year-old Basque has been far from impressive in France.

"He's not at 100% but at the same time, he's so strong. A Landa at 70% does a huge amount of work, he gives a lot of other guys the chance to rest," added Portal.

"He's a class above the rest."

Source: AFP

GMT 09:54 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

'Friendly and kind' N. Korean skaters

GMT 06:19 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Russians challenge doping ban

GMT 07:01 2018 Monday ,22 January

Real Madrid defy crisis talk

GMT 09:42 2018 Sunday ,21 January

One dead as accident mars fourth leg

GMT 04:52 2018 Saturday ,20 January

Confident Nadal demolishes Dzumhur

GMT 07:51 2018 Thursday ,18 January

Fighting Tsonga digs deep to reel

GMT 09:21 2018 Wednesday ,17 January

Federer and Djokovic take control

GMT 07:13 2018 Tuesday ,16 January

US racing pioneer Gurney dies
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

sky armada steering froome sky armada steering froome

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

sky armada steering froome sky armada steering froome

 



GMT 05:06 2024 Tuesday ,06 February

New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way

GMT 06:15 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Volkswagen clinches record sales

GMT 10:27 2017 Wednesday ,17 May

Endurance 13: Gomez after the triple in Yokohama

GMT 06:38 2017 Sunday ,26 February

US rig count increases

GMT 16:53 2017 Tuesday ,17 October

AmCham Bahrain announces new Board

GMT 15:33 2017 Sunday ,05 November

Woman already pregnant gets pregnant again

GMT 07:02 2017 Sunday ,26 November

China's tech giants reach global elite

GMT 13:06 2016 Saturday ,19 November

'Thrones' star Emilia Clarke joins 'Star Wars' spin-off

GMT 11:34 2011 Tuesday ,27 December

Mangusta Legacy Concept Revives Obscure Classic

GMT 13:04 2012 Tuesday ,07 February

ZEE TV plans HD launch in the Americas
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice