Sir Dave Brailsford has attempted to brush away questions about his future and the credibility of his Team Sky squad three days from the start of their attempt to win a fifth Tour de France in six years.
Brailsford was also forced to deny that his team have a credibility issue. “I’m very focused on the race,” he said. “I’ve been involved in this sport for a long time and I’ve tried to do it absolutely the way I’ve always thought it should be done and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved in this sport. I’m proud of this team and I’m proud to be sitting here.”
Team Sky have faced eight months of scandal including a UK Anti-Doping inquiry into allegations of possible wrongdoing and the revelation the team acquired 55 doses of the corticosteroid triamcinolone over three seasons, but cannot supply paperwork to account for its use. But Brailsford said he did not think Team Sky would be under any more of a spotlight than usual. “We’ve always been under more scrutiny than other teams. We’ve raced in France this year, we’ve raced abroad, been a very positive reception on the roadside. That’s how I would see it.”
After speculation in March about his future at Team Sky amid rumours that some riders at the team had questioned him, Brailsford said he had no plans to leave. “I love it. I absolutely love it. I’m proud of cycling in Britain and everything that’s been achieved, proud of these lads, proud of Team Sky.
“I’m going nowhere. I’ll be here next year, the year after, the year after. I’m passionate about it. I’m pretty patriotic, we’ve built something from scratch including British Cycling, we’re a global team with riders from different countries and it’s a privilege to be amongst these lads. You’ve got to remind yourself at times how special that is. It’s not the day job, it’s a privileged thing to be doing. I love it.”
The three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome said he had total trust in the team as he launches the defence of his title. “I’ve been part of this team since the beginning and I’ve never seen anything untoward going on. I don’t have any trust issues.”
Froome said he expected a friendlier reception than in the past. “I was racing at the Dauphiné, it was a great atmosphere on the road and I don’t expect it to be any different for the next few weeks.
“The Tour is a tradition for the French fans and that’s one of the great things about it, it’s part of the spirit of the race, it’s beautiful and unique and those fans shouldn’t change anything.”
“If feelings on the bike and numbers in training are anything to go by I’m ready for the next three weeks,” said Froome, adding that he has the same hunger for the Tour this year as in the past. “The hunger definitely hasn’t got any less for me. I’m as motivated as ever. I’ve got so much more to race for now. This is potentially a fourth Tour de France title that I’m here to try and get. The challenge is bigger, the level of my rivals is higher on a difficult course so I’m here with all the motivation I’ve had before, if not more.”
