Wiggins and Froome pre-Tour race programmes unveiled
Team Sky leaders, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, could race together as early as next month.
In a statement revealing the riders’ likely pre-Tour de France race programmes, Team Sky have indicated that the duo will line-up together at the Tour of Oman.
In March, Wiggins is expected to contest the Volta ao Algarve while Froome heads the team’s challenge at Tirenno-Adiratico.
Wiggins and Froome will ride together again next month
Wiggins will take his turn on Italian soil in April, where he is expected to race in the Giro del Trentino as final preparation for his attempt at a second Grand Tour victory, when he contests the Giro d’Italia in May.
Froome, however, will not contest a Grand Tour until July. He is scheduled to make final preparations for the Tour at the Criterium du Dauphine: a race won by team-mate Wiggins for the last two years.
Both men are expected to race in the Tour de France. Wiggins has issued conflicting statements about his intentions for the race, indicating that he will attempt to defend his title, and, more recently, that he will ride in Froome’s support.
Team Sky will continue to pursue the philosophy of holding stage race training camps throughout the season: an approach that yielded dividends for Wiggins last year.
Tim Kerrison, the team’s head of performance support, has warned that the race programmes outlined above are subject to change.
As a statement of intent, however, it will leave Team Sky’s rivals in little doubt that the British team plans to retain its status as the world’s best in 2013.
In a race like the TdF where a team leader can crash in the first week as happened to Sir Wiggo in 2011 it makes sense to have 2 strings to the bow. With no sprinter to support sky should be as fresh as the rest for the crucial mountain stages. And in the meantime until the tour look out for Thomas and Bossanhagen in the classics it’s going to be a good year!