Early season races are notoriously difficult affairs to gauge form. Nobody wants to hit their best too early. As a result, you often get great riders at races such as Andalucia who wish to simply find out where they are on their own performance curve. Winning is not necessarily a priority. Froome had been training at altitude in South Africa and so nobody knew quite what to expect. The start list was ‘very provisional’ right up to its declaration the night before. Nairo Quintana pulled out on the eve of the race.
So Sky had a conundrum: Froome had to test himself in competition – but not win. Too much aggro would follow such a victory. With the Giro looming and the Salbutamol case rolling on, the pressure might just build enough to deny him a start in Italy. Careful planning was needed.
Stage 1 predictably went to the sprinters, Sacha Modolo taking the run into Granada. Then Stage 2 came along, and the first full-on European climbing day of the season, up to Alto de las Allenadas. A group of exceptional quality was battling for the win and ultimately the race lead. Mikel Landa (Movistar) and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) were busy, as was Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) and Wout Poels (Sky). Louis León Sánchez (Astana) and Marc Soler (Movistar) were there too, along with Chris Froome.
Froome had put on a familiar burst of pace to bridge to the group that mattered with 1,400m (4,590ft) to go. He was at the rear and Poels up front. There was no need for a radio signal to know when to go for it. Poels launched in the last 500m (1,640ft) and did a double job. Not only did he win a stage to take control of the race, he also deflected attention from Chris Froome, who must have been delighted by his own form.
So Froome was now a contender. Remember, the plan was to race on hard but avoid victory. A difficult balance indeed. There was, I guess you might say, always the chance of an accidental performance just being too good for the plan. And that nearly happened.
Another sprinters’ day on Stage 3 gave way to the race’s pivotal stage ahead of the finale of the time trial. Froome was looking very good. Ooops!
An uphill cobbled finish beckoned to the line at Alcalá de los Gazules. Froome was in contention, and on any ‘normal’ day he would have been a red-hot favourite. Other riders around him were tiring, so this looked to many like his chance of glory. I took a (perhaps more cynical) view. The individual time trial was beckoning the following day, and I judged that Froome would want to test his time trial legs properly on the last day without also winning the race, which meant he had to shed time on this day. How was he going to do it? I speculated on air that the answer might just lie in a ‘puncture of convenience’. And guess what? Within 10 minutes, the cameras cut to Froome standing by his bike in no hurry whatsoever. He managed to lose two minutes.
I imagined the PR department lighting cigars: no pressure on the final day. Poels with a chance to win the race and Froome with a nice time trial against quality opposition, able to go for it without a chance of victory. Job done. Well, almost. Tim Wellens won the race eight seconds clear of Poels, but Sky were as content as they could be. Their main man had passed many tests at this race. He’d faced the public, the media, some sterling opposition and bolstered his own physical and mental condition. Battles well won, though the war continued to rage on many fronts.
‘It’s Heartbreak Hotel out there and everyone’s a resident I’m afraid.’
At that initial launch of Team Sky back in 2010, there was a big press conference to reveal the team kit. The black Adidas jersey was a departure from the garish colours favoured by most teams of the time. Much was made of the blue stripe that ran down the back of the jersey from the nape of the neck to the waist. This, declared Dave Brailsford, represented the clear blue water that separated old cycling culture with its dirty, murky history and the new culture that Team Sky championed. Team Sky was at the very forefront, spearheading a squeaky-clean organisation that would not accept anyone to work or ride for them who had been tainted by dubious activities in the past. The blue stripe down the back of the jersey was the line that separated this new team from others, and a line that should never be crossed. Team Sky painted itself as one of the good guys. It also painted itself into a corner, a corner where spotlights glared. This, everyone thought, had better be good . . .
The debate goes on as to whether Sky did, in fact, ever cross the line. What we do know is that at least ethically it seems they were pushing up against it as hard as possible.
16
The Dark Side of Cycling
Ever since the sport of racing bicycles began, it’s had a murky side. Riders have always sought an advantage over their competitors. For the best, this simply means doing what comes naturally. For those missing a certain competitive percentage or two, the temptation to find an angle in the great chase can mean a step towards the dark side.
‘Doping’ is a generic term, and it can take many forms. There is a spectrum here. It’s not just about needles, pills and potions. No. The word now extends well beyond the chemical, and includes Accommodation Doping and Mechanical Doping.
So, cycling: let’s be straight about how
