Chris Froome will renew his acquaintance with the formidable Mont Ventoux at next year’s Tour de France, but has warned he will have to show his all-round qualities to retain the yellow jersey.
Froome turned in an astonishing display on the gruelling 22.7 kilometre ascent on his way to victory in the 2013 race, but it has not featured in the last two editions.
Its expected return was confirmed at yesterday’s route announcement in Paris but, while there was plenty to enthuse fans of summit finishes, there were also two testing individual time-trials of 34km and 17km and the usual smattering of sprints.
Froome, who is hoping to triumph for the third time in four years and become the first man since Miguel Indurain in 1995 to defend his title, is wary of the challenge waiting in 2016.
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The 30-year-old Team Sky rider said: “I think it’s a great route. It’s very well balanced. There is a bit of everything and it is going to take a winner who can do everything.
“It is going to have challenging climbs. We are going back to Mont Ventoux, which is a special one for me, but on top of that we have got two pretty tough time-trials and a first week with potentially some crosswinds, so it’s going to be critical to have the kind of team to give you the support to get you through those stages.
“They are tough time-trials. They are not flat by any means. My time-trialling is something I’m going to have to work on this next season. I really think it’s going to be a pivotal point of next year’s Tour.”
The Montpellier-Mont Ventoux stage has once again been slated for July 14 – Bastille Day. That was also the case when Froome tamed the famous mountain two years ago to blow away his rivals.
The first stage from Mont Saint-Michel to Utah Beach – site of the D-Day landings – is pan flat and should end in a bunch sprint, meaning a sprinter could start the second stage in the yellow jersey, just as Marcel Kittel did in 2013 and 2014.
