TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018 18 Froome ready to sacrifice title AFP | Paris efending champion Chris Froome said he As long as there is a Dis ready to sacrifice a Team Sky rider on the record-equalling fifth Tour de France victory if it helps Sky top step of the podium teammate Geraint Thomas claim in Paris, I’m happy his maiden yellow jersey. CHRIS FROOME Four-time champion Froome can pull level with the likes of former five-time winners Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hi- “All this talk of attacking or not nault, Eddy Merckx and Miguel attacking … we’re in an amazing Indurain if he triumphs on the position, we’re one and two,” Champs Elysees next Sunday. he said. “It’s not up to us to be The feat would also see the attacking. It’s for all the other Kenyan-born Briton, who won riders in the peloton to make up the 2017 Tour of Spain and this time on us and dislodge us from year’s Giro d’Italia, become the the position we’re in.” first rider since deceased Italian Luxemburger Bob Jungels, Marco Pantani, in 1998, to claim who has dropped to 12th over- a Giro-Tour double in the same all at nearly 10 minutes behind calendar year. Thomas, said it was no easier But Froome, currently 1min to decipher Sky’s dilemma from 39sec behind Thomas in the inside the peloton. overall standings going into “Geraint Thomas has been three consecutive days in the in yellow since stage 11, and Pyrenees, said he would be hap- Froome’s still making a good py to forego all the glory if it impression,” the Quick Step rid- means Thomas wins the race er said. for Sky. “At the end of the day it’s up “As long as there is a Team Sky to them to decide. Maybe if one rider on the top step of the podi- of them has an off day, you never um in Paris, I’m happy,” Froome know. said as he and Thomas faced “All I can say is, they race very, media on the race’s second and very fast.” final rest day in Carcassonne. Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas Thomas, who spent several Asked if he would sacrifice his years racing alongside Froome hopes of a fifth Tour crown to But despite uncertainties over neean stages before targeting his Team Sky chief Dave Brails- journalist, he possibly let slip in their former team Barloworld, help Thomas, Froome replied: his ability to maintain form, and record-equalling fifth win. ford was at pains to underline the key to Sky’s internal race said, for now, the team is united. “Yes.” stay on the bike, in the crucial Alternatively, Sky could be his admiration for both riders, strategy. “We’re good mates, we’ve rid- Thomas has yet to podium on a third week, the 32-year-old counting on Thomas to take it all saying: “The two of them are big “At the end of the day, it’s the den in same team for 10 years three-week Grand Tour and, de- Welshman has often looked the way. Froome’s participation champions. legs of the riders that will de- now, we’ve generally lived in the spite winning the Criterium du more incisive than Froome. in the Giro d’Italia means he, like “For me it’s important to see cide,” he added. same areas as well, and trained Dauphine last month, crashed For some, Thomas is simply many other racers before him, either one of them win the Tour Froome was more evasive together,” said Thomas. out of both the Giro d’Italia and preparing the terrain for Froome may pay for those efforts in the de France.” when asked if he would attack “We just get on. For now, an- Tour de France in 2017. to take flight on one of the Pyre- final week. But, replying in French to one Thomas if in a position to do so. yway!” Quintana hoping for fall of Sky Sky chief slams Tour haters Froome teammate Moscon AFP | Carcassonne, France podium and some of Sky’s staff have also faced abuse thrown off Tour de France eam Sky chief Dave during the opening 15 TBrailsford hit out at stages. TDT | Manama organisers on Monday for Brailsford, who has been failing to stop “intimidating” questioned by a British par- talian Gianni Moscon, abuse of his riders and staff liamentary inquiry following Ia Team Sky teammate of as they attempt to win the allegations Sky had breached defending Tour de France Tour de France. ethical guidelines by abusing champion Chris Froome, was With Welshman Geraint the legal use of Therapeu- thrown off the race Sunday af- Thomas in the yellow jer- tic Use Exemptions (TUE’s) ter an altercation with a fellow sey and four-time champi- for their riders, said he did rider, officials said. on Chris Froome in second not expect the abuse to Race officials took the de- Nairo Quintana place, Sky are in an opti- stop. cision after Moscon was in- mal position as they head But he claimed the or - volved in a fracas with a rid- into the Pyrenees for three ganisers’ inability to step er from the Fortuneo team AFP | Paris battered into near submission by consecutive stages starting in and take effective meas- shortly after the stage start Team Sky as the British outfit Tuesday. ures against the haters had in Millau. airo Quintana said he look to secure their sixth yel - But the British outfit’s bid compromised the race’s Speaking to AFP, offi- Nwould welcome rivals Chris low jersey from the past seven to win the French race for billing as the “the world’s cials said the Italian used Gianni Moscon on the 15th stage Froome and Tom Dumoulin pay- editions. the sixth time in seven years greatest annual sporting heavy-handed tactics when ing for their efforts in the Giro With Welshman Geraint is not sitting well with some event”. the Fortuneo team rider the incident as a “particular- d’Italia in May as he looks to re- Thomas in yellow and four-time fans. “The Tour de France is tried to help his team leader, ly serious aggression” and launch his Tour de France bid in champion and teammate Froome Amid a general feeling promoted as the world’s Warren Barguil, join an early threw the 24-year-old Ital- the Pyrenees. second overall at 1min 39secs, of suspicion surrounding greatest annual sporting breakaway in the 181.5 km- ian off the race shortly after Colombian climbing specialist Sky are in pole position ahead of Sky and their sheer domi- event. If that’s the case, long 15th stage from Millau to the stage, won by Denmark’s Quintana is one of several yellow three consecutive stages in the nation of the race, Froome then maybe treat it with a Carcassonne. Magnus Cort Nielsen of jersey contenders who have been Pyrenees beginning Tuesday. has been spat at, Thom - bit more respect,” Brailsford Race commissaires classed Astana. as has been booed off the said on the rest day Monday. Herath spins Sri Lanka to series sweep despite de Bruyn tonne Reuters | Colombo against the leaden-footed South BRIEF SCORE Africans instead. heunis de Bruyn’s gutsy “There was not much spin as Tcentury went in vain as Sri Sri Lanka 338 (Dhananjaya 60, Gunathilaka 57, Maharaj 9-129) & the ball got softer, but we bowled Lanka completed a 2-0 series 275 for 5 decl (Karunaratne 85, Mathews 71, Maharaj 3-154) beat well throughout the series,” Her- sweep after Rangana Herath South Africa 124 (du Plessis 48, Dananjaya 5-52, Dilruwan 4-40) & ath said afterwards. spun the hosts to a comprehen- 290 (de Bruyn 101, Bavuma 63, Herath 6-98) by 199 runs Resuming on 139-5 with a sive victory against South Afri- comprehensive defeat looming ca in the second and final test over them, South Africa’s end yesterday. jaya and Dilruwan Perera who Lakmal, lone paceman in their came rather later than expected The 199-run win, which came together claimed all 20 South attack, did not bowl in the first as the tourists suddenly discov- with more than a day to spare, African wickets. innings and sent down only two ered a stomach for fight which was due to Sri Lanka’s tireless Such was their dominance overs in the second, preferring was conspicuously absent in the spin trio of Herath, Akila Danan- Theunis de Bruyn in action that home captain Suranga to watch his spinners run riot series..