Froome gets another crack at gold in time trial

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

froome-copy REUTERS: Three-times Tour de France champion Chris Froome gets another chance to add an Olympic gold medal to his collection on Wednesday when the men’s and women’s individual time trials take place on the hilly Grumari circuit on Rio’s famed coast.

Froome could finish only 12th in the road race on Saturday but the 31-year-old said he cannot wait to get “stuck in” to a 59km time trial course that is ideally suited to his style.

The Team Sky rider, third in 2012, easily won the individual mountain time trial on the way to claiming the yellow jersey in the Tour de France last month and hopes to have a similar plan for Wednesday.

“It is something we have done a lot of work on and it worked really well at the Tour this year,” Froome said.

“Ideally we will be able to replicate what we did at the Tour, although it’s a very different type of effort.”

Unlike the road race which produced thrills and spills and numerous crashes, the time trial sees riders go off one by one and it is purely a race against the clock.

Froome’s main rivals will be Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, who won the individual time trial on the flat during the Tour de France but could be hampered by a recent broken wrist, Swiss Fabian Cancellara, Germany’s Tony Martin and Australian Rohan Dennis.

Before the men set out American veteran Kristin Armstrong, 42, will be aiming for a third consecutive Olympic time trial title on a course that is half the distance of the men’s.

Fellow American Evelyn Stevens will also be a threat, as will British rider Emma Pooley, the runner-up in Beijing.