Froome aiming for Tour-Olympic double

RIO DE JANEIRO: Chris Froome will lead the Great Britain team as he bids to emulate the feat of decorated compatriot Bradley Wiggins when the Olympic cycling road race takes place on Saturday (today).

Four years ago, Wiggins followed up becoming the first ever Briton to win the Tour de France by adding Olympic gold in London and later went on to be voted his country’s sportsman of the year.

That final accolade is one to have escaped Froome, despite his Tour dominance since Wiggins’s trailblazing success — Froome has won it three times in four years.

The Sky team leader still does not command the same admiration or popularity and his more charismatic countryman.

He will have two bites at the cherry in Rio as the Kenyan-born 31-year-old is also entered in the time-trial.

But his best chance of gold will likely come on the 241.5km hilly road race, that he himself described as a climber’s route.

Froome is one of the best climbers in the world and he should be rubbing shoulders with the specialist punchers — one-day classics experts — when Saturday’s race gets to its business end with three ascensions of a 9km climb in the final third.

The smart money, though, is on the likes of Spaniards Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez, or Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali for the gold medal as all three excel in such lumpy finales with a downhill finish.

“It’s a real climber’s course. It’s going to be hard,” said Froome. “For sure the Colombians will be good, Valverde, Nibali and riders like that.”

Colombia’s team looks impressive despite the absence of Nairo Quintana, who was widely regarded as the world’s best climber before a disappointing Tour.