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‘Sky Armada’ steering Froome toward third Tour title
- Updated: July 23, 2016
Home » Tour de France » ‘Sky Armada’ steering Froome toward third Tour title
SAINT-GERVAIS LES BAINS, France (AFP) — They are the “Sky Armada,” the multi-national support team pushing Britain’s Chris Froome towards a third Tour de France title.
Spaniards Mikel Nieve and Mikel Landa and Dutchman Wout Poels, not to mention Sergio Henao of Colombia and Geraint Thomas of Wales, were dubbed the “Sky Armada” during this Tour by Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale).
Their role during the Grand Boucle has been to protect, support, and propel Froome through the mountains towards his goal of a third Tour victory, after wins in 2013 and 2015. All the while, British duo Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe have marshaled Froome to safety on the flats, with help from Belarusian reigning world time trial champion Vasil Kiryienka as well.
For many, Sky’s powerful team, with Froome’s lieutenants setting a punishing pace on the climbs, has killed the race, turning it into a Froome-Sky procession.
Fans have marveled at the strength of the Sky team, able to surround Froome with up to five teammates until late on the mountain stages, while Froome’s rivals have been lucky to still have a single domestique alongside them.
According to Sky’s sports director Nicolas Portal, it has all been thanks to a relay tactic to try to keep the riders as fresh as possible. …
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