Chris Froome before the Saitama criterium: “Remco blew me away at the Tour de France!”

Chris, as during the first edition in 2013, you will be at the start this Saturday of the 10th edition of the Saitama Critérium. How has this event evolved during this decade?

“I find it great to see how cycling has grown here over the years. The fans have a form of enthusiasm and fervor mixed with a lot of respect and goodwill. In front of the hotel where the riders are staying, some stand around for hours to get a photo or an autograph but they always approach us with great kindness, it’s very joyful to be able to interact with them. Asia woke up to cycling later than Asia. Europe, where cycling has always been part of the culture, but we see that things are changing. Racing is getting more attention and in the streets, we are also seeing more people moving around on their bikes.

At 39, do you still travel to the other side of the world with the same enthusiasm?

“Yes, completely. I don’t know if it’s linked to my personal history and the fact that I spent part of my life on a continent other than Europe (he was born in Kenya and later grew up in South Africa)but I have always had less of a form of curiosity for discovering other cultures. I like to see the diversity of the world, of landscapes and people, I find it quite fascinating. Over the years and my visits to Japan, I have been able to build certain friendships. I really appreciate the Japanese art of living.”

Your resilience since your terrible accident on the Dauphiné in 2019 is impressive, but you have not experienced the joys of victory for six years. So what do you enjoy most about your daily life as a runner today?

“I simply love the life of an athlete, the dedication and involvement that it requires. Doing everything in training and off the bike to try to achieve certain goals in the race, it’s something which captivates me. Obviously I can no longer do the same things as before my accident, but I still take great pleasure in what I do.”

Ahead of the previous season, you said that one of your objectives remained to conquer a stage on a grand tour. Is it the same today?

“Yes, I continue to hope so. But I don’t yet know what my program will look like for 2025. In December, we will sit down with the staff to discuss it in more detail and it is therefore still too early to point out my priorities for the coming year.”

Will this be your last year in the peloton?

“Also it’s too early to talk about it, sorry (laughs)… I have one year of contract left with Israel-Premier Tech and then we will see what the future holds.”

Tour de France: quadruple winner Chris Froome excluded by his team, Belgian Dylan Teuns also absent from the selection

Many riders, including several big names in the peloton, have suffered serious falls this season. How do you explain this worrying trend and how can we resolve this phenomenon?

“As is often the case in life, it is the conjunction of several factors which means that… But I am happy to see that all the players in our sport now seem aware that it is necessary to remedy this. We do not have to look to incriminate the runners rather than the organizers or the opposite in my opinion Today, in the peloton, we feel much greater stress than a few years ago. We are going faster with ever more efficient equipment. the temperament of the runners evolves, we fight for our place further and further from the finish, to escape, it is the sport as a whole which must identify possible solutions.

Have runners like Wout van Aert or Jonas Vingegaard, who were not spared from falls this year, already turned to you to ask for some advice on how to manage the trauma that an accident can cause?

“I love talking with younger runners to try to help them benefit from what my journey has taught me. When you find yourself confronted with a situation that you have never experienced before, it is quite logical to ‘be confused But in the case of Wout and Jonas, I don’t think they need me, they are doing very well. (laughs)… I find it important to never underestimate what an athlete can go through in these moments. You fight for months for a goal, it takes years to reach its peak and everything can collapse in a fraction of a second. It’s something really hard!”

The next world championships will be historic since they will be contested for the first time in history in Rwanda, in Kigali. What does this meeting represent for you?

“I am as impatient as I am curious to see how this event, which is so important for cycling on this continent, will unfold. I know the region quite well having already ridden there and I can assure you that it will be selective, both in terms of the difficulty of ‘a course with a record height difference and the altitude which could play a role that should not be neglected. I will not be at the start as a runner, that is a certainty, but I could however be present in another role. “

Remco Evenepoel should be one of the prominent players there. How did you judge the Belgian’s first Tour de France?

“He honestly blew me away! To get on the podium in his very first Grande Boucle considering the adversity he faced, it’s a great result! In recent years, Vingegaard and Pogacar seemed to be evolving at a different level from that of the rest of the peloton and finishing on their heels is a big performance. It will now be interesting to see what Remco will be capable of in the future…”

Do you think he is capable of one day winning the Tour?

“I will in any case never say that it is impossible (laughs)…But as I said, Jonas and Tadej seem out of category at the moment. However, trends sometimes reverse more quickly than we imagine in cycling. It’s logical that the wheel turns (laughs)… On the last Tour, I already found Remco extremely mature in his management of the race, he didn’t have a bad day.”

Tadej Pogacar’s season has been exceptional. Do you think the Slovenian’s dominance could ultimately make cycling boring?

“No, not at all! In my eyes, it even makes cycling even more interesting because it will raise the level of the entire peloton.”

The comparison between the Slovenian and Eddy Merckx is more and more often made. Do you consider it legitimate?

“That’s a trick question. (laughs)… I was born after Eddy’s career, and so I obviously didn’t see him race even though I obviously know his track record and the way in which he built it. So I don’t feel justified in comparing them. All I can say is that what Tadej is doing is phenomenal. Being able to race the classics like a true specialist and then raise your arms on grand tours is crazy.”

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