'It's a great route for us': Chris Froome and Team Sky DS hopeful of 2018 Tour de France chances
Team already thinking about balance of squad with one fewer rider to pick for the race

Team Sky lead the peloton on stage 12 of the 2017 Tour de France (Sunada)
Nicolas Portal, one of the two Team Sky sports director to help guide Chris Froome to victory in the 2017 Tour de France, has said that he thinks that the route of the 2018 race will suit the British team.
Speaking after the route announcement on Tuesday, Portal said that the inventive route would reward a complete rider, as well as hopefully creating an exciting race.
>>> Tour de France 2018 route: Alpe d'Huez and Paris-Roubaix cobbles return for 2018 race
"There is a lot of everything, if you see what I mean!" the Frenchman said. "There are a lot of cobbles, a lot of climbs, two short stages, but one that is really, really short [65km], a team time trial…
"I think it’s a great Tour for us, but also in general for the Tour de France. Whoever wins this race is going to be a complete rider. Compared to this year it looks like a less stressful Tour.
"Regaining any lost seconds was pretty hard. This Tour will be a bit different. If you miss one stage and lose some time, you can hope to gain back some time in a few days."
>>> Comment: Is the 2018 Tour de France route finally one to get the better of Chris Froome and Sky?
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Portal also revealed that he had already been in contact with Team Sky general manager Dave Brailsford to start to plan the team's approach to next year's race, where Chris Froome will be aiming to win a fifth Tour de France.
"I was already writing on my phone and talking to Dave. This is our job - we are constantly thinking, thinking! We need to get the detail right, look at the route, talk… But already we have a strong idea."
The route of the 2018 Tour is one of the most diverse in years, featuring a cobbled stage, a 65km mountain stage, individual and team time trials, three summit finishes, and even a section of gravel riding in the Alps.
This parcours has almost certainly been designed to challenge the dominance that Chris Froome has held over the race in recent years, with the Brit picking out the first week - culminating with the trip to the pavé on stage nine - as particularly tricky.
>>> Who are the favourites to win the 2018 Tour de France?
"It’s tough. I wouldn’t expect any less from the Tour de France organisers - especially the first nine days," the four-time winner said.
"It’s going to be very nervy and dangerous up in the north west of France before we hit any of the big mountain stages. The wind could be a massive factor up there and with the GC being so close we could see the race torn to pieces.
"You could see a lot happening that day [on the cobbles]. Then there’s a stage [10] with a gravel section in it - there’s going to be a lot to get ready for in that sense."
>>> Six stages that could decide the 2018 Tour de France
Froome - and his rivals - will also have to cope with one fewer team-mate than in previous years, with team sizes being limited to eight rather than nine riders in each of the Grand Tours from 2018.
Selecting the best seven riders to help the 32-year-old through the tricky first week before still having riders at his side in the mountains is likely to be a tricky decision for Team Sky in the months before the race, with Froome already thinking about the balance of the team with one fewer rider.
"It’s definitely going to be a big consideration coming into the race, having a team that will keep me safe up north," Froome continued. "Having said that we don’t want to compromise the team we’re going to have once we hit the Alps and the Pyrenees.
"I imagine, in terms of selection, it will be guys who are very versatile who will be the obvious choice - especially with the team time trial playing a big part in the race."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
-
I rode the full course of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and it opened my eyes to the beauty of this under-appreciated race
Flanders and Roubaix have been and gone. Forget about them – some of the most epic racing of this Classics season is on the horizon
By James Shrubsall
-
Sunglasses brand 100% pledges to pay Giulio Ciccone's fine for throwing his shades
100% says "this one's on us" after Italian charged 250 Swiss Francs at Tour of the Alps
By Tom Davidson
-
'It can really push me along' - How a velodrome comeback is making Caleb Ewan faster on the road
Australian says he'll "definitely" continue track work after rekindling passion
By Tom Davidson
-
Could Caleb Ewan be Ineos Grenadiers' first Tour de France sprinter since Mark Cavendish? 'That's my goal'
"All I can do is try to win as much as possible and prove that I deserve to be there," says Australian
By Tom Davidson
-
'An unprecedented opportunity for brands to be part of the evolution' - Ineos Grenadiers sponsor hunt steps up with sales agency partnership
Sportfive have been employed to find "non-endemic global partners for the team"
By Adam Becket
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis
-
'They’re racing with their hearts again' - Robbie McEwen on Ineos Grenadiers' bright start to 2025
The British squad have already won four times in 2025
By Tom Thewlis
-
Ineos Grenadiers are entertaining so far this year, but how long will it last?
The British WorldTour squad have won four times already in 2025, but more than that, they have been fun. Is this the new dawn?
By Adam Becket
-
Caleb Ewan says he was put in a 'bad situation' by Jayco AlUla before he joined Ineos Grenadiers
Ewan joined Ineos Grenadiers in January after spending just one year with Jayco AlUla
By Tom Thewlis