By the time 2019 comes around, it will be fully seven years since the last Tour de France where a time-trial specialist could hope to put one over the pure climbers. There is a good reason for that: since 2013 Froome has shown himself equal to pretty much everything the race can throw at him apart from in one year, 2014, when he started the race short of form. Why I don’t think Chris Froome will win a fifth Tour de France | William Fotheringham Read moreThe novelties for 2018 will not discourage Froome, who is not entirely ruling out an attempt on a Grand Tour slam at the Giro d’Italia, although the current mood music points towards him targeting the Tour as his main priority. Like the stage over the pavés, that is short enough to ensure intense action, although Froome and Team Sky have amply demonstrated their ability to cope. There are only seven sprint stages at most, and slender pickings once the Tour has flown south from Roubaix to the Alps after stage nine.

Source: The Guardian October 17, 2017 10:37 UTC