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Photo: Yuzuru Sunada
Richie Porte
‘flabbergasted’ at
Froome test result
Richie Porte has described how
he was “flabbergasted” and “in
massive shock” when he received
the news that his friend and former
team-mate Chris Froome was
under investigation by the UCI after
delivering an adverse analytical
finding for salbutamol.
Froome was found to have a high
concentration of the asthma drug
salbutamol in his urine after stage
17 of the 2017 Vuelta a España.
Froome denies exceeding the
permitted dosage for the drug.
Porte told the Australian
Associated Press: “There’s not
really much you can say. Whatever
you say, you can’t win.
“It’s a big shame. When I heard
the news, it was a massive shock.
Let’s see what happens, let it all run
its course. I’m flabbergasted, as
you guys are.
“I do have respect [for Froome].
He is a good friend and we were
team-mates for a long time. It is
only natural you are going to ask
the questions but I’d probably
rather not say too much.”
Porte was not the only rider
to be asked about Froome’s
salbutamol case after Friday’s
time trial, with Rohan Dennis
saying that if he was in the same
situation as Froome then he
would take full responsibility for
the test results.
“I’ve made it no secret that I
have a zero tolerance for any sort
of positive test and that goes for
myself,” Dennis said.
“If I accidentally or purposefully
take something — which I
never would, purposefully take
something — then I’d just have to
own it and get a slap on the wrist.
“I don’t know the full details, but
for myself, if that was me, I’d just
say, ‘Look, I screwed up, I shouldn’t
have done this,’ or what-not.”om Dumoulin (Team Sunweb)
has said that he is open to the
possibility of racing the 2018 Tour
de France for the general classification in
July after attempting to defend his Giro
d’Italia title in May.
The Dutchman has already confirmed
that he will be racing the Giro, which runs
from May 4 to 27 and includes a higher
number of time trial kilometres than the
Tour. Last year he beat Nairo Quintana
(Movistar) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-
Merida) to take the title.
Chris Froome (Team Sky) has already
confirmed that he will race both the Giro
and Tour in 2018 — assuming he is not
subject to any sanctions over high levels of
salbutamol in his urine at last year’s Vuelta
a España — and Dumoulin has now said
he could attempt the double. However, any
decision on Dumoulin’s participation in the
Tour will come after the dust has settled on
the Giro’s final stage in Rome.
“In my eyes a lot of riders have made
the mistake in the past by focusing on both
the Giro and the Tour from the start of the
season,” Dumoulin told Dutch newspaper
De Telegraaf.
“As a result, they were probably alreadyin the Giro with the classification in the
Tour in mind. That is a mindset that
does not work. I think you should focus
completely on the Giro and only then
have to look further.”
However, with the Giro complete,
Dumoulin could turn his attention
to have a crack at the Tour title for the first
time. “That is indeed an option for
me next summer,” he said. “I think it
is not impossible to combine those two
tours. Certainly so because there is
a week extra this year because of
the [football] World Cup, which offers
more possibilities.”
Froome, according to Cycling Weekly
sources, will receive a €1.4-million start
fee for the Giro d’Italia. The money is due
to come from the Israeli organiser of the
Grand Départ. Dumoulin, according to one
insider, will also be paid.
Dumoulin, however, says otherwise. On
Thursday, he explained, “I won’t receive
one euro of start money.”
“Like every team, we receive a fee,”
Team Sunweb general manager Iwan
Spekenbrink said. “It’s by no means close
to the amount mentioned with Froome.”Dumoulin eyes Giro-
Tour double attempt
Dutchman mulls 2018 Grand Tour options
8 | January 11, 2018 | Cycling Weekly