Chris Froome set to wrap up Tour de France glory in time trial
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ByEurosport
Updated 22/07/2017 at 12:27 GMT
Chris Froome is odds-on to effectively wrap up his fourth Tour de France crown in Marseille on Saturday with a 22.5 kilometre time trial all that stands between him and glory.
Chris Froome - Tour de France
Image credit: Getty Images
The Team Sky rider will begin stage 20 with a 23-second lead over Frenchman Romain Bardet and a 29-second edge over Colombian Rigoberto Uran.
Such margins are too close for true comfort, but Froome handily beat both men in the opening time trial in Dusseldorf three weeks ago and is expected to gain time again.
Certainly at this point, it's my race to lose. I have to make sure I do everything right, follow the right processes and hopefully not have a bad day. I've got the legs, and hopefully everything else will be alright.
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Christopher Froome of Great Britain riding for Team Sky in the leader's jersey waits to go on the sign in podium stage 19 of the 2017 Le Tour de France.
Image credit: Eurosport
With Sunday's stage into Paris traditionally a procession before the sprinters have their fun on the Champs-Elysees, Saturday is the last chance for Froome's rivals to reverse the course of this race.
For the podium places to be covered by less than 30 seconds makes this the closest Tour in history, largely by design as the organisers limited the number of summit finishes and time trial kilometres in a bid to reduce opportunities to build big distances.
But to this point Froome has mastered a course which downplayed his own strengths.
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Stage 20 preview: The time trial that will decide the Tour de France
He has never led by more than 27 seconds, but never trailed by more than 12 either, with consistency key to his success so far.
Froome has suffered only one noticeably bad day - when he briefly lost the yellow jersey on stage 12 to Peyragudes - otherwise handling everything his rivals could throw at him.
Although Bardet, who finished as runner-up to Froome last year, is closer at the start of the day, Froome has admitted it is the ex-Sky rider Uran who worries him more in a battle against the clock.
That said, for either of them to beat Froome from here would be a surprise.
"I think I have to treat it like any other time trial that I've done before," Froome said. "I have to do everything right. I'm not going to go out there and take any big risks.
I'm in a fantastic position and I'd much rather be in this position than second, third, or fourth trying to make up time.
The time trial will begin and end in Marseille's Velodrome, with the 67,000-capacity football stadium returning to its cycling roots for the afternoon.
Sky dominated the short opening time trial in Dusseldorf with four riders in the top eight and Geraint Thomas winning, 12 seconds ahead of sixth-placed Froome.
Much was made of the aerodynamic skinsuit Sky wore - with the UCI race jury dismissing claims from rival teams that it was illegal.
Froome's team-mates will have the suit again, but the race leader will have to do without the 'vortex generator' as rules dictate he must wear a yellow skinsuit provided by the organisers.
"Its a huge honour to be in the yellow jersey at this point," Froome said. "I've ridden in the skinsuit provided by race organisers almost every year I've won the Tour so it hasn't been a problem. At the end of the day it's all about the legs."
The afternoon will begin with the second stage of the women's event, La Course, which will see the top 19 riders from Thursday's stage up the Col d'Izoard race each other in a pursuit format, setting off at the intervals of their times on the mountain.
British national champion Lizzie Deignan was second on the Izoard, 43 seconds behind Holland's Annemiek van Vleuten, who will be first off the start ramp at 1pm local time.
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