La Vuelta a Espana 2020 - Bradley Wiggins: 'Give Chris Froome the respect he deserves'
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Updated 22/10/2020 at 10:51 GMT
On the latest episode of The Bradley Wiggins Show, Brad makes the point very clearly that his former team-mate Chris Froome should be treated with much more respect after his early struggles at the 2020 La Vuelta a Espana. Froome, who is to leave Ineos at the end of the season, has found the going very tough so far in Spain.
Christopher Froome of The United Kingdom and Team Ineos Grenadiers
Image credit: Getty Images
Bradley Wiggins has given a passionate defence of Chris Froome's early performances at La Vuelta on The Bradley Wiggins Show and believes his former team-mate deserves more respect.
Froome was dropped as early as Stage 1 as his Ineos team left him struggling at the back after having omitted the British star from their Tour de France team.
Wiggins believes the reactions to the 35-year-old's performances so far at La Vuelta have not been fair and says no one should forget all he has gone through in recovering from the horrific injuries he sustained last year.
"When you are Chris Froome, everything you do in every bike race is going to be picked up on," Wiggins said on the podcast.
"People look at the time losses as if to reflect the state of him physically. Forget the time losses, they mean nothing, he could lose three hours, it doesn't matter.
I would not put it past him winning a stage by the end of this race. The fact that he is in the race, we should all respect the fact that it is great to see him back on a bike after what he went through last year. Let's just give him the respect he deserves.
"He is a former winner of the Vuelta, so I don't think we should sit here calling him a shadow of his former self. He is alive and well and still the same person he was."
Wiggins continued: "Let's not forget the road he has taken to get back to here because it was through no fault of his own. He had a horrendous crash which nearly ended his career and his life.
"So it is probably a bit unfair to say he is a shadow of the former man. He has been through all sorts to get back to where he is today, and so has his family.
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"I'm not surprised Dave [Brailsford] picked him because it is the respect that he is due. While he is under contract, you've got to give him a chance to race.
"The respect he deserves as a Grand Tour winner is to do a Grand Tour. Okay, maybe not the Tour de France, but to not to select him for the Vuelta as Chris Froome, you've got to give him some kind of opportunity.
"His presence will be enough in that team, so it's a no-brainer and no surprise for me, no. Forget the time losses, let's get him a Grand Tour."
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