Meet the New Tour Boss, Same as the Old Boss
By Nathan Wright, from Issue 27 Le Tour
When Greg LeMond was asked about Lance Armstrong’s performance on the climb to Sestriere in the 1999 Tour de France he responded with “Unbelievable.” Welcome to 2015, Chris Froome, Team Sky and Stage 10 of the Tour de France. I am not accusing Chris Froome and Team Sky of doping. Accusations require proof — of which there is currently zero. However, I do not have faith that the performances I witnessed in stage 10 of the Tour de France are those of a clean rider and team.
I watched stage 10 of the 2015 Tour de France and was taken back to the performances of Lance Armstrong and US Postal Service team a decade ago. I witnessed Richie Porte smile as he upped the pace and Contador and Nibali popped off the back. I watched as Chris Froome accelerated 7 kilometers from the finish and gained time all the way to the line. He did it with the fast cadence and apparent ease not seen since in the Tour since 2005. I saw Richie Porte reel in Nario Quintana, one of the best climbers in the peloton, and drop him within sight of the line. I remained glued to the screen in disbelief as Sky’s Classics rider Geraint Thomas finished 6th on the stage.
All of these performances mirror those of Armstrong, Robert Heras, George Hincapie and other known drug cheats that rode in service of Armstrong on…
