Froome's 'Day To Forget'

Brit ‘welcomed’ with boos, writes James Shrubsall in La Roche-sur-Yon

- James Shrubsall

Lining up for the Grand Départ of this year’s Tour de France in Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile, Team Sky’s Chris Froome would have been confident of one thing: however hostile the French fans, however tired his body after winning the Giro d’Italia, he would at least have a better start than he did at the Italian race, where he crashed on the first day in Jerusalem — on a pre-prologue recce — and later lost 37 seconds.

In the event, his Tour de France start was even worse. A crash five kilometres from the end in a final that Geraint Thomas described as “pretty bonkers” saw Froome narrowly miss a bollard as he slid along the ground in a grassy field. He came out 1.01 down on stage winner Fernando Gaviria of Quick Step.