With the Tour de Romandie starting today, Team Sky’s Chris Froome said that he is not worried by his lack of victories so far this season.
Froome is yet to record a win so far this year, making 2017 the first year since his breakthrough season in 2012 that he has failed to cross the line first by this point in the season.
However the 31-year-old says that his confidence has not been affected by the lack of wins like it would have been in the past.
>>> Tour de Romandie 2017 start list
“Personally I don’t need that reassurance [of winning] quite like I did in the past,” Froome explained.
“I’ve got the reassurance of three Tour victories now to tell me that I’m able to do it again, so I don’t feel the pressure to go out in the early season and perform at that level.”
Watch: Chris Froome – how I won the 2016 Tour de France
Froome took second place on two stages at the Volta a Catalunya and will be hoping to perform well in what isn’t the strongest field in Romandie, but stuck to previewing the parcours rather than making predictions ahead of the race.
“I feel good, I feel comfortable with where I’m at at this time in the season. I had a good training camp with the some of the Giro guys up in Tenerife and we’ll be going back up to Tenerife after this race. As normal everything with me is focused on being ready for the Tour.
“This year the Tour de Romandie isn’t quite as mountainous as it has been in previous editions, so maybe we’ll see a different kind of winner. I can’t see a direct correlation between Romandie and the Tour de France, but for me it’s always been a crucial stepping stone on my way to winning the Tour.
>>> Tour de Romandie 2017 TV guide
“Both Saturday and Sunday will be the most decisive stages. Saturday looks like the most challenging stage on paper, I think.
“The time trial on Sunday isn’t too long, 18km, but whoever is in the leader’s jersey after Saturday will have to be able to do a good time trial to be able to defend the jersey. Seconds can be won or lost there.”
Froome will be one of the first riders off the start ramp in today’s prologue, starting at 14.07 UK time for the 4.7km prologue time trial in Aigle.
