Chris Froome left to make up ground after 'sketchy' Romandie prologue
Team Sky leader Chris Froome puts in cautious ride during the wet opening prologue of the Tour de Romandie to place 78th
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Chris Froome has said that it may be "hard to make up" the time he lost to some of his rivals in the Tour de Romandie prologue on Tuesday.
The British Team Sky leader finished in 78th place after the short and technical 4.8-kilometre prologue in the race that is serving as a key build-up event to his Tour de France defence in July. He finished 29 seconds down on winner Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo).
“It was really sketchy out there," Froome said of the wet road conditions on the course around Aigle in Switzerland. "The main thing for me today was to just stay upright. It’s not worth coming off on one of these corners at this point in the season."
>>> Fabio Felline conquers rain-soaked Tour de Romandie prologue; Dowsett second
Although several of the other general classification contenders posted similar times to Froome – BMC's Richie Porte placed 108th – there are others that now go into Wednesday's climbing stage from Aigle to Champéry with a handy advantage.
"I’m a good 20 seconds back, most notably on [Primoz] Roglic at the moment, so that’s going to be hard to make up," said Froome.
“But let’s see. We’ve got a week of racing ahead of us. Romandie is one of the key races in my build up to the Tour and hopefully I’ll be able to go away with a solid week of racing in my legs by the end.”
Froome will not have to wait long for an opportunity to regain time – the long ascent to the line Champéry will allow the climbers to stretch their legs.
Froome's cautious approach on the corner-strewn prologue course appears to have been a sensible tactic. American Tejay van Garderen (BMC) crashed on the third corner, lost time and picked up injuries, which may affect the rest of the race for him and his team.
Froome himself has also previously fallen foul of crashing during the Romandie prologue. Back in 2010, in Sky's first year, Froome crashed on a corner in a similar length prologue held in Porrentruy.
Although he remounted and finished second from last, he abandoned the race to focus on recovering prior to that year's Giro d'Italia.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
-
-
Extinction Rebellion stages anti-Shell protest at British Track Champs
Two people carried a banner through the stands at Newport's Geraint Thomas National Velodrome
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
60% of motorists unaware of Highway Code changes, one year after introduction
Charity Cycling UK has called on the government to raise awareness of the updates
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Global backers in talks over new British WorldTour team
Former management of Ribble Weldtite courting interest in new project
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'I remember the crowds more than anything': Tom Pidcock recalls his Alpe d'Huez Tour de France stage win
Our male rider of the year, Tom Pidcock, talks us through the highs and lows of his 2022 campaign
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Leo Hayter, Cycling Weekly's rising star of 2022, talks through his season in the spotlight
We caught up with the winner of the "Baby Giro" to hear all about the win in Italy and his dream move to Ineos Grenadiers
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers release 'visibly fast' 2023 jersey
Navy is replaced with red as British team changes its look
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Where next for Mark Cavendish after B & B Hotels-KTM's collapse?
We look at where the ‘Manx Missile’ could find himself next after the collapse of B & B Hotels-KTM
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘Current WorldTour system is killing all the smaller teams,’ says Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
South African ex-Lotto Soudal rider fears more teams could find themselves in B & B Hotels-KTM situation if the system doesn’t change
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Chris Froome highlights dangers of long Covid after battle with virus
Four-time Tour de France champion warns of cardiovascular impact and says his VO2 max took a hit after illness
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘It’s a good thing and shows progression of the sport’ - Ben Swift hails changes at British Cycling academy
Ineos Grenadier says putting academy riders in with development teams will encourage development of many skills
By Tom Thewlis • Published