Chris Froome: 'When the facts are out people will see things from my point of view'

Chris Froome has thanked fans for their support and believes that when all the facts about his salbutamol case are made public, more people will see the case from his point of view.

Speaking to journalists assembled outside the Team Sky bus ahead of the opening stage of the Ruta del Sol, Froome said that he recognised that the last couple of months had been a difficult period for his fellow riders and fans of cycling, and that he and Team Sky were working hard to get the case resolved.

>>> Everything you need to know about Chris Froome's salbutamol case

"It's been a difficult period," Froome said. "These are not normal circumstances and obviously this was meant to be a confidential process which has been made public but we're doing our best to get this resolved.

"I've been getting my head down and focussing on my training and getting ready for the season ahead. We're working as hard as we can to try and get this resolved. No one wants this resolved more quickly than I do.

"It's a difficult time for everyone.It's difficult for fans, it's difficult for riders but the support I've received has been incredible, it's been a huge help in this difficult time.

"The support has been amazing, and that goes for other riders as well, the support from within the peloton has been incredible."

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Froome has denied any wrongdoing in relation to an adverse analytical finding for salbutamol at the 2017 Vuelta a España, saying that he did not exceed the permitted maximum dosage for the asthma drug.

News of the case became public in December through a joint investigation by The Guardian and Le Monde, creating months of speculation while the UCI continues its investigation.

>>> Ruta del Sol 2018: Everything you need to know about Chris Froome's return to racing

Recent reports have stated that the case could be close to going before the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal which will decide if Froome should be sanctioned, but Froome insists that once the details of the case are made public, people will see things from his perspective.

"There is a lot of misinformation out there," Froome continued," and there's also a lot of opinions of people who don't quite fully understand the process.

"I believe that when all the facts are out there people will see it from my point of view."

Froome is currently in southern Spain for the opening race of his 2018 at the Ruta del Sol, an event which he won when he last raced there in 2015.