Chris Froome hits out at Laurent Jalabert on Twitter over doping insinuation
Tour de France leader hits back at the former rider after Jalabert said Froome's performance on stage 10 "made him uncomfortable"


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Tour de France leader Chris Froome (Team Sky) has hit out at French TV pundit and former rider Laurent Jalabert on Twitter over claims he insinuated Froome was using performance-enhancing drugs.
Jalabert spoke to RTL radio after Froome's victory to La Pierre-Saint-Martin on stage 10 of the Tour, saying that it was "surreal to see just how superior Froome is" and that his cadence was "so difficult to achieve that it leaves us speechless." He also added that the large time gaps on that stage between Froome and his rivals "made me feel a bit uncomfortable."
As noted in Sunday's ITV report, Jalabert also used the phrase "on another planet" to describe the 2013 winner of the Tour, which stood out significantly as it was the headline used by French newspaper L'Equipe in 1999 to describe the performance of Lance Armstrong.
Froome had responded earlier this week to the comments of Jalabert and another former cyclist Cedric Vasseur by saying it was “quite rich coming from Jalabert and Vasseur to be commenting on my racing in such a way.”
Jalabert retroactively tested positive for EPO in 2004 from a 1998 sample, which was released after a French Senate Commission investigation into doping in 2013. The former ONCE rider acknowledged the positive test but maintained that he'd never deliberately taken banned substances.
ITV's Matt Rendell confronted Jalabert at the Tour de France over both his comments on Froome and his own past, but the Frenchman refused to address the issues, saying there was "no problem" and denying he had said Froome's performances were "verging on the ridiculous."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29u-H3xM5rE&feature=youtu.be
Froome clearly took exception to the 46-year-old's denial that he'd made the comments, posting this message on Twitter on Sunday evening.
The Team Sky leader also posted a video from Youtube of the ITV confrontation of Jalabert, which was uploaded by a user named 'Michelle F'.
Jalabert is unlikely to respond on Twitter however, having tweeted only once since 2013, while Froome also thanked ITV and Rendell "for highlighting the issues I'm facing."
Froome has attempted to stay cool under heavy questioning during this Tour de France, as well as intrusion from spectators on the road side, claiming a French spectator threw a cup of urine at him on stage 14.
Teammate Richie Porte was also the victim of abuse from the members of the public on the roadside, with the Australian saying he was punched in the ribs on the road to La Pierre-Saint-Martin on Tuesday.
“It really is a minority of people out there — some have been very irresponsible," Froome said of the situation on Saturday.
"Those individuals know who they are. And it’s individuals, all the others have been fantastic and supportive. What those fans are doing, is not acceptable.”
Chris Froome's Tour de France bike
Thank you for reading 20 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
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Follow on Twitter: @richwindy
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
-
-
Is Liv's updated Devote gravel bike now more versatile?
The 2nd gen women-specific gravel bike features geometric tweaks and an array of models for varied budgets
By Luke Friend Published
-
Broken deals, unemployed riders, licence lottery: the looming effects of a Soudal-Visma mega merger
Soudal Quick-Step and Jumbo-Visma could be teaming up, but what would it actually mean? What are the loose ends?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Is Chris Froome - in 2023 - a professional cyclist, or an influencer?
The seven-time Grand Tour winner hasn't raced since July, but has taken to being interesting on social media
By Adam Becket Published
-
'I thought I was more in the door than I was' - Luke Rowe bares all on Vuelta a España snub
Welshman will not race a Grand Tour this year after he missed out on selection by Ineos Grenadiers
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘I hope I get a cow’ - Josh Tarling aiming for the top prize at World Championships
Welshman competing in elite men’s individual time trial on Friday afternoon
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'All being well I’ll still be racing next year' but 'it's coming to an end' - Geraint Thomas on Ineos Grenadiers future
'It's nice to be arriving at a Worlds in decent nick' says the Welshman ahead of individual time trial in Stirling
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Carlos Rodriguez credits BMX skills with Tour de France stage win
Ineos Grenadiers rider dedicates his victory to his parents
By Vern Pitt Published
-
Chris Froome 'absolutely not' worth multi-million euro salary says his team boss
The four-time Tour de France winner was not selected for this year's Tour de France for performance reasons, Israel-Premier Tech boss Sylvan Adams says
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
'We just have to keep trying': Ineos Grenadiers ready to attack at the Tour de France
'You never know' British team's DS Steve Cummings says anything is still possible at French Grand Tour
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Disappointed on stage one, pleased with stage two: Tom Pidcock gaining confidence at Tour de France
Ineos Grenadiers rider satisfied with performance on the road to San Sebastián after difficult opening stage
By Tom Thewlis Published