Rivals set to test Sky for weakness in first week of Tour de France

Defending champion Chris Froome and his Sky team-mates will be put under pressure from the start, according to their rivals

Chris Froome

(Image credit: Yuzuru Sunada)

Team Sky will face enormous pressure to win their fourth Tour de France title this month, including during the first two stages, say rivals.

Wind is hitting Normandy hard this week with rain mixed in at times. Insiders predict the Tour's peloton will split into echelons already on the first day on Saturday (July 2) as it races from Mont-Saint-Michel to the coast at Utah Beach.

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

Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.