Last year Chris Froome's dream of winning the Tour were crushed on the cobbles. The 2013 Tour champion leaves nothing to chance and yesterday he checked the cobbled stage to Cambrai. "I like to ride on cobbles," he said afterwards.

Earlier this month Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo rode on the cobblestones of the fourth Tour stage so Froome could not avoid it. Together with Nicolas Roche and Sergio Henao, the Sky leader rode from Seraing to Cambrai.

Last year the cobbled stage spelled the end of the Tour for Froome, but the cobblestones don't make him lose any sleep. "I find these races very interesting," he told Het Nieuwsblad.

"I like to ride on cobblestones. But such a Tour stage on cobblestones oses a lot of risks and headaches for the GC riders."

Froome was not hampered by his crash in Fleche Wallonne. "My back is fine. It did not bother me. This recon ride was far too important to skip it.

"It may be two crucial Tour days in a row. The task is to survive the first week and remain close to Nibali, Quintana and Contador. But cobblestones are simply cobblestones. There is not a very big difference. Seven years ago I did Paris-Roubaix."