Team Sky appear to have the strongest team on the Tour de France, but Bauke Mollema believes that the win remains within reach. Indeed, the 29-year-old rider -second overall at 1'47- did a very well on Mont Ventoux stage and in the time trial.
"Chris Froome cracked in the 2014 Vuelta a España, so he’s not untouchable. He’s been strong so far, but he can also have a bad day", the Trek-Segafredo leader explained to Velonews.
General Manager Luca Guercilena is still confident i the chance of Mollema.
"Yeah because we are talking about athletes who’ve already won grand tours and at the moment, Bauke’s not yet won one. It was normal that the big favorites at the start were those who’d already won. If you think of Tirreno-Adriatico last year, when he placed second behind Quintana on a snowy summit finish, then you can understand. That showed that he found that extra bit of rudeness. He’s racing in that way now in the Tour."
"Nothing’s impossible now. Clearly, the distance is significant because 1:47 behind Froome is significant. Top five is our goal, we began with that aim, but on the other hand, we are not going to limit ourselves and the occasions we have. Our motto is ‘Try or die.’ We have to at least try. You can only understand if Froome’s in trouble if you try to attack. It didn’t work for the others in the last years, but maybe this year will be the one."
The team will be strengthened next year for the grand tours. Alberto Contadorwill join Trek-Segafredo for the 2017 season sources close to Contador and the team say.
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