Chris Froome is best Tour de France rider of the modern era, says Sir Bradley Wiggins
By Matt Westby and Fraser Robertson
Last Updated: 26/07/16 12:17pm
Sir Bradley Wiggins has described Chris Froome as the best Tour de France rider of the modern era and has tipped Adam Yates to be the race's next British winner.
Froome sealed his third yellow jersey on Sunday and 23-year-old Yates finished fourth to become the first Briton in history to win the best young rider's white jersey.
Wiggins was impressed by both of their performances and also believes Froome has finally silenced the sceptics who had previously accused him of doping.
He told Sky Sports News HQ: "That puts him [Froome] up there now as probably the best Tour rider of the modern generation, going past Alberto Contador.
"Not just Chris, but the whole team. It was a dominant victory, in the best sense of the word. All those hints and things of doping are all gone this year and it was much more about the performance and what they were doing as a unit.
"You saw the scenes yesterday, the whole team coming together. I thought it just summed up how great they were.
"Adam nearly pulled off that podium, but for a mechanical. He has just shown now the potential everyone knew he had and you would say now that he is the next British Tour winner, who could win the Tour in the next five to 10 years."
Wiggins also paid tribute to Mark Cavendish, who dominated the Tour's sprints by winning four stages.
He added: "What Mark has done the last few weeks, he has put all those questions to bed now as to whether he can still do it and is he still the fastest man in the world?
"It has given him a new lease of life for the next couple of years of the Tour."
Froome is now turning his attention to winning the Olympic Games time trial in Rio on August 10.
Wiggins became the first man in history to win the Tour and Olympic time trial in the same year and believes Froome can emulate him.
He said: "I had the benefit of coming home and then driving down to London nine days later to do the Olympic Games, whereas those guys have got to travel to another continent to get ready for it. That's a bit more challenging really.
"It's close enough that you almost stay in the routine - keep riding your bike today and tomorrow and you are straight into the Olympics.
"If it was a month or six weeks it would be a lot more challenging, but if anyone can do it, he can do and I'm sure he will do it. He has do go into it now as the favourite, so good luck to him."
