Geraint Thomas: I believe Froome

Paris : Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) has publicly come forward to back his team leader Chris Froome after it was confirmed that the four-time Tour de France winner had failed an anti-doping test at the Vuelta a Espana in September.

While Froome’s future remains uncertain, Thomas has also told Cyclingnews that he will be given freedom to race for himself at the Tour de France and that if Froome is suspended then the Welshman may lead the team.

A urine sample collected at the Vuelta on stage 18 (September 7) found that Froome had double the legal amount of salbutamol in his system. The adverse analytical finding (AAF) leaves Froome not just fighting for his Vuelta title but also his reputation and his Team Sky career. If found guilty of doping, Froome could face a two-year ban.

Thomas was speaking to Cyclingnews from the Team Sky training camp in Mallorca, Spain, and said that he believed that his team leader was innocent and that Froome would not have deliberately broken the rules.

“For a start, I trust him. I don’t think that he would do anything to try and cheat. It’s just a difficult situation. I don’t know the facts that they’re going to use to argue their case but it’s hard and being who he is I can’t see them going lightly on him. I back him 100 per cent. I don’t think he’s a cheat. I’m sad for him, and his reputation but also for the team as well. That’s the main thing. It’s another thing against the team but I do trust that he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to cheat.”