Gallery: Froome leads Team Sky reconnaissance over Tour de France stages

Chris Froome and teammate Richie Porte traded the altitude and warm weather of Mount Teide in Tenerife for the higher latitude and colder climates of Yorkshire this week. The two Team Sky riders paid a visit to the English country to reconnoitre the opening stages of the Tour de France.

The pair arrived in the UK earlier this week and began their recon on Friday, with stage 1. This year’s Tour de France will spend three days in Yorkshire, beginning on July 5.

The opening day will be a sprinter’s stage from Leeds to Harrogate. Stage 2 will be a big test for the general classification riders. It has been likened to the parcours of the Ardennes classics, with nine climbs for the riders to contend with, along with the rough and windy roads of Yorkshire.

Froome is aiming to defend the Tour de France title that he took last year, with Porte once again taking up the role as his lieutenant. The team have won the last two Tours de France, but face some tough competition in Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).

The Tour de France begins on July 5th and finishes in Paris on July 27.

Click here for the gallery of Froome and Porte’s visit to Yorkshire.

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