Chris Froome: The Tour de France dream is always there

IsraelPremier Tech teams British rider Chris Froome cools down with water as he cycles the ascent of the Col de la Croix de Fer during the 12th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling race 1651 km between Briancon and LAlpedHuez in the French Alps on July 14 2022 Photo by Marco BERTORELLO AFP Photo by MARCO BERTORELLOAFP via Getty Images
(Image credit: MARCO BERTORELLO AFP via Getty Images)

Chris Froome started the 2022 season injured and ended it sick, turning 37, as another year slipped by as a shadow of his former self. And yet, amid the setbacks, there was one beaming glimmer of hope. 

At the Tour de France, the four-time yellow jersey winner didn't quite wind back the clock but he nevertheless produced his best performance in three years on the road to Alpe d'Huez. He didn't win the stage, but it was the first time victory had seemed remotely plausible since his horror crash of mid-2019. 

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Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.