Chris Froome on Giro d’Italia success: ‘No question at all about the validity of the results’

Froome added to his haul of Grand Tour titles amid ongoing controversy generated by his adverse analytical finding for Salbutamol at the 2017 Vuelta

'I am being tested absolutely every day – before the race and after the race' (Getty)

Chris Froome has issued a firm defence of his Giro d’Italia success, insisting there should be “no question at all” about the validity of his victory in the Italian race. The Team Sky rider also revealed that he was tested “every day” during the three-week Giro.

The 33-year-old on Sunday became the first British man to win the Giro as he completed the set of Grand Tour victories with his third successive triumph.

What was his sixth Grand Tour title, following last year’s fourth Tour de France and maiden La Vuelta wins, saw him become the seventh man to have won all three races, and just the third to hold the trio of titles simultaneously, with Eddy Merckx and Bernault Hinault the others to have done so.

He added to his haul amid ongoing controversy generated by his adverse analytical finding for Salbutamol at the 2017 Vuelta.

“There should be no question at all about the validity of the results here,” Froome told the BBC on Monday.

“I am being tested absolutely every day – before the race and after the race.

“I know from my side, I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong and it’s only a matter of time until that is clear to everybody.

“It’s unfortunate for the sport and its image, but hopefully we’ll get this result as soon as possible. For everyone, that would be the best thing possible. We’re in the middle of that process right now.”

The 33-year-old on Sunday became the first British man to win the Giro (Getty)

On Friday, Froome memorably went from fourth in the general classification, three minutes and 22 seconds off the top, to 40 seconds clear in first as he won stage 19 having launched a daring attack on the Colle delle Finestre with 80 kilometres left.

Asked if he had wondered about the wisdom of launching it given the way sceptics might react, Froome told the Telegraph: “I don’t ride according to what Twitter trolls are going to write about. That has no bearing whatsoever on how I ride my bike.

“I find it interesting people are very quick to jump to conclusions, when actually if you break down what (that ride) looks like, I made up more time on the descent than on the climbs or the flats.

“They (the chase group) were actually closing on me on the climbs. How can people say that I was going too fast on the climbs? It is actually uneducated, isn’t it? They have just gone on emotion.”

He added: “I am absolutely certain that when people have the same information as I have, they will understand why I made the decision to continue racing and riding the way I have been.”

When asked about the Salbutamol issue and Froome managing to keep such focus and cycle at such a level, Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford said on Eurosport: “The reason he can do that is because he 100 per cent knows that he has done nothing wrong.

“It’s not been easy and he’s had to remain focused, but we’re all believing the truth will stand up.”

Additional reporting by PA