UTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) β Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali did not see much of rival Chris Froome the last time they raced each other.
That’s because Froome was a dot on the horizon.
At the Criterium du Dauphine race last month, Froome sent out a major warning to Nibali β and others β that he is in great form, clinching overall victory on the back of two dashing stage wins in the mountains. Nibali, meanwhile, finished 12th.
Their rivalry resumes Saturday, when the Tour gets underway with a short and sharp 13.8-kilometer (8.6-mile) individual time trial in the cycling-mad Dutch city of Utrecht.
A confident Froome, the 2013 Tour winner, says “I’ve come to the start of this race in perfect condition” and surrounded by “the strongest team in the race.”
