Froome revises stance on Tour participation

Former Tour de France champion Chris Froome hinted on Tuesday that he may elect to compete in next year's race after previously suggesting he was considering sitting it out.
The mountainous route for the 2015 Tour de France does not favour Froome, who won the race in 2013, and he said last month that he could decide to skip it and focus instead on the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana.
But in an interview published on Team Sky's official website, the 29-year-old revealed that he was still motivated by the thought of wearing the race's famous yellow jersey.
"Looking to next year, my key goal is just returning to good condition and being at the front of a race again," he said. "That's a really big motivation for me. Whether it's the Tour or any other race, it's what I love doing."
The Kenya-born British cyclist added: "I love racing and being able to compete at the front -- to be with a team of guys who you enjoy being with, and who you work together well with.
"That's what gets me through the winter when I'm riding those long hours on my own."
Froome pulled out of the 2014 Tour after breaking his hand and fracturing his wrist following three crashes in two days, but he responded by finishing second to Alberto Contador in the Vuelta.
After a spell out of the saddle, during which time he got married, Froome is now ready to begin his preparations for 2015.
"I'm actually really hungry to start training again and keen to get back going," he said. "The Tour was a disappointment, but I've still got a few victories I can be happy about this year.
"Also finishing the Vuelta off in such a decent way, after having all the setbacks -- that for me was probably more important than anything else.
"It means I'll be able to go forward into next year without starting from a negative position. I can go in with a clean slate and give it my best shot."
Source: AFP