Froome’s Incredible 80km Solo Attack Shakes Up Giro d’Italia

Froome’s Incredible 80km Solo Attack Shakes Up Giro d’Italia

Woah. That’s about the most nuanced thing I have to say about Froome’s incredible Stage 19 solo attack.

I knew stage 19 with its gravel section and summit finish on the Jafferau had the potential to shake things up, but after Froome’s less than stellar first two weeks I never would have predicted that he and Team Sky would mount a monster attack sending Froome on to a 80km solo stage win. Not just a win either. He ate up more than 3 minutes, and seized the maglia rosa in a single show of complete dominance. Incredible.

Definitely right up there with Floyd Landis’s dramatic stage 17 attack during the 2006 Tour de France and Alberto Contador in stage 17 of the 2012 Vuelta. After not looking in peak fitness and the early crashes it would appear Froome was able to “race himself into shape” and recovery for two weeks.

The performance also raises a lot of questions. Was this incredible effort dramatic in the same way Landis’s ended up being? With Team Sky being what it is and Dave Brailsford still at the helm, was his victory above-board? For the sake of the sport I hope so.