After back-to-back victories in the Tour of Oman in 2013 and 2014, Chris Froome conquered his opening race of the season for the third straight year in a row at the Vuelta a Andalucia on Sunday. The Team Sky leader completed the course two seconds ahead of arch-rival Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), and described his win as “a big morale boost for the rest of the season.”
With strong head and cross-winds and run off at high pace, too, Froome said Sunday’s final hilly 169.9 kilometre stage from Montilla to Alhaurin de la Torre was “not as easy as I’d imagined but I’m really happy with how my team-mates performed out there, they supported me brilliantly, and I’m very happy with the win, especially as this is the first race of the season.”
As Froome pointed out, this is very early days for 2015, so to do so well from the outset is a great way of kicking off the year. “Being the first race of the season and knowing that I’ve got a lot to build on now as we head towards the Tour - it really couldn’t have gone any better here for us.”
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The win continues a tradition for Froome, of taking the opening race of the year, although as he experienced last year in the first part of the season, injuries, illnesses and bad luck can sometimes quickly turn things awry.
”The big thing for me now is to stay on this path and hopefully stay injury and sickness free through the spring, keep chipping away and working away towards the Tour. Winning here again just reminds me how grateful I am to be in this position, and how these wins, no matter how big or small, don’t come easily. You have to work very hard for them.”
“I’m really grateful for the support I have, from obviously my wife at home to support from the team, and everyone in that support infrastructure. I’m really privileged to be able to do what I do.”
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