Chris Froome and some of his Sky teammates spent Thursday getting to know the roads of the all-important stage 18 of the Tour de France, which finishes atop the Col d'Izoard.
Three-time champion Froome was joined by Christian Knees, Michal Kwiatkowski, and Peter Kennaugh to take on the first-category Col du Vars, which tops out 50km from the finish line, followed by the brutal 14km final ascent of the Col d'Izoard. The stage, which has also been chosen for the sportive ride, L'Etape du Tour, is set to be crucial in the outcome of the 2017 Tour, as one of only three summit finishes and one of only two Alpine stages late into the race.
"Everyone doing L'Etape du Tour this year is in for a treat. Stunning scenery," wrote Froome on Twitter.
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Froome also went to the Pyrenees a couple of months ago to recon stage 12 from Pau to Peyragudes, while he got a good feel for stage 9 last week as the Dauphiné took riders up and down the Mont du Chat in a replica finale.
Knees and Kwiatkowski have been dead certs for selection for Sky's nine-man Tour squad for some time, while Kennaugh's presence on the trip suggest the Manxman's recent victory on Alpe d'Huez at the Critérium du Dauphiné has convinced team management that he should also be included.
Everyone doing @letapedutour this year is in for a treat. Stunning scenery #TDF #letape #cycling http://pic.twitter.com/8kXDWfUmfY
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 15, 2017
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