Chris Froome’s salbutamol case could be decided before the Tour de France
Tour de France organiser Christian Prudhomme is confident that Froome’s salbutamol case will be resolved before this year’s race
Speaking to the press before the start of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Classic, Prudhomme said: “I have said since December that we need a rapid solution. The statements of the president of the UCI indicate that there will certainly be an answer before the Tour de France."
“I have absolute confidence in the UCI to do that. The president of the UCI has said there certainly won’t be one before the Giro d’Italia, but there certainly will be one before the Tour de France. We must have that answer.”
However, if the Froome case remains unresolved, the organisers ASO could exclude Froome from the Tour under the rule that permits the organisers to deny entry to a rider or team whose presence is judged "potentially detrimental to the image of the event".
Froome, starts the Giro d'Italia – which begins in Jerusalem on May 4th.
Prudhomme repeated his call for a rapid resolution: “We need an answer. And we are hopeful of having an answer before the start of the Tour. I’m not just in charge of the Tour, I’m President of the association of race organisers, and the organisers across the board need an answer, and as quickly as people, because the current situation doesn’t suit anyone.”
Chris Froome finished fourth in the Tour of the Alps, his final preparation for the Giro, in the hope that he can reach the goal of a “Grand Slam” of back to back major Tour wins. He remains convinced of his innocence in the salbutamol affair, maintaining he is certain the final verdict will go his way.