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Chris Froome won the 103rd Tour de France in Paris on Sunday. It is his third Tour victory, a record for a British rider.
He and his Sky team dominated the three-week race, setting an inferno pace up the toughest mountains and distancing rivals in the time trials.
On and off the bike, "Froomey" is relentless in his training, diet, equipment, and even mental preparation. He has the strongest team in pro cycling. Fiercely competitive, Froome is one of the greatest athletes of our era.
So who exactly is Chris Froome?
Christopher Clive Froome is 31 years old. He was born on May 20, 1985, in Nairobi, Kenya. His nationality is British. He is the youngest of three boys born to Jane and Clive.
Froome was raised in Kenya. He won the first bike race he entered, at age 13. When he was 14 he attended school in Johannesburg, South Africa, and pursued cycling. He did two years of college, studying economics, before turning professional at 22.
Source: The Telegraph
Froome, who is 6-1, went from 167 pounds in 2007 to 147 pounds in 2015, all while maintaining a similar sustained power output. This has helped Froome win races like the Tour de France, where a rider's power-to-weight ratio is critical to success.
Source: The Guardian
He uses mental tricks on himself. On training rides he focuses his thoughts on his rivals — which makes him work harder.
“I think a lot about my competitors when I’m training. I think about how they might be riding, and wonder if they are out with their teammates chatting for five hours. Especially if I’m out on my own that day, doing more focused efforts. I’m not just dawdling along. I like to think I’m doing more than the other guys, even when I don’t know if this is the case or not.”
Source: "The Climb"
He pushes himself in training by doing the extra hard work that he hopes will make the difference in races.
“In my head I am sure Contador and Nibali and my other rivals are out there training just as hard as I am. So some days I add in intervals or do more specific training or more intensity and tell myself they’d never think to ride like this — this is where I get my advantage.”
Source: "The Climb"
He isn't afraid to be blunt about his opinions — especially on doping and dopers.
“I am not a student of Lance Armstrong or that period in cycling. He doesn’t interest me and that era doesn’t interest me.”
Source: "The Climb"
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