Someone expected to take a keen interest in Chris Froome's bad news is the man the 2013 Tour winner ostensibly replaced as Sky team leader.
Bradley Wiggins made it plain he doesn’t see any hope of fronting or even playing a part for Team Sky come the depart in Leeds on July 5, but events have shifted slightly over the last few days.
Despite an earlier announcement from the Maida Vale Modfather that all but excluded him despite his historic win in 2012, Sky team boss Dave Brailsford ruffled his managerial feathers by reminding everyone he alone gets to select the final Sky nine.
And more food for Sir David’s thoughts came when last year’s Tour winner experienced the day from hell on Sunday.
Froome cracked badly in the final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné to go from a first to lowly 12th.
Froome had led until the day before after a great opening to the traditional Tour curtain raiser. But a crash late on Friday’s stage left him nursing several injuries, all apparently minor but when combined made it impossible for the Briton to chase down a late attack by arch-rival Alberto Contador from Spain.
However, the fly in the Wiggins ointment was his own poor showing in stage three of the Tour of Switzerland yesterday.
The west Londoner finished more than two minutes down on Slovakia's Peter Sagan, and plummeted from 14th to 56th overall.
There are nine Swiss stages in total finishing on Sunday (June 22).
