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Saint-Mars-La-Reorthe (dpa) – Saint-Mars-La-Reorthe, local gymnasium in the western part of Fankreich, overflowing with activity: Wednesday, the first public appearance of Chris Froomes gathered more 100 journalists and 20 film crews,
Three days before the start of the 105th Tour de France the professional cyclist from Great Britain, acquitted after a nine-month trial, again proclaimed his innocence and asked for fair treatment.
"It was a big challenge for me and my family and a lot of weight was falling off my shoulders," said Froome, who had been acquitted two days earlier by the World Association because its value Excessive salbutamol was not considered doping. could.
The four – time winner of the tour, who appeared Wednesday without a bodyguard, asked fans to be fair: "If they do not like Chris Froome, they should wear the jersey. a team that they support and have nothing negative in this race, "said Captain Sky. The team and organizers have "taken appropriate steps for safety," said Dave Brailsford, director of the Sky team.
Before leaving for France the Briton had made cautious attempts to explain his acquittal. Indeed, the value of the cure for asthma salbutamol in his urine, measured on September 7, 2017 in Spain, was well below the previously authorized limit. In addition, dehydration after the heavy leg on Los Machucos and taking other drugs for infection would have affected the extent. Froome came to the cynical conclusion in a Times interview: "I'm happy to continue to be a clean cycling ambbadador."
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), whose recommendation ultimately paved the way for the start of the tour, set a limit of 1,000 nanograms per milliliter. However, there is a discretionary margin of up to 1,200 nanograms, said AMA Scientific Director Oliver Rabin. Froome put his troubling failure value before his Vuelta victory at 1429 nanograms. Until now, there has always been talk of nearly 2000 and an excess of almost 100%.
Froome showed "understanding" for skeptics, as he said. "Cycling has a tough history, and a multiple round winner must be wary of mistrust and ask questions," said the Times' controversial Sky captain. Many spectators on the track will probably see it differently on Saturday – Froome, who has already been showered in 2015 in a disgusting attack with urine in 2015, threatens a glove across France.
Also the AMA was after the acquittal much discussed in defense mode. "It was not the first time we looked at the over-concentration of salbutamol, and the extraordinary thing about this case was that Froome was a well-known athlete and his case was leaked to the press by indiscretion," he said. declared Rabin at cyclingnews. "and rejected the accusation of handing over celebrities:" We behave in these situations always the same, now and in the future ".
The winner of the Froome series has been registered since May 4th. His extremely spectacular victory at the Giro d'Italia, achieved only in a historic final push, meant the third victory of the Grand Tour in series. This was only done by Eddy Merckx (1972/73) and Bernard Hinault (1982/83). Now, the fourth joke is waiting in one go. Jacques Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault and Miguel Indurain, five times winners of the tour, form an exclusive club. It could be extended by Froome.
With another triumph in France, he also managed the rare double of Giro and Tour, where three years ago, the Spanish Alberto Contador, once dubbed, had failed. The remarkable doublet last succeeded in 1998, died in 2004 Italian Marco Pantani. Froome said Wednesday about the "biggest challenge of my career" for the next three and a half weeks.
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