Roche says Froome and Wiggins dispute will be resolved on the road

Stephen Roche expects Team Sky's Tour de France leadership conundrum to resolve itself on the roads of France as the rivalry between Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome intensifies

Roche believes Wiggins can replicate his 1987 feat of winning the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year, but also expects the four-time Olympic champion to do what is best for Team Sky, if Froome is in a better position to win the yellow jersey.

“It will be the road itself which opens up to whomever is the strongest,” said Roche.

“From what we’ve seen of Froome, this year’s Tour will suit him more than Bradley.

“Bradley’s going in there with the opposition thinking about Froome, so he can let Froome take all the responsibility and hope it will turn in his favour.

“A lot will depend on if Bradley can win the Giro. If he doesn’t win the Giro, it will change everything. If he doesn’t win the Giro, he’ll want to win the Tour at any cost.”

Since Wiggins won the 2012 Tour, with Froome the runner-up, debate has raged over who will lead Team Sky’s assault in the 100th edition of the race, which begins in Corsica on June 29th.

While Wiggins’s messages may have been mixed, those made by Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford and his leading coaches have been consistent: they will pick the form rider.

The leadership decision may be delayed until part way through the Tour. Team Sky could start with two leaders and allow events to determine the hierarchy.

In 2012 Froome lost over a minute on the opening stage due to a puncture; a similar circumstance in Corsica would decide the natural order.

Froome’s girlfriend has already lost patience with the lack of clarity over the leadership situation.

Michelle Cound, who had a Twitter spat with Wiggins’s wife Cath during last year’s Tour, wrote: “To those claiming that this Wiggins/Froome thing is some sort of publicity stunt, you are wrong.

“I look forward to TeamSky clearing up this mess (ASAP) #fedup.”

The fact the pair are not just rivals, but also team-mates should work in their collective favour, according to Roche.“I’m sure Chris Froome could be a little bit upset,” Roche said.

“The important thing for both of them is that Sky wins the Tour, whether it will be Wiggins or Froome. Both are indirectly working for each other.”

Roche believes Wiggins’s approach has been well calculated, given Froome will carry the burden in France, despite the Londoner being the defending champion.

Roche said: “If he wins the Giro, going into the Tour it will give him peace of mind, knowing he’s already won a big tour and it will take a lot of pressure off him.

“And he hasn’t got to win it (the Tour) because Chris Froome can win it.

“He’s very clever. He’s offloading pressure on to everybody else.”

Roche has experienced similar team dynamics, not least in 1987, when he rode against team orders and team-mate Roberto Visentini to win the pink jersey, upsetting a partisan crowd.

The Irishman went on to win the maglia rosa and maillot jaune and is confident Wiggins, who became the first Briton to wear the Tour of Italy’s pink jersey in 2010, is capable of winning it outright and then defending the yellow jersey.

Before the double can be contemplated, Wiggins must successfully overcome rivals including defending champion Ryder Hesjedal, Vincenzo Nibali and 2011 Tour champion Cadel Evans, plus more than 3,400 kilometres of road, to win the Giro.

Roche said: “It’s quite ambitious, but then Bradley is ambitious.

“Bradley is quite capable of it and if he puts his mind to it, very capable of it. But there’s an awful lot of things to take into consideration.”