Chris Froome: "When I learned the doping truth, I stopped having role models and tried to do things my way"
Cycling
Chris Froome has discussed many topics in a recent interview and between those was his return to the Tour de France and hopes he carries, aswell as talking about his idols and how doping affected the way he's seen cycling.
“Fighting the young guns is getting harder and harder. But I still have a lot of motivation and feel that I can still achieve something. I haven’t said the last word yet," the Briton said in an interview with RoadCycling.cz. He's discussed a possible return to the Giro d'Italia and his first race of the season which should take place at the Tour Down Under, however he remains firm on his main goals.
Part of an older generation, and having been for several years struggling with form following his horrific injuries suffered at the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, Froome has gained a new position in the peloton, far from the lowest odds to win races. However he's admitted to enjoy the preparation, and towards the Tour de France this season he's shown his best-ever level ever since.
“It may not be enough to match the level of Pogačar or Vingegaard because the sport changes and so does the racing style. My hope is to see how the older guys are doing, how Geraint Thomas was still third in the Tour, how Valverde and Nibali were still able to win races," he continued.
However most interesting was his response to who were his idols in cycling whilst growing up. “I had a few role models growing up. But I think it was a different era. And when I learned the doping truth, I stopped having role models and tried to do things my way," Froome answered.
Having turned pro in 2007, he grew up watching the likes of Lance Armstrong and other since-disgraced athletes compete for the Tour de France and many other events, which has caused him to have a different feel towards the riders above than what is currently the case. "...I think it’s an unfortunate part of cycling history, but it will forever be a part of it. So I chose not to have patterns from that part of history," he says.
Having himself become one of the most marking figures in the last decade in cycling, he has also became the idol of many riders, who have in recent years turned pro. He shares: “It’s a bit of a strange feeling when a 20-year-old boy is racing with me, we’re riding somewhere in the middle of the peloton, and he tells me: ‘You’re my idol'".
"At the same time, for example, he attacks and I have to pedal to keep up with him. But it’s nice to see that you can influence someone," Froome concluded.
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 7visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment