Could prime Froome match Pogacar and Evenepoel? "I think he could have done it" former teammate says

Comparing different period times in pro cycling is always a tricky conversation, because the power outputs of 10 years ago for example are no match for the pace that the peloton races at nowadays. However, if they are adjusted, some interesting rivalries that have never taken place would've been exciting to witness. Wout Poels for example argues that in his prime, Chris Froome would have been able to contest Grand Tours with the modern day stars such as Tadej Pogacar.

The former Team Sky rider had a lot of good things to say about the British team. “It was great,. I was with that team for five years, and I loved it. It went so well, we had great leaders with G (Geraint Thomas, ed.), Froomie, and [Egan] Bernal. I rode in seven Grand Tours, and in six of them, I was on the winning team" Poels said on the Domestique podcast.

He was racing for the team from 2015 to 2019 and because he helped the team win virtually every Grand Tour he raced for this period of time, he became one of the peloton's golden domestiques. Even with this role, he finished sixth at the 2017 Vuelta, confirming that he himself was a rider capable of racing for his own results in the three-week races. "It was great to be part of that. They were always ahead of the rest; they knew what they were doing. We had the right riders at the right time, and the right support around them.“

He believes the British team headlined the pursuit for every minor detail, a habit that was picked up by most pro teams over the past few years. "Now every team does it. But back then, we were ahead of everyone else. We did a great job winning all those Tours and other Grand Tours. I loved being part of it. It never felt like I had to do it, but I had the choice to use the tools. If you perform well, it's worth it."

The team also had a clear advantage at the time when it came to signing young riders, something which they lost in recent years to the likes of Visma and UAE. "They had a clear plan to win the Tour. That means you have to scout well, as with Bradley Wiggins: is it possible to win the Tour de France with him? Then, of course, you also have to build support around him."

Poels however, despite his quality, was never planned to be a leader in INEOS. But he did nevertheless win a monument at the 2016 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and took 13 pro wins throughout his five-year stint with the team - several of which at World Tour level.

"That wasn't really the plan. Froome was so good and dominant at the time that I never thought 'maybe I can beat him'. If I had thought that, I would have gone for it. But it wouldn't have worked.”

How could Froome have fared if he raced in today's peloton with the preparation that the current peloton has? Poels believes that it would actually be a very close match to the current leaders. "It's always difficult to compare riders from different eras. But I think he could have done it. He won seven Grand Tours in the end."

The Dutchman also regrets not having ridden other disciplines earlier in his career, perhaps due to the success and apparent benefit it has given riders such as his compatriot Mathieu van der Poel. "If I could have, it would have been fun to do all those disciplines. However, it also requires a great deal of mental strength to maintain top form throughout the year. Sometimes you need to take a break, but I have enormous respect for guys like Tom Pidcock, who wins gold on the mountain bike, performs well in the Ardennes, and then finishes third in the Vuelta."