Chris Froome has an enviable situation to face the start of the high mountains in the Tour de France with the yellow jersey on his back and a good form that allows him to face the race with tranquility.
The British rider, winner of the Tour de France in 2013, even plays with his opponents. At the end of the team time trial, in which BMC beat his team, Sky, by just 6 tenths of a second, he pointed out the American rider Tejay van Garderen, second in the general classification, as a great adversary.
Hours later, on the rest day in Pau, from whose streets the Pyrenees hills that will start climbing tomorrow can already be seen, his opinion had evolved and the most fearsome rival is now the Colombian rider Nairo Quintana, the best climber among his pursuers.
"(Vincenzo) Nibali was expected to do better in the first week and Nairo in the mountains. Vincenzo has lost time, so now I will have to keep a closer eye on Nairo, who is arriving at his favorite terrain and has limited his losses in the first stages", Froome stated.
The Movistar rider is currently in 9th place, 1.59 seconds behind the yellow jersey, after losing one and a half minutes in the second stage, due to a split in the peloton.
"He can't afford to lose any more time. Whoever loses time from now on will have to pay a moral price, just like his teammates", said the Sky rider, who, after a brilliant first week, is now seen as the main favorite for victory.
Froome doesn't want to leave anything to chance and knows that good part of the danger he faces in the mountains comes from the Movistar team, led by Quintana.
The Colombian "is not the only one we have to keep an eye on in that team. They also have Alejandro Valverde, who can blow up the race with a long-distance attack. We will see what strategy they come up with", said the British rider.
Froome expects the first answers starting from tomorrow's stage, with the first special-category climb, the col de Soudet, in La Pierre-Saint-Martin, which will host the finish line after 167 kilometers of racing with three fourth-category climbs beforehand.
"It's going to be a key stage. It's not as difficult as the following ones, but it will give us an idea of everyone's strength", analyzed the Sky rider.
Froome is aware that there is still a long way to go in the Tour and that it will be important to save energy for the Alps, where the final general classification will be defined. "The 'freshness' factor will be important in the Alps, but for now we have to face the Pyrenees", he stated.
A first mountain range that comes to the British rider in a "comfortable" position, without the obligation to make up time with anyone and with the possibility of riding defensively.
"It's my opponents who have to show their cards and move the race", he said.
The Tour is smiling at Froome, who acknowledges his fears of a first week that last year, when he arrived as the defending champion and top favorite, showed him its toughest face and after a series of crashes ended his participation.
"I think it was the most delicate first week in recent Tour history for those who had ambitions in the general classification. I had a great concern, especially because of everything that happened to me last year. That was still in my memory", he recalled.
"The goal was not to lose too much time and, in the end, I'm the one who has the yellow jersey. It's a dream situation that I owe to the help of my team", he said.