Froome and Thomas say Olympic team leadership not yet decided

Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas have both said that team leadership for Saturday’s Olympic road race has not yet been decided. The Sky team-mates are part of a five-man Great Britain line-up completed by Adam Yates, Ian Stannard and Steve Cummings.

On a hilly 237.5km course, Froome is widely expected to be team leader, but the man himself told Sky Sports that the team had other options.

"We still need to discuss tactics when we are all out there and come up with a plan, but with five guys, we could look at having different winning strategies. I don't think it has been decided yet, so it is something where we will have to make the call once we get out there."

Froome also admits that despite his stage-racing successes, his one-day record is not so impressive and says that the Olympic road race will have to be tackled rather differently to the Tour de France.

"It's very different. In the Tour you are thinking very much about riding each stage in the most conservative way possible, staying at the front not to lose time, whereas for a one-day race like Rio, it's basically about putting it all on the line on one day.

"It's a bit more of a gamble. You don't have tomorrow to back it up if things don't go well today. It's a very different kind of event."

Thomas too emphasised the importance of having different options, saying: "As long as one of us gets a medal, that's the main thing. Whether it's me or Froomey or Adam Yates or Stannard – anyone really – it's all about just getting a medal for GB."

Froome, Thomas and Stannard were initially set to compete alongside a fourth Sky rider, Peter Kennaugh. However, after withdrawing from the team in the belief that he would not be able to give his best, Kennaugh was replaced by Steve Cummings.

Cummings had earlier called for men’s road race coach Rod Ellingworth to step down from that role because he believed there was a conflict of interest due to his coaching position with Team Sky.