HEARTS AND MINDS

he relationship between Chris Froome and cycling has been an enigmatic one. History shows us that riders who win a lot of grand tours enjoy more popularity after their period of dominance has ended than during it, with the notable and caveated exception of Lance Armstrong, but it has still taken cycling fans a long time to warm to the British rider. All the five-time Tour winners - Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain - faced grumbles about their dominance during their careers. Yet in retirement or defeat, they became more human. Froome remains stuck, even if he’s looked extremely human the last two years. In Froome’s case, this is a function of a few things. His grand tour wins have largely looked straightforward from the outside;