May 04, 2014 (Neuchâtel, Switzerland) – After the stage a happy Froome admitted it had been a tough fight from start to finish to defend his title. “It was extremely hard and a really tough circuit, but the climb was good for me in the time trial today,” he explained. “With one second to try and gain on Simon Spilak, it was really difficult because he was really strong two days ago in the mountains and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen today.

“It was a really good test for me and I am just really happy to have got the result and be back in a yellow jersey again. It’s a really good feeling.”

The result was all the sweeter for Froome given that he has been short on racing recently through a combination of illness and injury.

“This has been a really hard period for me recently,” he added. “I have had a chest infection and I have had problems with my back this season, so it hasn’t been very easy. I have worked really hard to get back to this kind of condition. I just hope that I can continue to build towards the Tour de France.

“This year was a bit of a different race. We didn’t have any hilltop finishes, so it did make the race a bit different, but I am really happy to have been able to defend the title.”

A tense battle was guaranteed as the 2010 winner faced off again the 2013 victor but Froome showed no sign of cracking as he went quickest at the top of the climb at the intermediate sprint.

Earlier Martin (Omega Pharma – Quick-Step) had torn through the field to set the benchmark time, with Jesse Sergent (Trek Factory Racing) getting closest seven seconds back.

Confidence Boost
Chris Froome laid down a winning final time trial to claim overall victory at the Tour de Romandie.

The Team Sky rider headed into the decisive 18.5-kilometre test just a single second behind overnight leader Simon Spilak and the pair battled it out on the roads around Neuchatel, with Froome comfortably claiming the upper hand.

A time of 24 minutes and 50 seconds was enough to take victory on the stage by a slender margin of just under a second from world time trial champion Tony Martin.

Coming home 29 seconds ahead of Spilak (Katusha), overall victory was assured, and with it Team Sky’s third yellow jersey in succession at the race following the success of Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Froome in 2013.

The win arrived in a contrasting manner for Froome, who led from the outset last season following victory in the prologue. This time around a consistent start laid the foundations for a stinging attack on stage three, which saw only Spilak able to follow as the pair put close to a minute into their rivals.

Spilak held on for second overall, while Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) rounded out the final podium after six days, 1:32 back on a victorious Froome.

The wins was the culmination of a strong team effort, with Nathan Earle, David López, Mikel Nieve, Richie Porte, Luke Rowe, Chris Sutton and Xabier Zandio coming together to ensure their leader was positioned and protected.

After the stage Sports Director Servais Knaven was happy to oversee his second Romandie success, and admitted the close finish had been nail-biting as Froome edged out the stage win.

“It was really close for the stage win with Tony but sometimes a few tenths is all you need,” he said. “It was a great performance.

“Last year we began with an uphill prologue so Froomey had the jersey from day one and we defended it. This year was a bit different. For the team it was a bit easier but we knew Froomey had to take time. There were times when we didn’t have the jersey but we had to race like we did. The guys did a great job.

“It gives a good boost to the whole team, especially for Froomey after his injury. He’s come back and seen that he can win again. It’s a really important step towards the next races. He’s still building towards the Tour. Hopefully he’ll be a bit better next month and then come out even better still for the Tour. That’s the plan and I think he is right on schedule.”

Results

1. Christopher Froome (Gbr) Team Sky  0:24:51
2. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  0:01
3. Jesse Sergent (Nzl) Trek Factory Racing  0:08
4. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  0:15
5. Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Movistar Team  0:20
6. Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek Factory Racing  0:29
7. Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha
8. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida  0:31
9. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:35
10. Mathias Frank (Sui) IAM Cycling
11. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Shimano  0:36
12. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team
13. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin Sharp  0:37
14. Rohan Dennis (Aus) Garmin Sharp  0:38
15. Beñat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team  0:40
16. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge  0:42
17. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team  0:43
18. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
19. Stef Clement (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:44
20. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:45
21. Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Team Katusha  0:46
22. Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin Sharp  0:49
23. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:51
24. Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Esp) Movistar Team  1:01
25. Egor Silin (Rus) Team Katusha  1:04
26. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr  1:07
27. Reto Hollenstein (Sui) IAM Cycling  1:08
28. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team  1:09
29. Jack Bobridge (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
30. Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr  1:10
31. Nelson Oliveira (Por) Lampre-Merida  1:13
32. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Belisol  1:14
33. Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo  1:15
34. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team  1:21
35. Yury Trofimov (Rus) Team Katusha  1:25
36. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge  1:26
37. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo  1:31
38. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  1:32
39. David Lopez Garcia (Esp) Team Sky  1:37
40. Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
41. Jan Bakelants (Bel) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  1:38
42. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  1:46
43. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ.fr  1:49
44. Johann Tschopp (Sui) IAM Cycling  1:52
45. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha
46. Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar  1:54
47. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
48. Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo  1:55
49. Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  1:57
50. Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Team Sky
51. Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky  1:58
52. Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Shimano  2:01
53. Jens Voigt (Ger) Trek Factory Racing  2:02
54. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar  2:04
55. Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo
56. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team  2:05
57. Oliver Zaugg (Sui) Tinkoff-Saxo  2:07
58. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Team Katusha  2:08
59. Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
60. Xabier Zandio Echaide (Esp) Team Sky  2:09
61. Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team  2:10
62. Nino Schurter (Sui) Orica GreenEdge
63. Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  2:11
64. Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team  2:12
65. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team  2:13
66. Jonathan Fumeaux (Sui) IAM Cycling
67. Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Belisol  2:17
68. Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Belisol
69. Thierry Hupond (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano  2:18
70. Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre-Merida  2:20
71. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
72. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  2:22
73. Silvan Dillier (Sui) BMC Racing Team  2:23
74. Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) IAM Cycling  2:26
75. Michael Albasini (Sui) Orica GreenEdge  2:28
76. Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale  2:29
77. Dmitry Kozontchouk (Rus) Team Katusha  2:31
78. Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing  2:32
79. Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
80. Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano  2:33
81. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale  2:34
82. Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano
83. Andre Fernando S Martins Cardoso (Por) Garmin Sharp  2:36
84. Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
85. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Trek Factory Racing  2:40
86. Rafael Valls Ferri (Esp) Lampre-Merida  2:41
87. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team  2:43
88. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  2:45
89. Romain Guillemois (Fra) Team Europcar  2:46
90. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale  2:47
91. Marcel Wyss (Sui) IAM Cycling
92. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Team Katusha  2:48
93. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team  2:49
94. Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr
95. Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Fra) FDJ.fr  2:55
96. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin Sharp  2:56
97. Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin Sharp  2:57
98. Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ.fr
99. Eduard Beltran Suarez (Col) Tinkoff-Saxo
100. Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale  2:58
101. Pirmin Lang (Sui) IAM Cycling  3:00
102. Elia Favilli (Ita) Lampre-Merida  3:01
103. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  3:07
104. Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing Team  3:09
105. Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing  3:10
106. Tosh Van der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol
107. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Movistar Team
108. Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Lotto Belisol  3:15
109. Gang Xu (Chn) Lampre-Merida  3:25
110. Tom Veelers (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano
111. Luke Rowe (Gbr) Team Sky  3:30
112. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  3:39
113. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Giant-Shimano
114. Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol  3:40
115. Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) Cannondale  3:43
116. Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing
117. Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Esp) Garmin Sharp  3:57
118. Davide Appollonio (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale  4:31
119. Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEdge  4:33
120. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Team Sky  5:05
121. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Cannondale  5:07
122. Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Cannondale  5:32
DNS  Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek Factory Racing
DNS  Björn Thurau (Ger) Team Europcar
DNS  Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar
DNS  Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
DNS  Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Merida
DNS  Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge
DNS  Peter Velits (Svk) BMC Racing Team
DNS  Martijn Keizer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team

Final GC

1. Christopher Froome (Gbr) Team Sky  16:18:46
2. Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha  0:28
3. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida  1:32
4. Mathias Frank (Sui) IAM Cycling  1:44
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team  1:48
6. Beñat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team  1:52
7. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team  1:56
8. Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Movistar Team  2:07
9. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team  2:15
10. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr  2:31
11. Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin Sharp  2:38
12. Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek Factory Racing  3:29
13. Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo  3:32
14. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  3:50
15. Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) IAM Cycling  5:30
16. Marcel Wyss (Sui) IAM Cycling  5:32
17. Andre Fernando S Martins Cardoso (Por) Garmin Sharp  6:44
18. Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing Team  7:24
19. Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo  7:30
20. Jan Bakelants (Bel) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  7:37
21. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar  7:55
22. Egor Silin (Rus) Team Katusha  8:59
23. Yury Trofimov (Rus) Team Katusha  9:14
24. Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  9:56
25. Johann Tschopp (Sui) IAM Cycling  0:11
26. Sander Armee (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:12:22
27. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:12:48
28. Stef Clement (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:12:56
29. Eduard Beltran Suarez (Col) Tinkoff-Saxo  0:13:05
30. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:13:18
31. Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:13:24
32. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:13:35
33. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team  0:13:47
34. Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Giant-Shimano  0:14:10
35. Mickaël Chérel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:15:15
36. Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team  0:15:22
37. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:15:26
38. Rafael Valls Ferri (Esp) Lampre-Merida  0:15:55
39. Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Team Katusha  0:16:14
40. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge  0:17:18
41. Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale  0:17:48
42. Nino Schurter (Sui) Orica GreenEdge  0:17:50
43. Rohan Dennis (Aus) Garmin Sharp  0:18:04
44. David Lopez Garcia (Esp) Team Sky  0:18:10
45. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  0:20
46. Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Esp) Movistar Team  0:21:41
47. Silvan Dillier (Sui) BMC Racing Team  0:23:03
48. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin Sharp  0:23:26
49. Winner Anacona Gomez (Col) Lampre-Merida  0:23:44
50. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:25:10
51. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team  0:25:29
52. Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Team Sky  0:25:32
53. Jonathan Fumeaux (Sui) IAM Cycling  0:25:35
54. Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo  0:25:56
55. Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale  0:26:08
56. Francis Mourey (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:26:17
57. Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin Sharp  0:27:21
58. Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:29:12
59. Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar  0:39
60. Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo  0:30:37
61. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin Sharp  0:31:02
62. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-Shimano  0:31:34
63. Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Esp) Garmin Sharp  0:31:45
64. Dmitry Kozontchouk (Rus) Team Katusha  0:32:20
65. Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale  0:32:25
66. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:32:48
67. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team  0:33:51
68. Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:33:53
69. Oliver Zaugg (Sui) Tinkoff-Saxo  0:34:30
70. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:34:58
71. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Movistar Team  0:35:23
72. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo  0:35:24
73. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team  0:36:40
74. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  0:37:50
75. Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo  0:39:02
76. Nelson Oliveira (Por) Lampre-Merida  0:40:42
77. Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha  0:40:46
78. Jack Bobridge (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team  0:41:21
79. Michael Albasini (Sui) Orica GreenEdge  0:41:59
80. Elia Favilli (Ita) Lampre-Merida  0:43:42
81. Xabier Zandio Echaide (Esp) Team Sky  0:44:15
82. Reto Hollenstein (Sui) IAM Cycling  0:44:27
83. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma – Quick-Step Cycling Team  0:44:51
84. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale  0:45:28
85. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Team Katusha  0:45:58
86. Tosh Van der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:46:41
87. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Giant-Shimano  0:47:09
88. Jesse Sergent (Nzl) Trek Factory Racing  0:47:37
89. Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) Cannondale  0:48:59
90. Thierry Hupond (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano  0:49:17
91. Romain Guillemois (Fra) Team Europcar  0:49:53
92. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Cannondale  0:50:36
93. Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEdge  0:52:14
94. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team  0:52:57
95. Davide Appollonio (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale  0:53:52
96. Sean De Bie (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:55:03
97. Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano  0:55:13
98. Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr  0:56:34
99. Danilo Hondo (Ger) Trek Factory Racing  0:57:31
100. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team  0:57:37
101. Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  0:58:19
102. Pirmin Lang (Sui) IAM Cycling  0:58:27
103. Dennis Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol  0:58:53
104. Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team  1:0 7
105. Cayetano José Sarmiento Tunarrosa (Col) Cannondale  1:03:03
106. Jens Voigt (Ger) Trek Factory Racing  1:04:00
107. Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing  1:04:36
108. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge  1:08:12
109. Luke Rowe (Gbr) Team Sky  1:08:52
110. Gang Xu (Chn) Lampre-Merida  1:10:33
111. Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing  1:10:44
112. Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing  1:12:39
113. Damien Gaudin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale  1:13:00
114. Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica GreenEdge  1:16:37
115. Kenny Dehaes (Bel) Lotto Belisol  1:17:14
116. Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano  1:17:35
117. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Team Katusha  1:19:36
118. Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Fra) FDJ.fr  1:19:43
119. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team  1:19:48
120. Tom Veelers (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano  1:24:16
121. Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky  1:27:06
122. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Team Sky  1:30:34