Times have changed, says Tour de France leader Chris Froome as drug whispers persist

Top cycling performances should not systematically trigger doping suspicions, Tour de France overall leader Chris Froome said on Sunday.

The Team Sky rider, whose impressive ride up La Pierre St Martin in the first mountain stage raised suspicions like his 2013 ride up the gruelling Mont Ventoux, had urine thrown at him by a spectator during Saturday’s 14th stage.

There were no incidents on Sunday, however, with Froome even speaking of a “fantastic atmosphere” on the road of the 183km ride from Mende to Valence.

At his post-stage news conference, Froome was quizzed on the incident again and doping-related questions were asked.

A reporter said: “Chris, you have been saying that you’re the first, you’re in the yellow jersey because you’ve worked extremely hard for that. We know this but what is troublesome is that all those who preceded you were saying the same ... Lance Armstrong would keep telling us that he was the first because he was working more than the others. Can you understand that the wording and the explanation that you give revive bad memories?”

Froome replied: “Times have changed, everyone knows that, times have changed, this isn’t the wild West that it was 10-15 years ago.

“Of course there are always going to be riders who take risks in this day and age but they are the minority. It was all the other way around 10-15 years ago, there is no reason for that suspicion to continue.”