• Tour de France

Froome: Armstrong cheated, I'm not cheating

ESPN staff
July 15, 2013
Chris Froome is now the heavy favourite to win the Tour de France © AP
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Tour de France leader Chris Froome has hit back at claims he is doping and brushed off comparisons with Lance Armstrong - just a day after clinching the best win of his career.

The Briton produced a stunning solo ride on Mont Ventoux on Sunday to leave his general classification rivals trailing as he extended his lead to four minutes and 14 seconds, and is now the heavy favourite to triumph and make it consecutive British winners of the Tour by following in Bradley Wiggins' footsteps.

However, the Team Sky rider has been left saddened by speculation of cheating on stage 15, and was quick to end comparisons to drug-cheat Armstrong - who was stripped of his seven titles and handed a lifetime ban from the sport in 2012.

"It is just quite sad that we are sitting here a day after the biggest victory of my life, quite an historic win, talking about doping," Froome told the press on the second rest day of Le Tour.

"My team-mates and I have slept on volcanoes to get ready for this, we have been away from home for months training together, working hard to get here. Here I am being accused of being a cheat and a liar, and that is not cool.

"I don't know about that other stuff [doping]. I know what I have done to get here and I am extremely proud of what I have done. Lance cheated, I'm not cheating. End of story."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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