Former rider lashes out at Chris Froome after statements about the cause of back problems: “He would still not ride in the top twenty in the Tour of Rwanda on his 2015 Pinarello”

Chris Froome is no longer the same as he used to be. The multiple (former) winner of the Tour de France has been struggling with back problems for years and explained in a conversation with Cyclingnews on Tuesday what exactly is the cause of his poorer performances in recent seasons. According to Froome, his cycling position at Israel-Premier Tech could have been the culprit, but ex-rider Michael Rasmussen disagrees.

“At first I thought it was the age,” Froome recently said during an interview, pointing to his cycling position at Israel-Premier Tech. The 38-year-old compared his position on his Factor (his current steel steed) to that on his old bikes from his time with Team Sky/INEOS Grenadiers, where he rode with Pinarello. The 38-year-old former Tour winner drew a clear conclusion. “I discovered there was a difference in the reach (the distance between the saddle and the handlebars, ed.) and that was not about millimeters.”

But not everyone listens to Froome’s explanation about his poorer performances in recent years. Former rider Rasmussen came up with a telling response to the Briton’s statements. “What a lot of bullshit,” said the 49-year-old Dane’s X account. “Every professional cyclist immediately knows if that is the problem.” And Rasmussen was not finished yet. “With his current form, Froome would still not finish in the top twenty in the Tour of Rwanda on his 2015 Pinarello.”