Is Chris Froome right to target Tour de France over Olympics?

Froome is expected to be Team Sky's leader at Le Tour in July, where he will defend the title he won last summer, before heading to Rio to compete in the time trial at the Olympic Games a fortnight later.

The 30-year-old already has two overall Tour de France victories – 2013 and 2015 – on his CV and also won a time trial bronze at London 2012.

That year saw fellow Brit Sir Bradley Wiggins complete the Tour de France-Olympic time trial double and while Froome would love to emulate that, he concedes Le Tour must be his number one cycling priority.

"My dream year would be to win the Tour [de France] again, that's my bread and butter," Froome told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I've got to choose the Tour over Olympic gold at this point because in our sport the Tour is the holy grail.

"I feel as if I'm in a fantastic place both professionally and personally. I've just re-signed a deal with the team going on to 2018 and my wife and I have just had our first little boy.

"It's exciting – I feel as if I have got everything to race for at this point."

There is little doubt that Froome is right in stating his main intention is a Tour triumph. Rory McIlroy or Andy Murray would not swap any of the Majors or Grand Slams they have won in golf and tennis respectively for the chance to land Olympic gold. While gold is the main objective for athletes, in sports like cycling, it is merely a sideshow. Froome would stretch ever sinew to ensure he wins back-to-back Tour titles. If that comes at the expense of Olympic gold a month later, so be it. Winning the Tour de France is the ultimate test of a rider's ability. Winning Olympic gold is not.