Chris Froome doing ‘everything he can’ to resolve salbutamol case

Updated 27/04/2018 at 12:56 GMT

Chris Froome says he is doing “everything he can” to resolve his ongoing salbutamol case after he was confirmed as Team Sky’s leader for the Giro d’Italia.

Chris Froome

Image credit: Getty Images

The 32-year-old is locked in a case surrounding the asthma medication after an adverse analytical finding, which showed he had double the permitted limit in a urine sample after Stage 18 of last year’s La Vuelta.

Froome has denied wrongdoing, but admitted to increasing his dosage on the team doctor's advice after a flare in his condition during the race in Spain.

However, a verdict is not expected until after the Giro, leaving him free to compete in the opening Grand Tour of the season.

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If Froome wins the Giro, he would hold all three jerseys – pink, yellow and red – at the same time. It is a feat dubbed the ‘Tiger Slam’ after Tiger Woods, who won all four golf Majors consecutively though not in the same season.

"I’ve had a different start to the season as I’ve obviously been aiming to try and reach my peak quite a bit earlier than usual. But the target of going for a third consecutive Grand Tour has given me new motivation," Froome said in a team statement.

Of course there is an element of risk involved in targeting the Giro before the Tour, but I think I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t give this race a go.

"I also recognise the wider issues and as I have said before I am doing everything I can, together with the team, to help resolve them as quickly as possible.

"In the meantime I am focused on racing. I would love to win the Maglia Rosa, but I am under no illusions whatsoever about how hard the race will be."

Froome is a known asthma sufferer and uses an inhaler to manage his symptoms.

The 2018 Giro d'Italia begins on May 4 with three stages in Israel before returning home to Italy.