Vuelta a Espana race director, Javier Guillen, is now asking for a resolution of the delicate Salbutaol case Froome has been involved to after last year’s Spanish tour where his adverse analytical results indicated twice the allowed amount of this asthma drug in his urine.
Guillen has said that he doesn’t want this case to continue being unsolved when this season’s Vuelta a Espana starts on August 25. Especially after Froome was the one to win last year’s big title which might be canceled if the UCI decides to do so.
“What is absolutely necessary for the 2018 Vuelta is to start out knowing who has won the Vuelta of 2017,” Guillen said during an official press conference. “We can’t be in the position a year later of not knowing what has happened.”
Allowed to race
Froome, until the final verdict about his case gets concluded, is allowed to race just like anyone else. Earlier this month, he won the Giro d’Italia becoming the third rider in the cycling history to have ever won three consecutive grand tours after winning last year’s Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana.
Now, he is preparing for next month’s Tour de France once again being one of the most favourites from all the other stars.
“Froome has won the Giro and we do not know what will happen with the rest of the races that he can ride. I get the feeling that with the passing of time it becomes more complicated. I do not know what we would do if Froome becomes part of the Vuelta. But I do know that the Vuelta must know who won in 2017 before the 2018 edition begins,” Guillen added.
