Chris Froome could have missed Olympics registration – if journalist didn’t remind him

Hopes of Froome, 31, winning Britain’s first gold medal in this prestigious event disappeared in the final descent of the 237.5km six-hour race.

Britain’s Chris Froome had to be told to register for the men’s road race by two BBC journalists, minutes before the start at Fort Copacabana.

It is still yet to be seen whether the British team will use Froome as their lead rider on Saturday or support Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates or Steve Cummings, whilst Froome focusses his attention on the time trial. I’m looking forward to it, though. In his way stands former teammate and three-time Tour de France victor Chris Froome.

Chris Froome and three other Team GB riders are taking part. It’s going to be hard.

“If anyone can do it, he can do it of all those people who were at the Tour”.

France also have a talented team in Romain Bardet, second to Froome at last month’s Tour, Alexis Vuillermoz, Julian Alaphilippe and Warren Barguil.

The incident comes on what has been a shambolic opening day of the Olympics proper, with spectators queuing for hours and some missing events all together.

As for Froome, he won his third Tour de France with unexpected attacks on the Col de Peyresourde and on the sprint stage to Montpellier pointing to a new-found tactical awareness to go with his obvious climbing ability, but in spite of his three Tour wins, the Kenyan-born Briton has never won a one-day race.

“In this race, you have to give it all on the day. You’re trying to keep your core body temperature down as well as trying to take in the workload of a course like that, so it was super tough”.

But he knows this race will not be all about him, unlike the Tour where his Sky team are entirely devoted to his needs.

“The Olympics is such a big goal, especially on a course like this. It can be any one of us”.

“We’ve all got an opportunity”.

For me to win a medal here after the summer we have had after the Tour de France would be just incredible, absolutely unbelievable.

“We’ve just got to play our cards right and be aggressive”. “We understand a bag was left behind a grandstand and a controlled explosion took place”.