Herald Sun Tour: Chris Froome can still retain title - Team Sky - BBC Sport
Team Sky believe Chris Froome can retain his Herald Sun Tour title, despite trailing race leader Damien Howson going into Sunday's final stage.
Last updated on .From the section Cycling

Team Sky believe Britain's Chris Froome can retain his Herald Sun Tour title in Australia, despite remaining one minute 12 seconds behind race leader Damien Howson going into Sunday's final stage.

A 7km climb features on each of the four laps on stage four.

And while Team Sky sporting director Brett Lancaster said the 121km course was not hard enough, he said "never say never" about Froome's chances.

"He's an animal," Lancaster told the Herald Sun. "He's a racer. He's a gentleman off the bike, but when he gets on the bike - that rhino he's got on his bike is there for a reason."

The three-time Tour de France champion and Orica-Scott's Howson of Australia were held up in Saturday's crash, just 1.5km from the finish line.

McCabe was one of only a handful of riders to emerge from the pile-up and beat Australians Mitch Docker and Leigh Howard, with Froome's team-mate Luke Rowe, who won stage two, in fourth.

Australian Howson retained his lead with Jai Hindley in second place, 38 seconds behind, with Froome back in sixth.