Froome deserves respect not ridicule | Tao is the real deal

The Bradley Wiggins Show by Eurosport

Brad and Graham are back as we reflect on an amazing bonanza of cycling with two Grand Tours on at once. The pod kicks off by reviewing Ben O'Connor's solo win on Stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia - a vital victory for a team in NTT which faces a very uncertain future.

It's the business end of the Giro now and the daunting challenge of the Stelvio awaits pink jersey Joao Almeida on Thursday. Even if he says he likes it, Brad... isn't convinced.

We also chat Tao Geoghegan Hart. Brad says the Ineos Grenadiers rider is the "complete package", revealing what he spoke to him on the phone about after Stage 17, having sent him a heartfelt message. "He's everything I wasn't, and everything I wanted to be," says Brad.

With Stage 17 finishing at Madonna di Campiglio, the scene of Marco Pantani's fall from grace, Brad also reflects on his memories of the Pirate's life and death. You can hear more about that infamous day on the 1999 Giro on our cycling history podcast, Re-Cycle: https://podfollow.com/re-cycle

Meanwhile, an explosive Vuelta is only two stages old but has seen some huge developments already, most notably the dramatic collapse of Chris Froome on day one, as he lost more than 11 minutes to end his GC hopes before they had even started.

Brad leaps to the defence of his former team-mate and says his eyecatching time gaps don't mean anything. Brad backs Froome to potentially win a stage and says that his status in the sport, and within Ineos, means he deserved his spot at the Vuelta. Froome shouldn't be called a shadow of his former self, Brad says.

The Bradley Wiggins Show is produced by Pete Burton.

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