Chris Froome could still ride in the Tour de France after suggesting he could miss out

Chris Froome's stance on riding the 2015 Tour de France could be softening after he initially hinted at a reluctance to ride the race.

The 2013 winner was absent when the route for next year's race was announced last month and suggested he may skip the Tour to instead target May's Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana, which begins in August.

It seems inconceivable that Team Sky would allow its best rider to skip the sport's most high-profile race next July and one in which Froome would be among the favourites, but his comments put his participation in doubt.