Sumo wrestling proves biggest challenge yet for Tour de France winner Chris Froome

 

Charles Reynolds
Friday 25 October 2013 18:53 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Considering he weighs in at just over 11 stone, Chris Froome makes a very unlikely sumo wrestler.

However that hasn't stopped the reigning Tour de France champion from giving it a go.

Froome, who is in Japan ahead of the Saitama criterium races, was given an introduction into one sport for which he appears wholly unqualified.

The 28-year-old, along with several other cyclists, donned a bizarre mixture of cycling lycras and traditional sumo belts in a fairly surreal practice session.

Froome recently expressed his excitement that next year's Tour de France has a stage in Yorkshire and judging by the photos it seems unlikely that he will be leaving the peloton for a shot at sumo glory any time soon.

However Team Sky supremo Dave Brailsford should perhaps consider a match up between rivals Froome and Bradley Wiggins - deciding in the sumo ring who will lead next year's Tour.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in