Froome's Sky Third As BMC Win Tirreno Team Time-trial

Chris Froome is nine seconds off the overall lead at the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race after BMC won Wednesday's opening team time-trial.

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 07th Mar, 2018 ) :Chris Froome is nine seconds off the overall lead at the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race after BMC won Wednesday's opening team time-trial.

Italian Damiano Caruso will wear the first race leader's blue jersey for the second year in a row as BMC beat Australian outfit Mitchelton-Scott by four seconds on the 21.5km course in Lido Di Camaiore.

Froome's under-fire Team Sky were third at nine seconds. It's only the second time four-time Tour de France winner Froome has competed at the week-long Italian race after finishing second to Italian Vincenzo Nibali in 2013.

He is using it as preparation for May's Giro d'Italia, which this year will begin in Jerusalem. Froome's participation is in doubt as he is under investigation for having given an abnormal doping test result at last year's Vuelta a Espana, which he won.

He tested for elevated levels of asthma medication salbutamol, which can be taken legally in certain doses. He is one of the favourites for overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico, which ends on March 13. Last month he began his season with a 10th-placed finish at the five-day Ruta del Sol in Spain.