If he gets it a win is a win. He’d have done something most wrote him off on. Towards the future it would be more beneficial to see how he does against better competition. This is by far the worst competition he has had since the crash. While not a cycling historian or knowing a wide variety of talent, there’s only theee names besides Froome that I’ve heard of before this race and were talked about. Let’s see if he can build like he did last year.
At the Begining there were 2 team mates of him past year in World Tour...One had to left by a crash, Hagen, the favourite IMO, and the other is Piccoli.
Vernon, Teklehaimanot, De la Parte, Bonnet, one of the best Euskaltel riders (Bizkarra, Iturria ), are the other riders I knew...as well, David Lozano, but nor for his quality....but that doenst mean there are not good riders among the rest.
But the level is not high, that is clear..If Omer Goldstain Would have took the start as is was predicted and Froome would have help him...maybe he could have won the race,,,and he is not a climber nor a top rider.
But considering Froome is not at a high shape here, is ok to see him at the level of the best (not in GC anyway)