• Briton going for double target of Tour de France and Olympics • ‘If G is flying and I’m struggling, then definitely I’d support him’

Chris Froome would be happy to play a supporting role in the Olympic road race if he felt Geraint Thomas was better placed to challenge for gold in Rio.

Team Sky’s Froome has set himself a double target of challenging at the Tour de France and the Olympics this summer, even eyeing a road race and time-trial double in Brazil.

Geraint Thomas: ‘I definitely believe I can win the Tour de France one day’ Read more

However, the Tour remains his primary focus and if that means his team-mates are in better condition than him come August he will return to his days as a super domestique. “I’d be happy playing a role if it meant we could have an Olympic champion,” Froome said.

The two-times Tour winner won Olympic bronze in London four years ago, though that was in the time-trial rather than the road race. The challenging nature of the Rio road course means it will be one for the climbers this year, which puts Froome, Thomas and Simon and Adam Yates in contention for a place in Great Britain’s five-man team.

Thomas underlined his growing potential on the road in last summer’s Tour when he was able to support Froome and keep himself in contention for a podium place, at least until a stage-16 crash sent him tumbling down a ditch and the general classification.

The Welshman has begun his season by successfully defending his title at the Volta ao Algarve, and is expected to have protected status in the Team Sky squad at this year’s Tour, making him the team’s Plan B should something happen to Froome.

When Froome was in a similar position behind Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012, Wiggins felt Froome had challenged him, leading to a clash between the two. However, Froome said he welcomes the competition from Thomas, his team-mate for the past six years at Team Sky and prior to that at Barloworld.

“Anyone who watched the Tour last year could see what G is capable of,” Froome said. “He came just a few days short of Paris and still he was in the top five and I think given that he is going to focus more on stage racing this year I like to think we can see even more from him in terms of stage racing.

“He was a huge part in me being able to win last year’s Tour and it would be great going into the Tour with G also protected this year.”

Asked about the Olympics, Froome added: “Going back to the rivalry within the team, and the harmony within the team, the key to all of this is communication. Especially with G. We’ve been riding together now, it’s coming up to 10 years back to 2008 with Barloworld. As long as we are open and honest with each other.

“At the Olympics it will be a very honest, open discussion between us, out on the road. Who’s feeling good? Can we get the job done today? Will you pull? Will you not pull? It’s that team dynamic. As long as communication is good I think you’ll have that buy-in from everyone. If G is flying and I’m struggling, then definitely ... [I’d support him].”