Tour de France: Chris Froome insists "no bad blood" over role as back-up to Bradley Wiggins Bradley Wiggins has admitted Team Sky colleague Chris Froome would be his biggest rival for Tour de France glory - if the Britons were on rival teams. After an eighth day in the race leader's yellow jersey was successfully negotiated, Wiggins faces five more to determine if he can become the first British winner of the Tour, in the 99th edition of the race. Following the 158.5km 15th stage from Samatan to Pau, won by Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ-Bigmat), Froome was two minutes five seconds behind, with Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) 2:23 adrift in third and defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) 3:19 behind in fourth. There has been much comment and speculation over Team Sky's tactics since Froome attacked on stage 11 to La Toussuire and Wiggins did not - or could not - go with him. When questioned, Wiggins said: "We're first and second on GC (the general classification). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work that out. He's my team-mate. We'll keep it like that. The Tour resumes following tomorrow's second rest day with Wednesday's 197-kilometre 16th stage from Pau to Bagners-de-Luchon, which is the first of two days in the Pyrenean mountains. Some believe Froome, who finished second to Wiggins" third at the 2011 Vuelta a Espana, is the superior climber and should be Team Sky's leader. The Kenya-born Brit, meanwhile, expressed a wish to be backed by Team Sky in 2013 if the Tour route is mountainous, as expected. Yesterday, he insisted comments in the same L'Equipe article, suggesting he could win this Tour but not with Team Sky, were misinterpreted and he remains fully committed in his support of Wiggins. Froome said: "There were a lot of things taken out of context there. There's no bad blood in the team. We're still here with the same goal. Wiggins knows his place on the top of the podium on Sunday is not yet secure and Saturday's penultimate-day 53.5km time-trial to Chartres will also be important. "There are gaps in the GC of course, and yes we are in a great position, but even the time-trial on Saturday could see gaps," said the 32-year-old triple Olympic champion, who won the stage nine time-trial. The last time-trial of the Tour is not the same as the one in the first week. You're tired and it's not easy to put in the same effort as in the first week. Meanwhile, world champion Mark Cavendish, who will be Britain's leader at the Olympics, received positive news on his bid for gold as Norway's Thor Hushovd was ruled out of the Games and Tom Boonen of Belgium withdrew from the Tour of Poland due to injury, leaving his participation in doubt. Cavendish still faces considerable rivals in the shape of Slovakia's Peter Sagan and Andre Greipel, who have each won three stages of the Tour to the Manxman's one. But Cavendish has been operating without support, with Team Sky prioritising Wiggins" overall bid. There was the unfamiliar sight of him leading the peloton with 4km to go of the stage. Normally he would be tucked in behind a team-mate preparing for a sprint finish. Cavendish may have been frustrated by the decision, but Sunday's finale on the Champs-Elysees, where he has won in each of the last three years, will offer a further opportunity. And we could yet see the world champion being led out by the yellow jersey on Paris's most famous boulevard.