MEGèVE, France -- Chris Froome is closing in on his third Tour de France title but legendary rider Eddy Merckx believes the Briton already looks good for a fourth next year.The 103rd Tour is still three days from finishing in Paris, with Froome winning Thursdays stage 18 time trial to extend his overall lead to 3 minutes, 52 seconds.Chris Froome is a very great champion, said five-time Tour winner Merckx. I think he can win more [Tours]. If you look at the guys who are behind him, I dont know who can beat him in the next years.Hes complete, hes a good time trialist, hes good at ascents, hes overall. Hes the best of the moment. [Even] his teammates are as strong as his rivals.The Belgian added: He [Froome] deserves his win. Hes the strongest. I cant see what could prevent him from keeping this yellow jersey until Paris. His opponents just stay on his teammates wheels. Barring an incident, nobody can beat him in this Tour.If you win the time trial with the yellow jersey its great, its better than another stage. Froome is a great champion. He is complete. When you are the best you have to win.Froome took the yellow leaders jersey by winning Stage 8 with his lightening descent of the Col de Peyresourde near the finish.Its a huge compliment coming from Eddy, said Froome. We feel we are in a bit of a bubble at the race but to have someone like that give a compliment in that way is a huge honour.The Team Sky rider completed the 17km mountain route from Sallanches to Megeve in 30 minutes, 43.23 seconds at an average speed of 33.297kmh.In second place Thursday was Dutch time trial champion Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), 21 seconds back from Froome, followed by Italian Fabio Aru (Astana) and Australian Richie Porte (BMC), both 33 seconds back.Frenchman Romain Bardet (Ag2r-LA Mondiale) finished fifth, 42 seconds after Froome; Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar), who was 10th, was 70 seconds back; Britons Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) was 1 minute, 23 seconds off the pace in 16th; Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), was in 17th a further two seconds back; and Irishman Dan Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) one second after in 18th.I have a great advantage right now with two days [in the Alps] left, added 2013 and 2015 champion Froome. The next two days will be really tough. Main thing for me now is to stay safe and stay out of trouble.Sundays 21st and final stage from Chantilly to the Champs élysées in Paris is suited for the sprinters and should have no bearing on the overall classification -- barring any disaster.But a tight battle is set to unravel for second and third places during the next two stages, with the Alps offering opportunities for riders to attack.Heading into Fridays 19th stage, 146km from Albertville to Saint Gervais Mont Blanc, 68 seconds separates second-placed Mollema to sixth, with Yates 4 minutes, 16 seconds off Froome. Quintana is 4 minutes, 37 seconds off the lead and Bardet 4 minutes, 57 seconds behind, while Porte trails by five minutes.Froome tipped his former Sky teammate and close friend Porte -- who lost 1 minute, 45 seconds on stage two due a flat tyre in the last five kilometres -- to finish best of the rest.I have to go off what I know and what I have seen, Froome said. Richie Porte did a very strong time trial today and yesterday [on stage 17] he was the only one to really take the race on and make a really strong race on the front.Richie looks the one with the most to gain these next couple of stages. Obviously, he had some bad luck early in the race. Its a shame he lost that time earlier, but I believe if he continues the way he is he will see himself on the podium in Paris.Porte was awarded the Prix de Bernard Hinault for the fastest time up the 6.5km C?te Domancy to the 10.5km mark, reaching it nine seconds faster than Dumoulin, but then lost time before the finish.It was such a hard time trial, said the Australian. I dont think I got everything I had out. I am a little disappointed. [But] I really want that podium. I am prepared to fight.Yates, who stills wears the white jersey as best young rider, also feels Porte is the rider to watch. He said: [Porte is] the main guy because every day he is looking stronger. If he didnt have the problems at the beginning of the race he would already be on the podium.Like Porte, Yates dropped off the pace in the second half of Thursdays time trial. He explained: I felt pretty good first checkpoint [at 10.5km] then faded towards the end. It is expected in the third week of the Tour de France and only my second attempt.
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