Chris Froome will get his injury comeback rolling at the first WorldTour race of the season, the UAE Tour. Photo: Supplied
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome will get his injury comeback rolling when cycling’s first WorldTour race of the season, the UAE Tour, starts today.
The race was cut short last year by a Covid-19 outbreak among several teams, making it one of the first international sports events to feel the effects of the pandemic.
Kenya-born and Johannesburg-educated, Froome’s quest to regain his top form has seen him leave Ineos and join Israel Start-Up Nation.
The Israeli team allowed 35-year-old Froome to undergo intense rehabilitation work away from the rest of the squad at a performance centre in Santa Monica, California.
“I’m very excited to start my season here in the UAE where we always receive a very warm welcome and I’m looking forward to racing.
“I’ve had a good winter in California to fix my weaknesses and my rehab is definitely more complete than it was this time last year.
“I’m not here to win the race overall – it’s just about getting back into racing. We have a strong team with Ben Hermans as well. He can be our GC rider,” Froome confessed.
Reigning Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Deceuninck-Quick-Step’s rising star Joao Almeida and defending UAE Tour champion Adam Yates (Ineos) should be the ones to watch for overall red jersey honours at the seven-stage event from February 21 to 27.
