Chris Froome’s debut for his new Israel Start-Up Nation team hogged headlines ahead of the ongoing UAE Tour. Photo: Supplied
Chris Froome’s debut for his new Israel Start-Up Nation team hogged headlines ahead of the ongoing UAE Tour.
The four-time Tour de France winner left his former employers Ineos in a much-publicised parting of ways last year to start afresh in an attempt to win a record-equaling fifth yellow jersey.
However, after five stages of the UAE Tour, it’s been a struggle for the almost 36-year-old Kenya-born star.
After being caught out in the crosswinds on stage one, Froome crossed the line in 84th place, finishing in the main peloton some 8:29 behind winner Mathieu van der Poel.
Things didn’t get any easier in stage two’s 13km individual time-trial where Froome placed 83rd, 1:36 behind Italian world champion Filippo Ganna.
Froome showed glimpses of his former prowess in stage three’s summit of Jebel Hafeet, but still crossed the line five minutes behind current red jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar in 40th place.
Stage four’s flat stage saw Froome finish 22nd in the same time as winner Sam Bennett in his best result to date.
However, Froome, who was once feared when the roads of the grand tours went uphill, struggled again to assert any sort of domination in stage five’s climb of Jebel Jais.
He finished down in 42nd place, losing 1:42 to surprise winner Jonas Vingegaard.
Heading into Friday’s penultimate stage, Froome is in 40th place overall, 16:38 behind Pogacar with little chance of improving in the final two flat stages.
Froome is still working his way back to his best 20 months after a near career-ending crash at the 2019 Criterium du Dauphine and claims to be “feeling better” as each day passes.
However, despite the fighting talk of victory in Paris in July, news of his retirement rather than a race win seems more likely at this stage.
