Chris Froome’s remarkable decade-long career with Team Sky and Team Ineos, in which he won seven Grand Tours and become Britain’s most successful road cyclist, will end in December when he moves to Israel Start-Up Nation.
Froome, who made the decision after being told his £5m contract at Team Ineos was not being renewed, immediately set his sights on winning a fifth Tour de France next month.
However the 35-year-old, who has raced only once since breaking multiple bones in a crash during a training ride for the Critérium du Dauphiné last year, has been given no guarantees by the team principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, that he will be selected for the Tour. He will have to prove his fitness during a training camp in Tenerife next week and in two or three stage races in August.
Even if Froome is picked he is likely to be second or third in the Team Ineos pecking order behind last year’s yellow jersey winner, Egan Bernal – who has already stated that he will not sacrifice his 2020 chances for a teammate – and, potentially, Geraint Thomas, who won the Tour in 2018.
Announcing Froome’s departure, Brailsford confirmed the decision had been taken because he could no longer guarantee the rider a sole leader’s role within the team.
“Chris has been with us from the start,” Brailsford said. “He is a great champion and we have shared many memorable moments over the years but I do believe this is the right decision for the team and for Chris. Given his achievements in the sport, Chris is understandably keen to have sole team leadership in the next chapter of his career – which is not something we are able to guarantee him at this point.”
Froome joined Team Sky in 2010 but looked set to be released after an undistinguished start until he produced a remarkable ride in the 2011 Vuelta a España to finish second, ahead of his teammate Bradley Wiggins. That performance was later upgraded to a victory when Juan José Cobo of Spain was retrospectively banned.
Two years later Froome was able to canter to his first yellow jersey with plenty in hand. It is a thirst he has enjoyed satisfying, with further Tour victories coming in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Along the way he also won a second Vuelta in 2017 and the Giro d’Italia in 2018.
While there must be doubts whether Froome will ever be able to show the same form after the horrific crash that left him with a broken leg, shoulder, elbow and multiple ribs, he insisted in April his recovery was “pretty much complete”.
Israel Start-Up Nation’s co-owner Sylvan Adams, meanwhile, who is believed to be paying Froome a similar salary to Team Ineos, said he had signed the “rider of his generation”.
(September 9, 2011) First Grand Tour win
Froome outshines his team leader, Bradley Wiggins, to finish second at the 2011 Vuelta. He is later upgraded to first place after the original winner, Juan José Cobo, was disqualified for drug offences
(July 7, 2013) Tour de France breakthrough
Froome came second to Wiggins at the 2012 Tour but was the team leader at the next edition, where a memorable surge up Mont Ventoux leads him to his first Tour de France title
(July 7, 2016) Hat-trick of Tour titles
After crashing out early in 2014, Froome bounces back to win the 2015 edition after a battle through the mountains with Nairo Quintana. Froome defends his title in all-action style in 2016, even running a few yards up Ventoux when his bike is damaged
(September 9, 2017) Tour-Vuelta double
Froome wins his fourth Tour de France, and third in succession, in 2017 and follows it up with a second Vuelta title. He becomes the first rider from outside France to win the Tour and Vuelta back-to-back
(June 6, 2018) Giro win completes collection
Froome gets the better of Simon Yates in a spectacular ride on the Colle delle Finestre to win his first Giro and complete his Grand Tour collection. At the 2018 Tour, he ends up working to lead his teammate, Geraint Thomas, to overall victory
Adams said: “This is an historic moment for ISN, Israel, Israeli sports, our many fans all around the world and, of course, for me personally – a moment of enormous pride. We hope to make history together as Chris pursues further Tour de France and Grand Tour victories, achievements that would make a serious case for Chris to be considered the greatest cyclist of all time.”
Froome, who had considered leaving Team Ineos this summer before realising he would not have the support to compete for a fifth Tour victory when the race begins in Nice on 29 August, said he was delighted with the move. “I look forward to challenging and being challenged by their talent and continuing to strive for the success that I’ve enjoyed up to now.”
He also spoke of his “phenomenal decade” with Team Sky and Team Ineos, and said he would always treasure the memories of his victories, adding: “I look forward to exciting new challenges as I move into the next phase of my career but in the meantime my focus is on winning a fifth Tour de France with Team Ineos.”
