ANALYSIS: The rise and fall of Chris Froome

Chris Froome was once the greatest rider on the planet. Throughout the 2010s, the Kenyan-born Briton dominated the world of professional cycling, particularly in the Grand Tours. With four Tour de France titles (2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017), two Vuelta a España wins (2011 and 2017), and a stunning Giro d’Italia victory in 2018, Froome stood at the pinnacle of the sport. His relentless climbing ability, tactical intelligence, and devastating time trial skills made him nearly unbeatable in the mountains and essential stages. Yet, the remarkable highs of his career have since been overshadowed by a steep decline, particularly after his transfer to Israel-Premier Tech in 2021.

The question many are left asking is: What went wrong for Froome, and why has his career, once so unstoppable, taken such a sharp turn for the worse?

Froome’s dominance in the 2010s

To truly understand Froome’s fall, we must first appreciate just how good he was. Standing at 6ft 1in, Froome towered over many of his Grand Tour rivals. His lean build, combined with his unique climbing technique, made him formidable on the steepest ascents of the Alps and Pyrenees. Froome’s dominance began in earnest with his first Tour de France victory in 2013, where he rode away from rivals like Alberto Contador and Nairo Quintana. Froome didn’t just win; he often destroyed his competition in the mountains and time trials alike.

Between 2017 and 2018, Froome achieved what few riders have ever done, he held all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously. After winning the Tour and Vuelta in 2017, Froome launched an audacious attack in the Giro d’Italia in 2018 that would go down in history. On the 19th stage of the Giro, Froome attacked on the Colle delle Finestre with 80 kilometers left to ride, bridging across a breakaway and taking the maglia rosa. It was a performance for the ages, one that firmly cemented his place among cycling’s all-time greats. Not even Tadej Pogacar, who won the prestigious “triple crown” in 2024, has won all three Grand Tours yet, and he certainly would have been proud of an attack like Froome’s in the Giro.

But the glory of Froome’s greatest wins, where he rode away from legends like Vincenzo Nibali, Fabio Aru, and Quintana, stands in stark contrast to the rider we see today.

The horror crash

Froome’s decline can be traced back to one tragic event: his horrific crash in 2019. While reconning a time trial stage at the Critérium du Dauphiné, Froome crashed into a wall at high speed, suffering multiple fractures. His injuries included a broken femur, elbow, ribs, and a collapsed lung. The crash was life-threatening, and Froome spent months recovering. Though he returned to racing in 2020, he has never been the same rider since that fateful day in 2019.

The severity of his injuries cannot be overstated. Froome’s power on the bike, particularly in the mountains and time trials, was significantly diminished. Despite the heroic comeback attempt, his performances were a shadow of his former self. The physical toll of the injuries, combined with the mental strain of returning to the peloton, left Froome struggling to find his old form.

In 2021, Froome made the high-profile move from Team INEOS (formerly Team Sky) to Israel-Premier Tech. The transfer, however, has proven to be a disaster for both Froome and his new team. Although he remains one of the highest-paid riders in the peloton, Froome’s results have not justified the substantial investment. As Michael Rasmussen brutally stated, Froome’s time at Israel-Premier Tech has been “the worst cycling signing in world history.”

Froome’s performance since joining Israel-Premier Tech has been dismal. He has failed to score a single UCI point in 2024, with his best result being a 21st place finish on a stage in the Tour du Rwanda. Froome, once the dominant force in Grand Tours, has not raced in one since the 2022 Vuelta a España, where he finished a lowly 114th. To make matters worse, he was entirely left out of his team’s squad for the 2024 Tour de France, a race he once made his own.

In an interview with Cycling Weekly, Israel-Premier Tech’s team owner Sylvan Adams candidly admitted that Froome’s signing had not delivered value for money. “Chris isn’t a symbol, he isn’t a PR tool, he’s supposed to be our leader at the Tour de France and he’s not even here,” Adams said, adding that Froome’s hefty salary has not been justified by his performances.

The fall of INEOS Grenadiers

Froome’s downfall mirrors the fall from grace of his former team, INEOS Grenadiers. Once the dominant force in professional cycling, INEOS has endured one of their most challenging seasons in 2024. The team that once boasted Froome, Geraint Thomas, and Bradley Wiggins as Grand Tour winners now struggles to make an impact in the biggest races.

INEOS’ inability to adapt to the new generation of cycling, dominated by the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, has been shocking. The team, once known for its methodical, almost mechanical approach to Grand Tour victories, has lost its edge. Just as Froome’s career has declined, so too has INEOS’ dominance. The 2024 season has been particularly brutal for the team, with little success in the Grand Tours or monuments. Perhaps the INEOS and Froome divorce, was a catalyst to their respective declines.

Froome’s downfall is particularly glaring when compared to today’s stars. Riders like Pogacar and Vingegaard are not just winning races, they are doing so with the same dominance that Froome once displayed. In the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Tour de France, Vingegaard and Pogacar have battled for supremacy, and the pair have won each of the last five editions of the Tour between them. These riders have taken Froome’s place as the kings of the mountains, riding away from their rivals with the same ease that Froome once exhibited.

Froome’s last Tour de France stage win came in 2017, a full seven years ago. In an interview with Eurosport earlier this year, Froome expressed his desire to end his career with one more “amazing” stage win at the Tour. Yet, as things stand, that seems an increasingly distant possibility. Froome’s mountain performances, once awe-inspiring, now pale in comparison to the climbing power of Pogacar, Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.

Can Chris Froome comeback?

With one year left on his contract at Israel-Premier Tech, the question remains: Is there any chance Froome can stage a comeback? Based on his recent form, the odds seem slim. Froome’s crash in 2019, his age (now 39), and the demanding nature of modern cycling have all worked against him. While the dream of one more Tour stage win persists, the reality is that Froome’s time at the top has passed.

However, Froome’s persistence is undeniable. Despite the harsh criticisms and poor results, he has refused to retire early. His desire to keep racing, even when the results don’t follow, is a testament to his love for the sport. Whether Froome can rediscover some form of his former self in 2025 remains to be seen, but his legacy as one of the greatest riders in history is already secure.

Froome’s transfer to Israel-Premier Tech is just one of many failed cycling transfers that have failed to deliver results. Other notable examples include Peter Sagan’s move to TotalEnergies, which has seen the Slovakian star struggle to replicate his earlier success, and Nairo Quintana’s switch to Arkéa-Samsic, which didn’t lead to the Grand Tour success that both the team and rider had hoped for.

These moves highlight the risks associated with high-profile transfers in cycling. Teams often invest heavily in established stars, but as Froome’s case shows, age, injuries, and changing dynamics in the peloton can quickly diminish a rider’s value.

A legend nonetheless

Chris Froome’s career has been one of the most storied in cycling history. Thanks to his legendary wins in the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and Giro d’Italia, Froome’s place in the sport’s hall of fame is secure. Yet, the latter years of his career have been marked by a sharp decline, one that has been exacerbated by his ill-fated transfer to Israel-Premier Tech.

While Froome’s current results are a far cry from his past glories, we shouldn’t forget his former career and the true legend he is of our sport.