Chris Froome and Michael Woods ready for Vuelta a Espana to try and save Israel - Premier Tech's season

The Vuelta a Espana draws near and Israel - Premier Tech are close to sealing their selection for the race, with Michael Woods and Chris Froome likely to lead the team as they return to competition after being taken out of the Tour de France with Covid-19.

Woods rode a strong Mercan'Tour Classic and then rode into the win at La Route d'Occitanie, anticipating a strong Tour de France where the focus was on stage wins. He finished third and played a role in Hugo Houle's win on stage 16, however, it was not the race he expected and he abandoned the race days later with a positive test result.

The same happened to Chris Froome, who had shown promising signs of form that he hadn't for several years, finishing third on the stage to Alpe d'Huez, and sat inside the Top25 before abandoning the race in the final week. His hopes will be of even strong form towards the Vuelta, a race he won in 2016 after racing the Tour de France.

Israel - Premier Tech have not yet announced their lineup for the upcoming Vuelta, however the duo is expected to be joined by the likes of Patrick Bevin and Alessandro De Marchi who will be chasing stage wins, and Itamar Einhorn who will likely be the team's sprinter in the race.