Chris Froome "to keep building on those good feelings and momentum" at Tour de France

Israel - Premier Tech have a strong team at the Tour de France despite the riders that have not been able to take to the start due to Covid-19, however they are sure to be on the TV cameras as Chris Froome is on the road for an attempt at returning to a competitive level in the race that has marked his career the most.

“No plans on retiring this year, especially with the great progress I’ve been seeing, that gives me a lot of hope for continuing to go forward," Froome said ahead of the start of the race. "There is no evidence that I have reached a peak or a plateau in terms of progression that I have seen this year. I am going to keep building on those good feelings and momentum and see where it gets me to".

Froome had a complicated start to his stint at Israel - Premier Tech, but has talked about good feelings throughout the last few months: “It’s only been in the last few months during this build up to the Tour de France that I’ve felt for the first time in three years issue-free,” he told the media. “I’ve had no niggles or pain holding me back since January. Everything is on an upward trajectory for me.”

Despite illness taking him out of the Critérium du Dauphiné, he put on a couple of promising results in the days before that have seen him back to a level where he can be competitive. A rider full of experience and knowledge on how to ride the Tour, he will be trying to get back into the spotlight throughout these three weeks.

“I think it’s an opportunity to get back into the pointy end of the sport, so after the injuries I’ve had, it’s the driving force for me,” Froome confidently mentions. “It’s the biggest goal for me at the moment. It’s what gets me out of bed and onto my bike every day. It’s not winning the Tour de France right now, but I still dream about it. I am going to keep chasing that dream.”

“I’ve been down this road before. Every Tour is unique and every race is unique. Every Tour tells its own story. It’s a huge privilege for me to be here and to be part of what is my 10th Tour de France. I am looking forward to what these next three weeks hold," he concluded.