25/04/2022

"It's only years after the fact that you really start to appreciate that" Chris Froome says, regarding career success

With four Tour de France, two Vuelta a España and a Giro d'Italia title under his belt, Chris Froome has been one of the most successful stage-racers in modern cycling history. He reflects back on his career, as he is in the process of making one more bid to return to the top of the sport which he had been before his crash in 2019.

Froome is no stranger to a slow start to the season, with the focus in getting the best form for the summer and fall in the cycling season, hence it was no surprise to watch him off the back during the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali and Tour of the Alps: “I noticed in the past, when I didn't have any setbacks or problems, that it wasn't always ideal to be in shape too early. If I got into top form in February, March, it became difficult to maintain it until the end of the Tour de France. Because of that slower build-up now, I want to stretch it [form] longer. Preferably until the end of the season.”

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After the upcoming Tour de Romandie, if Froome follows his traditional build-up to the Tour de France, he will rest and then go on an altitude camp before the Critérium du Dauphiné where he will be more properly able to see where his form stands and will be a crucial race to decide if he will be starting his 10th Tour de France.

“The next month and a half will be important for that, That will be a test to see if I'm ready to return to a race like the Tour. It would be a dream scenario, especially if I was also competitive there. But I still need to take a few steps for that," he said.

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He reflected on his success of the past, and has added: “I've been able to think about it a lot in the meantime. I was in a privileged position in those years, but at that time you somehow can't fully appreciate that," he said. "There is also never a moment to really celebrate, because you have to move on to the next goal immediately. That's been the case with almost all of my Grand Tour wins. It's only years after the fact that you really start to appreciate that."

“I myself have never thought too much about the perception of myself, what the media and the people were saying. I tried to shield myself as much as possible in my bubble so as not to be influenced. In the meantime, I do make more work of that interaction and I even make videos on YouTube. People said they didn't know me. Now I make an effort to be more open and show who I am, also as a person. That is also a process that I enjoy," he concluded. “And I'm mature enough now to recognize who I should and shouldn't listen to. Did I ever think of quitting because then people would only remember my triumphs? That never crossed my mind for a second.”