The now 38-year-old Chris Froome was reportedly desperate to make a return to the Tour de France, a race he has had considerable success in. However when Israel - Premier Tech revealed their lineup he was absent, a call Philippe Gilbert agrees with.
“Success at Grand Tours? I don’t think so," Gilbert tells Eurosport. “He’s still able to do some good stages, I think he was twice third last year in stages. I have the feeling that’s quite the maximum that he can do today. And with one more year in the legs, it will not become better."
Froome, a former four time winner of cycling's most illustrious race and a winner of seven Tour de France stages in the past, blamed equipment issues in the early part of 2023 for scuppering his chances to prove his worth in the races he has competed in. Gilbert though has seen nothing from Froome to show he can still compete.
"I don't think that Froome is even able to finish just a normal World Tour GC race in the Top 10," analyses the Belgian Classics legend. “Unfortunately I think he had his chances and it’s over today.”
We are lining up at @LeTour with a versatile team aiming for stage wins! 🎙️ "I believe that each of our eight selected riders has what it takes to be victorious in this race." - Sports Manager, Rik Verbrugghe. Read all about our TDF lineup right here: israelpremiertech.com/versatile-ipt-… __…
