Froome readies for season's second half and new team

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Chris Froome is preparing for the second half of his season after a fourth place Sunday's British nationals. He will fill his time with races and talks with teams about a new contract for 2010.

"I am taking three or four days off with easy riding," he told Cyclingnews from Como, Italy. "The next race on my calendar is Vuelta a Burgos [August 5-9] in Spain. It's a really nice one, with a time trial and one stage it ends on a mountain pass."

Froome races for Claudio Corti's team Barloworld. He joined the team for 2008 with the help of Robert Hunter, but he plans to change teams for 2010.

"I am not 100 percent sure if Corti's team is going to be going on next year, and I don't know if he knows."

Froome was the first Kenyan to race the Tour de France last year. He finished 14th in the final time trial and 81sth overall. The 24-year-old hopes to one day build his season around the Tour de France, even if this year Barloworld is not racing.

"You always think I wish I was there, but you can't always be there. I think it will be hard to beat Alberto Contador this year, or his Astana team. A lot of guys are up, though, with Carlos Sastre, Cadel Evans, the Schleck brothers [Fränk and Andy]."

Froome did race the three-week Giro d'Italia in May. He finished 36th overall and was sixth on the hot day up to Bologna's San Luca. His season also included a win at the Giro del Capo, third in a stage at the Méditerranéen Tour and fourth at nationals.

"It doesn't leave a nice feeling to miss out after being in front all day and having it taken away in the last 150 metres," he said of nationals. He formed a two-man escape with Bradley Wiggins that later became the winning five-man move.

"It was great to be very active in the race. Because of that a lot of Brits see that I am now a Brit and I am racing there."

Froome started racing with a British licence in January 2008. He is eligible to race on the World Championships team this year and hopes to represent Briton in Mendrisio, Switzerland.