Chris Froome moves to clear up training camp misunderstanding

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome (Team Ineos) has taken to social media in response to reports saying that he had returned early from a training camp in Spain, posting that the last camp that he'd attended had in fact taken place in early December, and not more recently.

Froome posted on Twitter on Sunday evening: "Hope that I can set this straight, I was last at a training camp at the beginning of December. My recovery is going well and I will be heading to my next training camp on Thursday. Onward."

It had been reported that Team Ineos sports director Dario Cioni was concerned about Froome's recovery from his serious crash at last year's Critérium du Dauphiné.

"After two days of training in Spain, Froome, who aspires to [win] a fifth yellow jersey, returned home. He's not well and who knows if he will recover?" Cioni was reported to have said. 

The quotes in the Italian press – in Bicisport and on SpazioCiclismo.com – were widely reported, and were thought to have been recent, but in fact appear to refer to the Team Ineos training camp in Mallorca, in Spain, in early December, as referenced by Froome.

The destination for Froome's training camp this week is as yet unknown, as is the 34-year-old's first race of 2020, although he is set to continue training in order to try to return to full fitness and attempt to win a fifth Tour de France, which this year starts in Nice on June 27 – a week earlier than normal due to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.