Chris Froome has suggested that he might extend his career beyond his existing contract, which expires at the end of 2025. The four-time Tour de France winner has also insisted that he has a cordial relationship with Israel-Premier Tech owner Sylvan Adams despite the Canadian billionaire’s very public criticism of his performances.
Froome signed a five-year contract when he joined Israel from Ineos ahead of the 2021 season, when he was still fighting his way back to full fitness after suffering a life-threatening crash at the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné.
He has struggled in the years since, but in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday, Froome confirmed that he had no intention of stopping before his current contract has run its course.
“It’s not 100% certain that I’ll stop at the end of 2025, that depends a lot on how I’m going between now and then,” Froome said. “But doing 2024 and 2025 is the minimum.”
Froome has not won a race since the 2018 Giro d’Italia and he has never looked like contending at a Grand Tour in the aftermath of his 2019 crash. His best outing in Israel colours came when he placed third on Alpe d’Huez at the 2022 Tour, but he was omitted from all three Grand Tours in 2023.
Adams issued stinging criticism of the absent Froome during the Tour, telling Cycling Weekly that he “cannot be considered value for money.” More recently, the Canadian dismissed Froome’s claims that his bike had been set up incorrectly at Israel, telling Radio Cycling: “He can talk about his bike position until the cows come home, but that’s still not going to earn him a position on a Grand Tour team.”
Speaking to La Gazzetta, Froome struck a diplomatic note when asked about his difficult rapport with his employer.
“I actually talk with Sylvan a lot,” Froome said. “But I understand the question. It’s easy to get the wrong idea when certain comments emerge in the media. Honestly, a lot of what he said has been blown out of proportion. But the reality is that we’re quite close. There aren’t problems between us.”
Froome has raced in four Grand Tours since his 2019 crash, never finishing higher than 98th place overall, and he hasn’t finished in the top 40 of a WorldTour stage race since he placed third overall at the 2018 Tour de France. His best result in a UCI race in 2023 was 14th at the Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes. He downplayed the idea, however, that it was “sad” for a man with seven Grand Tour wins to his name to struggle so publicly.
“I can understand that perspective completely, but can I explain my point of view? What I’m doing now, I’m doing for myself and not for anybody else,” he said. “Not for the fans, not for the journalists. I never look to my past with all the victories.
“I risked my life and I had to start again from less than nothing, learning even to walk again. I had a second chance and everything else that comes is a bonus. I’m still following my dreams and that’s why I’m grateful to the team I’m on. I want to finish with no regrets.”
Froome confirmed that he is likely to start his 2024 season at the Tour of Rwanda (February 18-25), adding that he hoped to return to the Tour in July.
“At this moment, the Giro d’Italia option isn’t on the table,” he said. “The main objective is still to get back to the start of the Tour de France and in the best form possible.”
