Unable for the moment to fight with the best and to put his name at the top of the ranking sheets, Chris Froome – whose “career is almost over” according to remarks made by Bernard Hinault – still has the motivation and the hope of returning to his best level.
After he finished more than an hour behind Geraint Thomas in Tour de Romandie, the leader of Israel Start-Up Nation wanted to respond in a video to all people who laugh at him and his level displayed since his return from injury.
“I have been getting a lot of reactions on social media recently from people who say ‘you’re done mate, you’re finished, you’ll never return to the top level,’” Froome said in his most recent YouTube video.
“I just laugh about that, because these people really don’t know how serious my injuries were and how far I had to get to become a professional again. These people clearly don’t know me as a person either. I’m not just going to throw in the towel because I haven’t reached that point yet.”
“I know I still have a lot of work to do, but that is what drives me and it gets me out of bed in the morning. The more criticism I get, the greater the motivation to do even more.”
“I’m feeling as if the racing is really helping me, even if I’m not showing much upfront,” Froome said. “Just the intensity of being in the peloton is really helping me. Being in the wheels, in the bunch, it’s beginning to feel a bit easier now compared to a few months ago.
“The focus for me next is to shift a bit of body weight, I still feel a little bit bulky, I know I’m carrying a bit of extra muscle mass from all the gym work, but I’ve definitely got some fat to lose as well. Up at altitude, it’s always easier to push the limits.”
