A defiant Chris Froome insisted he is out of rehab and back in full training, focused on being in prime shape and at the starting line for the 2020 Tour de France in July.
Speaking from the Gran Canaria training camp, Froome promised that “come that start line in Nice… I’ll be ready to go”.
“I’m in Gran Canaria for my first official training camp of the season,” said Froome.
“I’ve been given all the green lights,” he beamed. “I’m making the transition from rehab to training and feel fortunate to be back on a bike again.
“The next few months will be tough, I need to get stuck in to training. This period is about getting in the hours and getting in the kilometres,” said Froome, who often races in February having started training earlier.
“The only appointment I have set myself is the Tour de France and until then I’ll keep chipping away trying to make the most of every camp and every race building up to July.”
“(I) hope that come that start line in Nice in July I’ll be ready to go.”
Froome made no secret of his ambition to equal the five Tours de France won by Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
“The prospect of going for a fifth yellow jersey is just massive for me,” he said, echoing a frequent mantra.
“There are no guarantees in sport, no guarantees I’ll be back to challenge for it (TDF), but I’m going to give it absolutely everything I’ve got.”
