It remains to be seen whether Chris Froome will be at the start of the Tour de France at the end of this month.
“He is a huge champion for whom I have a lot of respect, but his participation in the Tour de France is by no means self-evident,” sports director Rik Verbrugghe of Israel Start-Up Nation said.
“I expect there will be some clarity during this Dauphiné. He has made constant progress since the start of the season, but we would have liked his progress to be more exponential.”
In the Critérium du Dauphiné there is once again no leading role. After four days, Froome is 57th in the general classification, almost six minutes from the yellow jersey. Earlier this season he rode four stage races, of which a 47th place in the UAE Tour was his best result. In Catalunya, the Tour of the Alps and Romandie, Froome was not involved at all.
However, Froome remains hopeful: “It’s taking longer than I thought, but I also know that some people never race again after similar injuries. I’m lucky to have the chance to compete at the highest level again. It’s a long and tough process, but I’m still motivated,” he said.
