Is Chris Froome riding the 2021 Tour de France?
Froome has won four yellow jerseys but there are doubts if he will have the opportunity to win a fifth title


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Chris Froome’s hopes of riding the 2021 Tour de France hang in the balance after being denied the chance to lead Israel Start-Up Nation.
The four-time winner of the race joined his new team in the off-season with the stated ambition of winning a fifth yellow jersey.
Following a horrific crash before a time trial stage at the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, Froome has impressively returned to the peloton, an admirable achievement given the scale of his injuries.
However, the Briton has struggled for form throughout 2021 and his team have been coy on his participation in the forthcoming Tour.
Canadian Michael Woods was confirmed on Monday as the team’s leader at the Tour, with the 34-year-old targeting stage wins and a high-placing on GC.
Perhaps tellingly, Israel Start-Up Nation delayed announcing the rest of the team who will ride in support of Woods, with speculation growing around Froome’s possible inclusion.
The team have previously confirmed that his contract, worth a reported €5-6m a year, does not state that he is obliged to ride the Tour should he be fit enough, and recently a sports director indicated that August’s Vuelta a España may be a better Grand Tour for Froome to target.
It’s a long way from six months ago when a bullish Froome confidently said “nothing is holding me back” in his goal of winning another yellow jersey.
Since then, the 35-year-old has spent a number of weeks training at altitude but he has yet to see his dedication and effort pay off in races, with television cameras often showing images of him falling out of the back of the peloton.
Froome’s positive persona and upbeat messages have begun to waiver in recent months, with him admitting that he is way off form and conceding that a return to his previous lofty heights may be a step too far.
However supportive and understanding his team are of him, they will no doubt be dissatisfied with the return on their investment so far.
They signed him on a long-term contract, thought to be for three seasons in duration, with Froome saying at the time that he would finish his career with the WorldTour outfit.
Whether or not he will even ride the Tour de France again is an ever-increasing doubt.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
'They aren't just good, they're brilliant' - Meet Great Britain's junior super-talents
There’s a golden generation of women coming through the GB ranks
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Primož Roglič confirms he will leave Jumbo-Visma
Giro d'Italia champion does not reveal his destination for 2024 yet, though
By Adam Becket Published
-
Over 8 million people have watched this TikTok video of a ‘Tour de France’ horse incident
The farm animal wasn't the last to make a cameo at a bike race
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mark Cavendish to postpone retirement and ride on with Astana Qazaqstan, reports
British sprinter reported to have reached agreement with current team to continue racing in 2024
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Is Chris Froome - in 2023 - a professional cyclist, or an influencer?
The seven-time Grand Tour winner hasn't raced since July, but has taken to being interesting on social media
By Adam Becket Published
-
In memoriam: Tadej Pogačar's white jersey domination
After 81 days in the young rider's jersey at Grand Tours, the Slovenian has grown up
By Adam Becket Published
-
'They race like juniors': How men's pro cycling is getting wilder and races refuse to slow down
Racing from the gun during a three week Grand Tour is a big ask for even the best and the strongest. Is this the new cycling?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Remco Evenepoel hopes to 'steal' Jonas Vingegaard's secrets at Vuelta a España as he looks to 2024 Tour de France
Belgian aiming for second Vuelta a España triumph over the next three weeks, but faces stiff opposition
By Tom Davidson Published
-
WorldTour teams have an extra three years to halve carbon emissions before losing license - UCI clarifies
A carbon emissions tracker has been introduced and it is mandatory for all stakeholders to use it
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
‘I really like city street racing’ - Tadej Pogačar on the ‘enjoyable’ World Championships road race course
Slovenian two-time Tour de France winner took bronze behind rainbow jersey winner Mathieu van der Poel
By Tom Thewlis Published