Chris Froome (Team Sky) is planning on returning to the UCI Road World Championships in September for the first time since 2014 for the team time trial, and may possibly ride in the individual time trial for Great Britain.
Froome last raced the road course in Ponferrada, Spain, in 2014 and the team time trial in Florence, Italy, in 2013. Much depends on what happens in the Vuelta a España, however, where Froome is currently in the lead and racing for the win with two weeks of the event remaining.
"If I come out of the Vuelta in good shape and, I don't think I'll be on fumes in the last week, then I look forward to being part of the TTT in Norway and potentially also the time trial," Froome said.
Trade teams race the team time trial event that was re-introduced in 2012. Sky could slot Froome in their roster in the event they have yet to win. Their only podium so far was third in 2013, when Froome participated.
The 42.5-kilometre team time trial opens the Worlds week on September 17. The 31-kilometre individual time trial comes three days later on September 20.
Great Britain would need to select Froome for the individual time trial. Though he won the bronze medal in the Olympic time trial last year, he has not raced in the Worlds ITT since the championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland in 2009.
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Chris Froome in the 2009 World Championships individual time trial, where he placed 17th. Photo: Yuzuru Sunada
(Image credit: Yuzuru Sunada)
The road race on the closing Sunday, September 24, appears unlikely for Froome. It is said to suit one-day riders like Polish team-mate at Sky, Michal Kwiatkowski and Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing).
"I don't think the road race suits me at all," Froome added. "Just the conditions and the course, so I'd rather give that opportunity to go so for someone else, but in the time trial and the TTT, I could bring something to the line-up there."
The race would extend a season that started in January in Australia. Froome laughed off the idea of going on vacation and relaxing after his fourth Tour de France title in July.
"It’d certainly be a lot easier to be on holiday with my family right now with my feet up and waiting for next year's Tour to be revealed," he said. "But I generally I enjoy racing the Vuelta.
"Back in 2011, it was where I first discovered I could ride up with sharp end up in the mountains with the GC guys. Obviously, my time trial has always been there for me but that was the first time I'd been able to put it all together in a three-week race."
Froome leads the Vuelta by 36 seconds over Esteban Chaves (Orica-Scott) after stage nine. On Tuesday, the race restarts after its first rest day in Alicante and faces its final two weeks with six more summit finishes.
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