Bernard Hinault says Chris Froome should leave Team Ineos if he doesn’t win the Tour de France this year.
British Grand Tour star Froome is chasing his fifth yellow jersey, which would put him in an elite club of cycling stars alongside Hinault.
But Hinault has doubts about Froome’s chances of winning another Tour with Ineos, as the team now have three winners amongst their ranks, including rising star Egan Bernal.
French cycling great Hinault, winner of five Tours between 1978 and 1985, told Dutch news outlet AD: “If he doesn’t win the Tour this year because he has not received support from his teammates, it is better to move to another team where he is sure that he is the only leader for the Tour.”
But Hinault, now 65, believes Froome still has another Tour de France in his legs, despite missing out for the last two years and suffering an almost-career-ending injury.
Froome missed out on the 2018 Tour to team-mate Geraint Thomas, after already won the Giro d’Italia just a few weeks before.
The seven-time Grand Tour winner was then absent from the 2019 Tour, having suffered an awful leg break at the Dauphiné.
The 35-year-old says he’s back to full strength however and is eager to race the rescheduled Tour de France from late August.
Hinault said: “It is the problem they created with Ineos themselves. They have attracted the best riders – Bernal, Thomas and Froome – to win the Tour every year. And they all want to win.
“Bernal has the advantage. He is very young and he is very talented. Bernal is the rider of the future.”
Rumours have already begun to circulate that Froome might be considering a change of team, as his contract comes to an end later this year.
While the speculation may have originated from Froome’s camp as the rider looks improve the terms of his next contract with Team ineos, Israel Start-Up Nation is amongst the teams who could be interested in signing the star.
