Chris Froome has said he will be looking to support Richard Carapaz at the Vuelta a España 2020, as he is still unsure of his own form.
Ineos Grenadiers rider Froome will be lining up at his first Grand Tour since the 2018 Tour de France, as he continues to regain fitness after horrific injuries suffered mid-way through the 2019 season.
The Vuelta a España, which starts in the Basque Country on Tuesday (October 20), will also be Froome’s last race with Ineos (formerly Team Sky), as he heads to Israel Start-Up Nation next year after a decade and seven Grand Tour wins with his old squad.
Froome said: “We’ve got a great team here to support Richard as much as possible.
“I’m going to take it one day at a time, and hopefully finish the Vuelta on a high note. For me personally, I am going to take these first few days to see where I am in the bunch.”
Froome suffered multiple serious injuries during a crashed at the Critérium du Dauphiné last year, which could have ended his career.
But the 35-year-old has returned to the peloton and hopes to be able to get back to his best in the coming months.
Froome added: “I think it’s quite hard to say where I am at the moment given that I haven’t done many stage races recently.
“Signs in training have gotten better and better, and I am feeling more like myself again, which is fantastic. It’s hard to quantify that when I haven’t been able to race against rivals. After the first few stages, I will be able to have a more clear plan for the rest of the race, and know what kind of job I can fulfil at that point.”
Ineos will be riding in support of the 2019 Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz, in the hopes of taking a consolation after failing to win the Tour de France for the first time since 2014.
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Ecuadorian Carapaz said: “I’m in good shape, and feeling really motivated to go for it. I think I can be up there in the fight for the Vuelta, we've got a very strong team and we're keen to get into it.”
