Chris Froome will target fifth Tour de France title as he returns to racing

Froome promises "he'll be ready to go "as he confirms participation in the UAE Tour from Gran Canaria training camp

“I’m in Gran Canaria for my first official training camp of the season,” said Froome.

“I’ve been given all the green lights,” he beamed. “I’m making the transition from rehab to training and feel fortunate to be back on a bike again."

“The next few months will be tough, I need to get stuck in to training. This period is about getting in the hours and getting in the kilometres,” said Froome, who often races in February having started training earlier.

“The only appointment I have set myself is the Tour de France and until then I’ll keep chipping away trying to make the most of every camp and every race building up to July.”

“I hope that come that start line in Nice in July I’ll be ready to go.”

Froome made no secret of his ambition to equal the five Tours de France won by Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

“The prospect of going for a fifth yellow jersey is just massive for me,” he said, echoing a frequent mantra.

“There are no guarantees in sport, no guarantees I’ll be back to challenge for it (TDF), but I’m going to give it absolutely everything I’ve got.”

Good news! I’ll be back racing at the @uae_tour ????‍?????? pic.twitter.com/nR8lfw5YNr

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) January 22, 2020

UAE Tour His First Race

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome will return to competitive racing at the UAE Tour next month, eight months after suffering devastating injuries in a crash, his team Ineos said Wednesday.

Froome, 34, has been out of action since he fractured a thigh, elbow and vertebrae in a high-speed pre-race crash ahead of the Dauphine event in France in June 2019.

The UAE Tour runs from February 23-29.