Chris Froome on his Tour de France exclusion: ‘Physically, I was ready’
The former winner wished he could have joined Israel - Premier Tech in July
Israel – Premier Tech announced its Tour de France team on Friday, and Chris Froome’s name was not on the list. Three Canadians, Michael Woods, Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin will all be lining up in Bilbao, Spain for the 2023 Tour.
Michael Woods, Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin are heading to the 2023 Tour de France
Froome spoke to GCN about the news.
“I’m obviously disappointed with the decision. The Tour de France holds an incredibly special place in my heart,” he said.
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The former Tour winner raced La Route d’Occitanie from June 15 to June 18, which Woods won. Froome worked for his Canadian teammate, but would ultimately be left behind on the queen stage, apparently due to bike problems. That wasn’t the first time this year he encountered bad luck with his ride. When he raced the CIC – Mont Ventoux on June 13, he had to change his bike multiple times, ultimately finishing 55th. He did have a decent race at the Mercan’Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes, on May 30, finishing 14th behind Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).
“Physically I was ready, but unfortunately I was unable to show my full ability at the races assigned to me due to equipment issues,” he said to GCN.
As far as what’s next, Froome, 38, does have two more years on his IPT contract.
“I respect the team’s decision and will take some time before refocusing on objectives later in the season and returning to the Tour de France in 2024.”
The Tour de France begins July 1.
