Cycling: Chris Froome to leave Ineos team at end of season

The Ineos team announced Thursday July 9 that it will not extend the contract of the quadruple winner of the Big Loop Chris Froome at the end of the season.

 "Chris' current contract expires in December and we have decided not to extend it," said team leader Dave Brailsford.

Team INEOS confirms we will not be renewing @ chrisfroome's contract - so after 10 great years this season will be Chris's last with the team.

Chris Froome, 35, spent 10 years on the British team, named Sky until 2019, of which he was the main headliner, winning the Tour de France four times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) and the two other major Tours, the Vuelta (2011, 2017) and the Giro in 2018.

"I look forward to exciting new challenges in the rest of my career, but in the meantime, I remain focused on my goal of winning a fifth Tour de France with Ineos," said the British champion in his team statement.

According to the BBC, he should join the Israel Start-Up Nation team, of which he would become the leader. In recent years, he had suffered more and more competition within Ineo, s often described as a steamroller on the Tour de France. His teammate and compatriot Geraint Thomas had been privileged for the victory during the 2018 Big Loop. Last year, the Colombian Egan Bernal, 23, who won the 2019 Tour in the absence of Froome, victim a serious fall some time before departure.

The 2020 edition of the Grande Boucle has been postponed due to the Covid-19 epidemic. It will take place from August 29 to September 20, 2020. 

With AFP and Reuters

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