So he is leaving for Israel Start up Nation

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-leaves-ineos-for-israel-start-up-nation/

not until the end of the season but not sure how this will go for the TDF now?

Not wholly unexpected.
I doubt he’ll ride the tour this year now and I also suspect he won’t win another tour full stop. Ineos wouldn’t have let him go if he was at the levels that he’d performed at pre-crash and I don’t trust ICA to make a good call based on the fact they signed Dan Martin as their main GC guy.

Bernal has quite a few wins in his future and I’d imagine is a lot cheaper than Froome currently.

I don’t trust ICA to make a good call based on the fact they signed Dan Martin as their main GC guy.

The idea of signing DM as a GC rider isn’t that ridiculous but they had zero domestiques capable of supporting him.

Maybe this is the moment where Dan becomes super-domestique for Chris Froome?

This is good news for racing. I think Froome is still a legit GC contender.

Oh well, nice knowing ya Chris.

Is ISN fully privately funded, does anyone know? Or is it partly a sport-washing venture by the Israeli state?

Yeah, not a surprise. Froome probably past his prime, Bernal on the up and, with G in the mix as well, Ineos was approaching Movistar levels of Valverde/Quintana/Landa ‘trident’ leadership silliness.

Could be interesting for GC racing though, cos even though Froome won’t have the uber-team around him, he clearly has the experience, physical ability (assuming he’s recovered from the crash) and also has the seat-of-the-pants racing chops to be able to cause the others some bother.

Ineos wouldn’t have let him go if he was at the levels that he’d performed at pre-crash…

There could be something in this. Or at the very least some uncertainty, and with Thomas and Bernal (and a whole host of talented ‘domestiques’ – didn’t they pick up Carapaz too?) they’re not short of potential. It also seems likely that Froome would have been uncomfortable with having his position on the team questioned. I would hope he does ride the Tour because it might well be his last real chance.

Is ISN fully privately funded, does anyone know? Or is it partly a sport-washing venture by the Israeli state?

Interesting quick interview with the main funder.

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/7716/it-s-not-called-sportswashing-it-s-called-sport-sylvan-adams-interview

As something which has been set up to promote the State of Israel as a tolerant, diverse, high-tech hub, it obviously has to have the blessing, involvement and support of the government.

Maybe this is the moment where Dan becomes super-domestique for Chris Froome?

Or the other way around. More than one way to use an experienced rider with cunning.

As something which has been set up to promote the State of Israel as a tolerant, diverse, high-tech hub, it obviously has to have the blessing, involvement and support of the government.

I’d agree, the name seems a bit of a giveaway – and even if they denied it, the Israeli gov’t is hardly known for its openness and transparency.

Well, it is a “high-tech hub”… not so much the rest. Now, can we talk abort Bahrain McLaren while we’re here?

The lack of parentheses should not be interpreted as endorsement!

I’m waiting for the MBS takeover at Newcastle United – will be a proud day for bonesaw enthusiasts everywhere.

After a dodgy media company, then a fracking company I was hoping he’d move to sponsorship by a landmine company or maybe Wetherspoons but I suppose the state of Israel will do.

Genuine LOL @ Nickjb & Martin.

Now, can we talk abort Bahrain McLaren while we’re here?

Certainly. I for one am boycotting McLaren cars from now on.

He doesn’t choose ‘loveable’ sponsors does he? 😳

He doesn’t choose ‘loveable’ sponsors does he? 😳

I bet you vote Labour. 😉

😂

would have thought sports teams wouldn’t be allowed to have political titles.

I for one am boycotting McLaren cars from now on.

I thought we were talking grand tour teams? Silly me.

Interesting conundrum…. retire at the top, or sign for smaller and smaller teams until you fade away.

I agree if his numbers were right then Dave would not have let him go, so I suspect that will be career over for Froome.

Quite a good move for Froome IMO (from a sport not politics debate standpoint)…
– Comes in to the team as top of the foodchain & no real competition
– A number of years left at a high level of the sport to hoover up some other titles
– Mentor the team & upcoming riders

I wouldn’t be surprised if they go into next year’s TdF in pirate mode – look to take stage wins & jerseys but not massively going for the overall (despite the press briefings) however if opportunity presents then there’s someone there with plenty of experience to make the most of it

I thought we were talking grand tour teams? Silly me.

Well, my comment was intended as a reference to the BDS movement re. Israel – and the lack of an obvious equivalent for suspect Middle Eastern regimes.

But what do you have to say about Bahrain?

I wouldn’t be surprised if they go into next year’s TdF in pirate mode – look to take stage wins & jerseys

Froome will be going for the win IMO and it’ll be great from a sporting persepctive to see him as a loose canon, throwing hand grenades into the peloton – like Bertie in his twilight years.

Is the hand grenades thing a dodgy metaphor under the circumstances?

Hmm, wonder what all the weirdly infatuated Team Ineos/Froome fanboys on my local cycling FB page will do now that their favourite Kenyan is no longer riding for a British team 😀

I’ll be interested to see him ride for someone else, feels positive for racing overall.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they go into next year’s TdF in pirate mode –

Someone has to to drive the ratings

Froome will be going for the win IMO

ah, see i just don’t know how to call it, my feeling is his team won’t be strong enough to support Froome and it’ll be the usual roster of teams next year but… Froome being the loose cannon will be entertaining

ah, see i just don’t know how to call it, my feeling is his team won’t be strong enough to support Froome

Agreed, but he is a resourceful character so I think he could improvise. I can already picture him hanging on the back of the Ineos train.

^^ fine in the high mountains, but you need a team on flat stages, crosswinds, TTT, etc

its a last payday, nothing else

I can already picture him hanging on the back of the Ineos train.

That’s the logical step isn’t it and what at least 50% of the GT main racers do, very few teams have the resources of INEOS etc, so we’ve seen Roglic, Aru, Dumoulin etc just basically grab any wheels they can and use the bunch rather than their own riders to keep them up there. It’s only when chasing that this logic falls down.

Regarding the flat/windy stages, i’m sure ISN will be as good or bad as most teams there, they’re not exactly weak.

Personally, given what happened to him I think it would be great if he can ride the TdF and influence the race, animate the race or whatever you want to call it regardless of whether he can really have a tilt at the podium or not. I’d consider it a huge achievement just competing.

I expect his main objective before everything else was (or still is) purely not to end his career via a freak crash on a recon run.

Can’t imagine anyone putting themselves through the rehab and then the training to seek a ride at the Tour just for a payday- he must be loaded anyway and there’s tonnes easier ways for him to make money if that’s what he was motivated by.

I think he recovered from the crash, got training and then the Ineos sports science people tested his numbers and it wasn’t where it needed to be and said he could leave, he then goes for last payday and to win a few stages.

History largely shows that to win the tdf you need a whole team of talent not just one person, Ineos have it, his new team don’t.

I think it’s a good move for him, I’d rather see him lead a team properly than stay at Inneos and it end up being another soap opera about who really does have the leadership. Good luck to him!!

Yep, we can all surmise that he didn’t have the numbers or whatever, but nobody’s gonna be writing him off and letting him go up the road are they?

It should spice things up nicely. Shame he didn’t exit mid-season as previously reported.

Can’t wait to see their Team TT efforts!

yeah, i imagine they’ll have a wall of riders

their favourite Kenyan

Not this again.

I’m British, my wife is British and we have two boys who were born in Doha and have never lived in Britain.

This makes them British, not Qatari.

This is the reality for many expat families. Chris Frome is from British expat parents who lived in Kenya and he went to school in South Africa, hence the accent. He is therefore British.

It’s a big world out there. Some people live internationally, have a children, move to different countries, etc.

Imagine you and your British partner moved to, let’s say, Kenya. You had a little girl whilst living there.

Would you say she’s Kenyan or British?

Froome is as Kenyan as Wiggins is Belgian, being born there. Problem is, Froome has an accent, and some people are too ignorant about the modern wider world to understand this.

Rant over.

If Dumoulin can get a podium with a weaker team around him no reason why Froome can’t us same tactics, maybe to better effect.

I can already picture him hanging on the back of the Ineos train.

That’s not the issue – he can stick with them when riding – it’s the ferrying of kit and bottles, the reassurance of a spare wheel if anything happens, a mate to chase down a second attack etc

Dumoulin can get a podium

I’m still waiting on Tommy to live up to the potential 🙂 I’m not saying Froome can’t do it and if there’s anyone that understands INEOS but he’ll need quality support in the early stages & TTT to stay in contention + Froome loves falling off his bike 😀

their favourite Kenyan

Anyhow, most people’s favourite Kenyan is Barack Obama. 🙂