Chris Froome not retiring from cycling any time soon – ‘I’m hoping to do it for a few more years’

Chris Froome says he is hoping to stay in professional cycling for “a few more years” as he quashed talk of retirement.

Froome, who is riding at the Tour Down Under this week, turns 38 in May and has been a long way off the form that saw him a four-time Tour de France champion.

He has not been the same rider since being hospitalised from a high-speed training crash at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2019.

“I feel I’ve been given a second chance,” said Froome. “I’ve been given an opportunity to come back to bike racing and the sport I love. Had the crash marked the end of my career, I’d have felt I still had more to give.

“Even though I’m not at the front end of races now, I’m still getting a lot of pleasure doing my job and being part of the Israel-Premier Tech team.

“It’s as if I’ve rewound 15 years and that I’m looking to get to the top level. It’s a fresh approach for me and hoping to do it for a few more years.”

The Briton says he has been inspired by athletes across all sports who are competing at an older age, including Alejandro Valverde who retired just last year at 42 years old.

“We’re seeing it in so many other sports,” added Froome. “It’s great to see some of the older guys in tennis still extremely competitive and in cycling we had Valverde who’s only just retired and raced into his forties, still being extremely competitive.

“I think it’s a lot to do with how athletes are taking care of themselves these days. In terms of professionalism, diets, knowing more about our bodies and basically being able to look after ourselves longer, I think this allows cyclists to go further into their forties than previously.”

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