Chris Froome still dreaming of eighth Grand Tour title, aims to rediscover winning groove in 2023

Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) says another Grand Tour win in future remains “a carrot” that motivates him to continue racing despite recent setbacks.

The British star, who has won seven Grand Tours over an illustrious career, has been plagued by injury and illness in recent years and has slipped down the peloton.

Froome, 37, accepts the road back to the top is a long and difficult one but is bullish about making another push for glory.

“I got a lot of pleasure from being able to win Grand Tours and go from one win to another at a very high level, so the goal for me is to try and get back to a similar kind of level.

“Of course, I’m realistic about it. I know, given everything I’ve been through the last few years, that winning the Tour is not something right here, right now. I can’t say it’s my goal this year. But it’s there at the back of my mind. It is a carrot.

“I know how to prepare for Grand Tours, so I’d like to think I can still do that. But I know there are other steps I need to take before that becomes a realistic goal. I’m taking them one goal at a time.”

Racing for Team Sky, Froome won his first Grand Tour at the Tour de France in 2013 – the first of four yellow jerseys in an incredible five-year spell.

Victory at La Vuelta followed in 2017 before he secured the Giro d’Italia in 2018, while he was awarded the 2011 Vuelta retrospectively in 2019 after winner Juan Jose Cobo was stripped of the title for a doping violation.

However, the Kenyan-born star suffered both career and life-threatening injuries following a crash during the Criterium du Dauphine which ruled him out of action for over a year.

Froome admits he is grateful to simply be racing again and even though he is some way off his best days, believes he can soon compete with the best once more.

“I was in a hospital bed for weeks after my 2019 crash,” he said. “It took me almost a year to be able to walk without a limp. And now here I am racing in the highest level of races again.

“I just feel like everything from here on is a bonus for me and I see it all in an incredibly positive light. Racing my bike still gives me a lot of joy and happiness. And as long as that’s the case, I’m going to keep striving to get back to my old ways.”

His Tour was cut short however after contracting Covid-19 but described his performance to get back on the podium as “hugely motivating” and said it had provided much encouragement going forward.

“It’d be massive to win a race in 2023, any race,” he admitted.

“At the same time, I want to work towards being up there on the GC in a stage race again. The Alpe d’Huez stage at the Tour last year was hugely motivating for me.

“I suffered with Covid-19 after the Tour, but I was happy because I could reflect on being able to be in the breakaway and to have been up there in the pointy end of the race. That meant so much to me.

“The biggest thing about last season was to have a spell of a few months where I didn’t have any injuries and I didn’t have any sickness. I did some good training, good nutrition and got back to the basics.

“Now I just need to keep going, keep working and keep racing.”

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