"I've come off a good block of training in Gran Canaria and look forward to taking the next step in my recovery and getting back to full strength"
Wednesday 22 January 2020 11:18, UK
Chris Froome has announced he will return to competitive racing at the 2020 UAE Tour in the Middle East on February 23.
The four-time Tour de France winner has not raced since a crash in a training ride at the Criterium du Dauphine in June left him with multiple broken bones.
"I'm really excited about getting back to racing at the UAE Tour," said Froome.
"I've come off a good block of training in Gran Canaria and look forward to taking the next step in my recovery and getting back to full strength."
In his absence, Colombian Egan Bernal, then 22, became the youngest winner in more than 100 years, with Geraint Thomas, the 2018 champion, in second place.
Froome has been training at a camp in Gran Canaria and is desperate to have the chance to try for a fifth Tour de France title and match Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Speaking recently, the 34-year-old, said: "There are no guarantees in sport, there are no guarantees that I'll be back to challenge for it, but I'm going to give it absolutely everything I've got."