Chris Froome hints at riding next year's Tour de France despite earlier doubt

Chris Froome has hinted he may be open to riding next year’s Tour de France, despite previously suggesting he could skip the race due to its lack of a long individual time trial.

The Team Sky rider reacted with scepticism when the mountainous route for the 2015 Tour was revealed last month, describing it as “massively demanding” and less suited to his “balanced” style.

The 29-year-old Briton went on to speculate that he may instead opt to ride May’s Giro d’Italia, which contains a 59km individual time trial and would also open up the possibility of racing the Vuelta a Espana later in the campaign.

However, in an end-of-season interview on teamsky.com, Froome mentioned the Tour as one of the races he would like to challenge for victory in next year.

Motivation

“Looking to next year, my key goal is just returning to good condition and being at the front of a race again,” he said.

“That is a really big motivation for me, whether it’s the Tour or any other race. It’s what I love doing.

“I love racing and being able to compete at the front. That is what gets me through the winter when I’m riding those long hours on my own.”

The Tour was a disappointment, but I have still got a few victories I can be happy about this year.

Froome endured an injury-ravaged 2014 campaign, with wins at the Tour of Oman and Tour de Romandie being set against a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine and then a race-ending spree of three falls in 24 hours at the Tour.

On the front foot

He was still short of peak condition when finishing second behind Alberto Contador at the Vuelta a Espana, but he is now back to full strength ahead of winter training, which he regards as the symbolic start of his 2015 season.

“I’m really happy to have got through the season in good stead,” he added. “The Tour was a disappointment, but I have still got a few victories I can be happy about this year.

“Also finishing the Vuelta off in such a decent way, after having all the setbacks – that for me was probably more important than anything else.

“It means I will be able to go forward into next year without starting from a negative position. I can go in with a clean slate and give it my best shot. I’m actually really hungry to start training again and keen to get back going.”