He had not left for a fifth victory, due to his sporting decline that began several years ago, but his absence will not go unnoticed. Christopher Froome, quadruple winner of the Tour de France (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017), will not be at the start of the 2023 edition, on July 1 in Bilbao. The 38-year-old Briton was not selected by his Israel Premier Tech team, which unveiled its squad of eight riders for the Grande Boucle on Friday.
“I am obviously disappointed by this decision. The Tour de France holds an incredibly special place in my heart, ”responded the rider from the specialized site GCN by announcing his intention to “return to the Tour de France in 2024”.
He was still aiming for a stage victory
Already absent in 2019, after his very serious fall on the Dauphiné, then in 2020, when Ineos, his team at the time, had not retained him, Froome was still aiming for a stage victory. In 2022, he took third place at the top of Alpe d’Huez after a breakaway, before giving up a few days later, positive for Covid.
“Choosing the team was difficult this year but we think we have chosen the eight riders most likely to fulfill our objectives”, commented Kjell Carlström, the team boss. Israel PT will leave with Canadian Michael Woods as leader, along with Guillaume Boivin, Simon Clarke, Hugo Houle, Krists Neilands, Nick Schultz, Corbin Strong and Dylan Teuns.