Chris Froome will make his return to racing at the UAE Tour next month as he continues his recovery from career-threatening injuries suffered last June.
Froome, 34, suffered multiple broken bones including a fractured right femur, a broken hip and fractured ribs when he crashed into a wall at high speed during a recon ride at the Criterium du Dauphine last summer.
The seven-time Grand Tour winner has set himself the goal of being on the start line for the Tour de France in June, determined to pursue a record-equalling fifth Tour title.
Good news! I'll be back racing at the @uae_tour 🚴🏻♂️💨😁 pic.twitter.com/nR8lfw5YNr — Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) January 22, 2020
His long-awaited return to racing will come when he starts the week-long UAE Tour, which starts on February 23.
In a short video posted from a training camp, Froome said: "Training has been going really well here in Gran Canaria so I'm really happy to announce I'll be starting my season at the UAE Tour next month, starting in Dubai.
"It's a race I missed out on last year so it's a great place for me to start my season this time around. Thanks for all the support, so see you out on the road."
"The only appointment I've set myself is the Tour de France. The prospect of going for a fifth yellow jersey is massive for me." In his first interview of 2020, @chrisfroome gives us the latest update on his training and recovery, his #TDF2020 focus, plus a message for the fans. pic.twitter.com/ebwMyhXODB — Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) January 17, 2020
Froome returned to riding in September and made a brief appearance in the team time trial at the end-of-season Saitama Criterium in Japan.
He joins a provisional startlist for the UAE Tour which also includes former world champion Alejandro Valverde, last year's Giro d'Italia king of the mountains Giulio Ciccone, and Froome's team-mate Rohan Dennis, the reigning world time trial champion.
The race is also on the agenda for Bahrain-McLaren's Mark Cavendish, who is starting his season at the Saudi Tour in early February.
