The years pass and the champions with them. Briton Christopher Froome, 28, four-time winner of the Tour de France, was not selected for the 2023 edition by his Israel Premier Tech team, which announced its squad of eight riders for the Grande Boucle this Friday.
Crowned for the last time in Paris in 2017, Froome, who has taken part in each edition of the competition since 2011, will therefore not be at the start of the Grande Boucle which will start on Saturday July 1 from Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country. .
“I am obviously disappointed by this decision. The Tour de France occupies an incredibly special place in my heart”, reacted the 28-year-old rider to the specialized site GCN, announcing his intention to “return to the Tour de France in 2024”.
If the Briton is no longer the champion he was, notably following a very serious accident during the Dauphiné in 2019, his absence nevertheless comes as a surprise. Winner in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, he still hoped to win a stage, failing to be able to aim for the general classification.
We are lining up at @LeTour with a versatile team aiming for stage wins!
????️ “I believe that each of our eight selected riders has what it takes to be victorious in this race.” – Sports Manager, Rik Verbrugghe.
Read all about our TDF lineup right here: https://t.co/8kDSwuBHVO
__… pic.twitter.com/BL3bM6UrwU— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) June 23, 2023
Last year, he took third place at the top of Alpe d’Huez after a breakaway, before giving up a few days later, positive for Covid-19.
“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 Premier Tech will leave with Canadian Michael Woods as leader, as well as Guillaume Boivin, Simon Clarke, Hugo Houle, Krists Neilands, Nick Schultz, Corbin Strong and Dylan Teuns.
