Chris Froome to leave Team Ineos after Tour de France and join Israel Start-Up Nation

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome will leave Team Ineos at the end of the year after a decision was taken not to renew his contract.

The seven-time Grand Tour winner will embark on one last Tour de France this year before leaving the team when the postponed event gets underway at the end of August.

Israel Start-Up Nation quickly confirmed that the 35-year-old will join the team next season to lead their Tour de France assault.

The team’s co-owner Sylvan Adams said: “This is an historic moment for ISN, Israel, Israeli sports, our many fans all around the world and, of course, for me personally – a moment of enormous pride.

“Chris is the best rider of his generation and will lead our Tour de France and Grand Tour squad.

“We hope to make history together as Chris pursues further Tour de France and Grand Tour victories, achievements that would make a serious case for Chris to be considered the greatest cyclist of all time.”

Froome will still attempt to win a record-equalling fifth Tour title with Team Ineos later this year as the switch will not take place until 2021 – ending talk of a mid-season change of teams.

“It has been a phenomenal decade with the Team, we have achieved so much together and I will always treasure the memories,” Froome said in a statement.

“I look forward to exciting new challenges as I move into the next phase of my career but in the meantime my focus is on winning a fifth Tour de France with Team Ineos.”

The move will end one of cycling’s most dominant relationships, with Froome winning the Tour in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 under the former guise of Team Sky, which became Team Ineos in 2019.

His hopes of equalling the all-time record number of wins – currently held by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain – were dealt a blow in 2018 when he was beaten by teammate Geraint Thomas, before a high-speed crash in 2019 while practising for the Criterium du Dauphine forced him to miss last year’s event with career-threatening injuries.

But the Kenya-born Briton has battled back to full fitness and has his sights set on regaining the Tour title later this year in what would be the perfect swansong for his chapter with Team Ineos.

General manager Dave Brailsford added: “Chris’s current contract comes to an end in December and we have taken the decision now not to renew it. We are making this announcement earlier than would usually be the case to put an end to recent speculation and allow the Team to focus on the season ahead.

“Chris has been with us from the start. He is a great champion and we have shared many memorable moments over the years but I do believe this is the right decision for the Team and for Chris.

“Given his achievements in the sport, Chris is understandably keen to have sole team leadership in the next chapter of his career – which is not something we are able to guarantee him at this point. A move away from Team Ineos can give him that certainty. At the same time, it will also give other members of our Team the leadership opportunities they too have earned and are rightly seeking.

“I am excited about the talent we have right across the Team at the current time and all our collective focus is on preparing for the season ahead. Like everyone across the sport we are all looking forward to the start of racing next month.”