Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome will return to the cycling circuit at the Route d’Occitanie on Saturday, August 1. The British cyclist will participate in the race as a warm-up for the Tour de France which will kick off at the end of August. Froome will join Team Ineos teammate Egan Bernal at the Route d’Occitanie and the duo will be considered by many as favourites to win the race. Cycling fans can visit betting in WV sites to get the latest news and bet bonuses ahead of the four-stage bike race.
Froome is set to leave Team Ineos at the end of the 2020 cycling season. He joined the team, previously known as Team Sky, in 2010. After announcing his departure from Team Ineos, Froome agreed to a long-term contract with Israel Start-Up Nation beginning in 2021. There was speculation that Team Ineos would drop Froome for the Tour de France after the announcement of his impending departure from the team.
Team Ineos’ Froome and Bernal (who’s participation has yet to be confirmed by the team for the Route) won’t be joined by teammate Geraint Thomas. Team Ineos’s third member of the leadership team will race in the Tour de l’Ain. The race will take place three days after the Route d’Occitanie concludes. With a limited number of preparation races prior to the Tour de France, Froome and Bernal may also race in the three-stage event. All three members of Team Ineos will join forces to compete at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The Route d’Occitanie will feature four stages including a big mountain stage through the Pyrenees. The race will see 21 teams competing over a 700 kilometre-plus circuit with a variety of landscapes from sprints to hard climbs.
Froome may not be the main man riding for Team Ineos this year at the Tour de France, but next season with Israel Start-Up Nation, he could lead an inexperienced team to a win. There is a power struggle going on in Team Ineos currently with Froome and Bernal both seeking to lead the line at the world’s biggest cycling race. As Froome and Bernal are seemingly struggling to get along, his decision to move to Israel Start-Up Nation has been considered a positive move for 2021.
The Tour de France will begin on August 29 in Nice and Froome is not yet confirmed to be one of the eight riders in the team’s squad. Internal conflict could result in Froome being left on the sidelines of the Tour de France. His performances at the Route d’Occitanie and Critérium du Dauphiné could ultimately determine his place in Team Ineos.
The 2018 and 2019 Route d’Occitanie was won by Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde of Movistar. The 742 kilometre race is a traditional lead up to the Tour de France. This year, the race will be even more important than ever due to the lack of preparation races available to riders. The Route d’Occitanie could be a make or break event for Froome as he seeks to make the final Team Ineos squad.
