Chris Froome has decided to leave Team Ineos at the end of the current season and will join Israel Start-Up Nation.
The move is a big boost for the team, which is new to the WorldTour, but it is not such good news for Irishman Dan Martin, whose contract with the squad takes him up to the end of next year.
It had been heavily speculated that Froome would leave on
a mid-season transfer but that was taken off the table when Froome was
guaranteed a place in the Team Ineos line-up at the Tour de France.
He will go into that race this year as one of three Team
Ineos leaders, alongside Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas.
However, as Froome is leaving at the end of the season it
will be interesting to see how the rivalry within the team plays out on the
road.
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"It has been a phenomenal decade with the team, we
have achieved so much together and I will always treasure the memories,” Froome
said of leaving Team Ineos.
“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."
Team Ineos boss Dave Brailsford said: "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.”
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