Dan Martin’s Israel Start-Up Nation has abandoned its plans to hold a pre-season camp in Israel this month after that country decided to close its borders to non Israelis in response to the current Covid-19 surge.
Instead, the team will now gather in Girona, Spain, later this month for a camp, though big signing Chris Froome will not be present.
Paulo Saldanha, the team’s head of performance, explained that Froome would remain in California where he has been working on his recovery and training.
“Chris Froome has made great progress with both his rehab and strength work to rebalance his body since his significant injury,” he said.
“After our internal assessment and discussion, we felt it was important for him to continue in his current environment in California. We feel this is most conducive for continuing his progress both on and off the bike.”
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Team manager Kjell Carlstrom said as the WorldTour outfit had signed so many new riders it was important to hold a camp in Girona, as a second choice location, in order that they could all get to know each other.
As well as new
rider Froome and established team
member Dan Martin as the big
hitters in the line-up, Israel Start Up Nation has also brought in Paddy
Bevin, Daryl Impey, Michael Woods, Sep Vanmarcke and Carl Fredrik Hagen for 2021 and beyond.
"We need to give them the chance to train and learn
how to achieve their different goals together. It is critical, with so many new
riders and the new goals we have in front of us," said Carlstrom.
Team co-owner Sylvan Adams said the team still planned to
hold a camp in Israel, adding that it would be in February or early March.
Israel had “become the world’s leading country by
vaccination rate” gave it “real cause for optimism” that the camp will soon be
able to go ahead.
As a result of the change in circumstances, some of the
team’s riders will go straight from the Giro camp to their first races of the
season at Challenge Mallorca at the end of January.
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