Dylan Van Baarle says he and his Team Ineos team mates have spoken about reports suggesting Chris Froome is set to leave the team and he believes it will not happen.
He told Dutch newspaper AD that he was currently on a
Team Ineos camp with Froome and they had spoken about his possible departure
because it was in the news.
He believed Froome wanted to stay at the team and would be with Team Ineos for the Tour de France this year, adding Froome would be better-placed to win the Tour if he was a Team Ineos rider.
Van Baarle said Froome had told his team mates he wanted
to stay and ride the Tour with Team Ineos.
He made his remarks after repeated reports in the international cycling media suggesting Froome was on the cusp of a mid-season transfer to Israel Start-Up Nation.
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Such a move would impact Dan Martin, the Irish rider who is expected to lead Israel Start-Up Nation at the Tour de France. Froome would obviously lead the team in that race if he joined the team.
Van Baarle says while he does not know everything that is going on with Froome’s contract talks, he believes the 35-year-old wants to stay and Team Ineos and that he will stay, certainly for the remainder of this year.
Froome's contract expires at the end of this year and while he wants to race for several years more, and win a fifth Tour, it is unclear if he can return to such a high level after his crash just over 12 months ago.
And because Egan Bernal is much younger, at 23 years, and won the Tour last year, the pecking order within Team Ineos is changing and Froome is no longer guaranteed a leadership role. This has resulted in a lot of speculation that he is about to leave the team, and could do so very soon and ride the Tour with Israel Start-Up Nation.
"Of course it is (being spoken) about, because it is in the news every time," Van Baarle said of Froome’s position and speculation around a possible mid-season transfer.
“But as far as I know, he
just stays and wants to ride the Tour with Ineos. In the end, I don't know
what's going on behind the scenes with him either, but that's what he says to
us. So I assume he's there. "
He also said the prospect of Froome leaving the team and then riding against Team Ineos at this year’s Tour, which starts on August 29th, seems very unlikely to him.
“That would be strange. Nor
do I think it will happen and he will go early,” Van Baarle said. “I think we will have the strongest team. And the
experience this team has speaks to his advantage. "
Froome and Van
Baarle are currently among a group of Team Ineos riders training at Isola 2000 ski resort area on the French-Italian border.
Geraint Thomas, Michal Kwiatkowski and Pavel Sivakov
are also part of the camp.
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