Chris Froome to make Israel Start-Up Nation debut at Vuelta a San Juan

‘This race will mark the beginning of a much-anticipated new chapter of my career’

Chris Froome will make his debut for the Israel Start-Up Nation team at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina next month.

The eight-stage race, which begins on 24 January, will be the first major stage race of the season following the cancellation of usual curtain-raisers in Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Froome, 35, has joined Israel Start-Up Nation this winter after a decade with the Ineos Grenadiers in their various guises, with his sights set on a return to the Tour de France next summer.

READ MORE: How Israel Start-Up Nations wooed Froome

"This race will mark the beginning of a much-anticipated new chapter of my career," the four-time Tour winner said.

Chris Froome will make his debut for Israel Start-Up Nation in Argentina (AFP via Getty Images)

"I look forward to racing with my new team-mates and getting the ball rolling on the adventure that lies ahead."

Froome, who struggled during the interrupted 2020 season to get back up to speed following the career-threatening injuries suffered at the 2019 Criterium du Dauphine, will use the race to build up his fitness.

"He is not going to Argentina to win the race," the team's sporting director Rik Verbrugghe said. "We see it as a perfect opportunity for Chris to start the building process towards the peak of the season down the road."

PA