Chris Froome (opens in new tab) reiterated his goal of the 2021 Tour de France (opens in new tab) and explained that changing the team from Ineos Grenadiers to Israel Startup Nation (opens in new tab) has given body and soul He explained that he had a new lease of life, both physically and mentally.

Froom left Ineos Grenadiers (opens in new tab) at the end of 2020 after 11 years with the team and four wins in the Tour de France; in 2019, he was involved in a career-threatening crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné, and after a long break the 35-year-old, spent all of last year trying to find both fitness and form.

Although he has not been able to regain the form that at one point led him to three Grand Tour titles, he remains confident that with another winter of training and some time in the gym, he will be able to claim the crown in the three weeks of racing.

"My goals haven't changed. I want to get back to the top level," he said in a video released by the 2021 team.

"I want to fight for victory in the Tour de France and other Grand Tours, I am really looking forward to the start of the 2021 season and hope this is the beginning of a long exciting and successful partnership going forward."

"I am looking forward to the Tour de France," he said.

According to Froom, the move to Israel Startup Nation came after a conversation with the team's general manager, Kjell Carlstrom; the two ran together in Team Sky over a decade ago, and after initial discussions with the team's owners, soon Negotiations followed. Froom has also signed a long-term contract with the team and has said that he may remain with the Israeli Startup Nation beyond his time as a professional cyclist.

"So this will be my first season with Israel Start-Up Nation, and joining ISN was a pretty big decision. It didn't take long for me to be contacted by my former teammate Kjell Carlstrom, now the general manager of Israel Startup Nation, and to have my first conversation with team owner Sylvan Adams. His passion was tangible and obvious.

"We agreed to join ISN. It's something, a commitment, and I'm not going to join just for a year or two; I'm 35 years old, coming back from a major injury and doing the same team year after year, copy-and-paste after copy-and-paste. Froom moved himself and his family to California this winter. The move allows him to take advantage of the warmer weather and continue his rehabilitation before returning to Europe for the 2021 racing season.

"I came to California, USA, late last year to start preparing for the upcoming season. Here the weather was much better than in Europe and I was able to spend many hours on the road and, more importantly, work at the Red Bull High Performance Center. This winter has been focused on addressing imbalances and weaknesses caused by injuries. I am very optimistic for next season."