Chris Froome and Dylan van Baare returned from their South African training camp a week earlier than planned to avoid possible travel cancellations so they could be with their families during the peak of the pandemic in Europe.

Froom has been in South Africa since riding the UAE tour, and while the two Team Ineos riders had recently posted photos of their training rides, van Baarle told Ad.nl (opens in new tab) that he decided to return home on short notice last Wednesday.

"Chris and I wanted to stay, but we decided to wait and see what happens next in familiar surroundings," the Dutchman said, and the two are now back at home in Monaco. [There were infections in South Africa as well, but not as many as in Europe. It might have been more risky to return home. It was difficult to make the right decision. If we stayed and things exploded there and they shut everything down, it would be a problem

Juan Barr, like all professional riders, does not know when he will be able to race again. He is the leader of Team Ineos Classics and was scheduled to head to Belgium this week, where the main race of the Cobbled Classics takes place. However, the Giro d'Italia has been postponed and even the Tour de France is in jeopardy.

Athletes are trying to stay in form by riding indoors if they are blockaded, or on the road if they are fortunate enough to live in Belgium or several other countries. Some teams have instructed their athletes to slow down their training and take something like a winter break, hoping to build a new, condensed, more intense racing season in late 2020.

"On Tuesday, I didn't even know I was leaving South Africa. How should we approach the upcoming period?" van Baar asked.

"I haven't talked to my trainer yet. I will continue to train to keep my fitness level up, but this is new for everyone. It's a shame there won't be any races in the next few months, but I can't stay awake and think about that. It's just cycling now and public health is the priority."

Flume and Van Baar were staying at high altitude at Crystal Springs Mountain Lodge, northeast of Johannesburg, not far from Kruger National Park. Van Baar revealed how Frum, who grew up in Kenya and South Africa, acted as an experienced guide in the South African bush.

"We were in the jungle. In the morning the monkeys came looking for food and even tried to open the door. That's not like home," Van Baar joked.

"In the evening, everything passed by the house: zebras, baboons, and other monkeys. Chris knew every animal."

Froome and van Baar logged hundreds of kilometers in training, including gravel rides and personal Strade Bianche races, which Froome apparently won.

Van Baar was impressed by Froome's strength during training, despite being badly injured in a crash at last year's Criterium du Dauphiné. Froome broke his hip, elbow, femur, sternum, and spine in a crash during warm-ups at the Criterium du Dauphiné.

He underwent surgery to remove the plate in November and again in December after an infection. This delayed his return, but the four-time Tour de France winner had his sights set on competing in this year's Tour de France as his main goal.

"It's a good sign for me that he didn't drop me," said Vanbert, hinting at Froome's form.

"It's hard to say how good he really is because it's not his usual schedule. Chris is still not at his usual best, but he is getting better in this camp. It will take until the tools to fully understand how good he is, but things seem to be good."