Chris Froome's recovery appears to be progressing, and a return to racing at next month's UAE Tour is being considered.

Froome has not raced since breaking his femur, hip, elbow, sternum, and vertebrae in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné last June; in November, he had set February 2020 as his expected return date, but he reportedly left training camp early in December, and Team Ineos director Os director said: "He is not in good shape."

However, Froome recently did a training camp in Gran Canaria and posted some rides on Strava. with a clear goal of the Tour de France starting in late June, Froome will be racing against time to reach the level needed to win his fifth title, the most in history. He is racing against time to reach the level needed to win a record fifth Tour de France title.

On Tuesday, Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper hinted at Froome's return to the UAE for the seven-stage Tour of the UAE, which runs from February 23 to 29; La Gazzetta is owned by RCS, the company that runs the UAE Tour.

When contacted by Cycling News, Team Ineos indicated that this was a possibility, but insisted that nothing had been decided yet.

Froom underwent surgery in early December to remove metal that had been inserted to stabilize fractures in his hip and elbow. Prior to that, he was still struggling to walk, but has now resumed proper training again.

"I've been cleared for everything to get back on the bike, so I'm just transitioning from the rehab phase to regular training again," Froome said in a recent video interview from Team Ineos.

"I am fully aware that the next few months are going to be pretty tough. There will be a lot of hard work and a lot to recover from. But I've had great support to get me this far, and now I want to get back into training, put in some miles on the bike, and get strong again."

Froome is determined to get back to his best in order to challenge for the Tour de France title alongside the likes of Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, and Miguel Indurain.

Richard Kalapas will lead Ineos in the Giro d'Italia, but Froome could drop down the team pecking order.

"The only goal I have set for myself is the Tour de France. Until then, I'm going to keep working hard every week, making the most of every camp, every race, to be ready for July and to be on the start line in Nice in July," said Froome.