Like the 2020 season, Chris Froome's 2021 will be about regaining the kind of physical form that won him four Tour de France titles before a career-threatening crash at the 2019 Criterium du Dauphiné.

In his first season with Israel Startup Nation, he returned to the Tour but finished 133rd after crashing hard on the first stage. He ran in the peloton, working only for his teammates, but never seemed to be able to move beyond that.

However, in the second half of the 2021 season, which concluded with the Italian Fall Classic, Froome believes he showed signs of progress, as he was instrumental in his teammate Michael Woods' ninth-place finish in Milan-Torino.

Speaking to Cycling News at the Israel Startup Nation training camp in Tel Aviv, Froome discussed his progress on the bike in recent months and said that his main goal for the 2022 season, his 16th as a professional, is to return to a "competitive" level He added that his main goal for the 2022 season, his 16th as a professional, is to continue this progress in order to return to a "competitive" level.

"After the Tour, I definitely saw a lot of progress in the second half of the season. I'm definitely feeling better in the races at the end of the season than I did at the beginning," Froome said. [I think a lot of that was to deal with the health issues and gut issues that I had throughout the Tour. But I'm definitely feeling better towards the end of the year, and I'm looking forward to going into the new season in this shape."

"The biggest goal for me right now is to get back to a physical level where I feel competitive again. I was able to work for the team, but I wasn't able to get to where I wanted to be. So I'm going to keep working for that and hopefully get back in the game."

Froome will race 68 days in 2021, from the UAE Tour in February to Coppa Agostoni in October, and outside of cycling, including Factor, the bicycle sponsor of Israeli startup Nation, and cycling computer company Hammerhead, He has made headlines for investing in a number of bicycle brands. [36]

At his age, his decision to step into the investment world is no doubt with an eye toward a post-racing career, but with several years left on his current contract, he has yet to think about when to hang up his wheels.

"I can still race for a few more years.

"But I think I'm still involved in the sport in some way. I love my craft and my tools. I certainly want to continue to be involved and continue to work with a company that I feel a connection with."

After 11 years in the Team Sky/Ineos Grenadiers system, the move to Israel's Startup Nation, which had just completed its second year on the World Tour, was always going to be a major turning point for Froome.

"It's two completely different teams," he noted.

"We have a good group of guys here and I really enjoy working with the players. It's an Israeli team, but one of their biggest visions and goals is to inspire the younger generation"

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"It's very similar to when I was at Sky. It's a lot of fun to be able to do that again here in Israel. Of course, it's on a completely different scale, but it's already starting to pay off in terms of the number of young people in Israel."

"Without the team, that definitely would not have happened.

Froome added that the team has a different level of experience, both in terms of riding and behind the scenes; the seven-time Grand Tour winner's move to the Israeli startup nation means that a large part of what he brings to the team is know-how.

"Compared to Ineos, it's completely different here.

"Obviously the team cycle is different. Israel Startup Nation is new to the World Tour and used to be pro-continental, but now they are stepping up.

"One of the reasons for bringing me on board was to offer my years of experience and feedback, especially in Grand Tours. I want to share that with the team and move them to be more competitive in the Grand Tours. Being part of that process and being able to give feedback is something I really enjoy."