For Chris Froome, it's not a rest but a return. The Tour de France peloton had its first rest day of the competition on Monday, but major absentee Chris Froome returned to competition for the first time since being deemed redundant by Ineos in La Grande Boucle.

Froome finished safely in the main peloton, while Pascal Ackermann won the first stage from Tirreno-Adriatico. After missing out on the Tour, the two will prepare for alternative goals in this race. Froome will compete in the Vuelta a España (October 20-November 8), while Thomas will lead Ineos in the Giro d'Italia.

Speaking to Cycling News and La Gazzetta dello Sport before the start in Camaiore, Froome said he was not at all surprised or disappointed that he was not selected for the Ineos.

"No, not really," he said. 'I understand 100 percent. I felt myself not being where I needed to be."

Frum will run in the Israeli Startup Nation in 2021 after agreeing to a long-term contract with the team in July. Although he will be 36 next summer and has endured a lengthy rehabilitation process after suffering broken femurs and elbows in last year's Dauphiné, Froome's ambition is to win his fifth Tour de France in his new team colors.

"I wouldn't have signed up for a program like this if I didn't believe it was possible," he said. I enjoy being told that. It's fun and motivating to be told that.

Froom rode the Occitania route, the Tour de l'Ain, and the Criterium du Dauphiné in August, preparing him for a full run in this year's Tour.

"Since I didn't make the Tour de France, I cut back a bit on my bike riding and focused on building my strength. Before the Tour de France, I felt like I didn't have enough top-end, or high-end intensity. [I] didn't race as much because I took a break last year at the Dauphiné and this year at Corona. I'm looking forward to a week of racing here. This is preparation for the Vuelta. And at the same time, I hope I can do a really good job for G (Thomas), who should have a chance to fight for the win here."

Tirreno-Adriatico will likely be Froome's only stage race until the Vuelta a España, which has been postponed from October 20 to November 8.

"After Tirreno, I'll probably spend a couple of weeks training at altitude," he said. I will just continue to focus on preparing for the Vuelta. Maybe I will take part in a one-day race like Liège-Bastogne-Liège. We'll see what happens."

As in 2019, when he missed the Tour after crashing in the Dauphiné, Froome was watching the main event on television last week. Ineos leader and defending champion Egan Bernal appeared to struggle on Saturday's Peyresourde pass, but looked rather confident on the Marie Blanc pass 24 hours later. He is now 21 seconds ahead of Primoš Roglic (Jumbo Visma) in the overall standings.

"Egan looks to be in good shape. He is coming right up. Hopefully the race will continue all the way to Paris. We will have to wait for today's (coronavirus) test results. It will be difficult to regain time from Roglic's dominant position, but even so, (Taddei) Pogacar is also making the race more exciting."

The Englishman witnessed the strength of the yellow jersey of Roglic and his Jumbo-Visma team at the Tour de Ain and the Dauphiné and wondered if the Slovenian would be able to maintain that form in Paris.

"I was really flying until I crashed in the Tour de Ain and the Dauphiné," he said. 'I still don't know how long I can hold on. That's what makes the Tour so exciting."