Tom Bohnen believes that Chris Froome's choice to leave Team Ineos and join Israel Startup Nation gives him the best chance to match his record of five Tour de France wins.

With the announcement this week that Froome will leave the team he has been with for 11 years at the end of 2020, Ineos said it could not guarantee him a clear leadership role in the Tour de France.

Despite Froome's four wins at the Tour, Ineos has won the last two through Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal.

For Boonen, the seven-time Monument champion, Froome had to avoid playing second or third for the rest of his career.

"It's certainly not an unwise move," Boonen told Het Laatste Nieuws (open in new tab). 'No matter how real the possibility of failure may seem, this transfer allows him to make it just a little bit smaller.'

"Ineos is supposed to be a 'trusted environment,' but take that with a pinch of salt.

"Chris, please"? No, I don't think Bernal and Thomas would say that. He can't compete with that duo, so it's in his best interest to leave at the end of this season. By doing so, he can at least protect the few options he has left."

This year's Tour de France features a battle between the Ineos and Jumbo Visma with three leaders, but Boonen believes that the biggest threat to the Ineos' dominance is Froome himself.

The Englishman will find himself on a relatively weak team, although Israel has time to build a team around him.

"I don't see him bringing anyone from Ineos. If he signs a champion like Froom, you know he won't come alone. He needs three to five strong minions," Bohnen

said. But the last thing Israel needs to do is imitate Ineos. There are other ways to win at the Tour. They are docile citizens. They will gently squeeze everyone to death until they are the only ones left. It's a system Frum knows all too well, and if anyone can dismantle it and turn it to his own advantage, it's him. That is, of course, if he goes back to his old self. ......"

Last noted.

The final caveat is where Boonen is concerned, even if Froome has recently claimed to be back to full fitness after his crash last June.

"You can rehab and train as much as you want.