News
Road

Chris Froome to arrive a week before Colombia 2.1 stage race

published 22 January 2019

Defending champion Bernal, Sosa and seven-man team land in Antioquia on Sunday

Comments

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Image 1 of 5

Chris Froome with teammates Egan Bernal and Sebastian Henao during the Giro de Rigo(Image credit: Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP/Getty Images)

Chris Froome with his 2019 Team Sky kit(Image credit: Team Sky)

Chris Froome in Colombia(Image credit: Chris Froome)

Egan Bernal shows off the new jersey(Image credit: Team Sky)

Nairo Quintana, Egan Bernal and Rigoberto Uran on the 2018 Colombia Oro Y Paz podium(Image credit: Getty Images)

Chris Froome and Team Sky are set to arrive in eastern Antioquia region of Colombia on Sunday to prepare for their season debut at the Colombia 2.1 stage race which will be held from February 12-17.

Chris Froome to begin 2019 season in Colombia

Bernal: I learned a lot from Chris Froome at the Tour de France

Nairo Quintana downplays head-to-head with Chris Froome at Tour Colombia

Contador: I think Froome can win the Tour and Bernal the Giro

Organisers made the announcement on the event website on Monday, while also revealing Team Sky’s preliminary seven-man line-up of Ivan Sosa, Jhonatan Narvaez, Jonathan Castroviejo, Sebastian Henao, Teo Geoghegan Hart and defending champion Egan Bernal. Only six riders will start the race.

Bernal, Sosa and Narvaez are also set to arrive from Bogotá at 8p.m. on Sunday, while the rest of the staff, including Froome, will arrive from Europe an hour later. Froome has recently been training in South Africa with teammate Salvatore Puccio.

Froome announced that he would start his 2019 season at the Colombia 2.1 race last November. During that time, he visited Colombia to take part in Rigoberto Uran's mass-participation ride 'Giro de Rigo', and while he was there he paid a visit to the Federation to confirm his presence at this year’s race.

The event was run for the first time last year under the name Colombia Oro y Paz, where Bernal won the overall title ahead eight seconds ahead of Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and 11 seconds ahead of Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First).

Froome has traditionally started his seasons in February previously opting to begin at either Ruta del Sol in Spain or at the Herald Sun Tour in Australia.

The team will meet for the week ahead of the race with directors Nicolás Portal and Xabier Artetxe, who will decided the six-rider team that will participate in the race.