'Even just to be here, to be racing and pushing is good for the next races, for the preparation'
Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) in the breakaway on stage 4 of the 2023 Tour du Rwanda(Image credit: Tour du Rwanda)
After four days of the Tour du Rwanda, Chris Froome had been a quiet presence in the peloton, lying 21st overall as he continues the early-season preparation for goals later on in the year.
However, that all changed on stage 5, a hilly 195km run from Rusizi to Rubavu featuring six major climbs. The four-time Tour de France winner, who kicked off his season in Australia last month, sprang into action partway through the stage, making the break of the day.
No other riders would join him up front, though, and at 115km from the line it would be a lonely day out in the rain for the 37-year-old.
Froome's last pro win came at the 2018 Giro d'Italia, where he staged a phenomenal turnaround on the road to Bardonecchia with an 80km solo ride. This time around, he'd spend a similar time on the attack, even if the end result wasn't quite the same.
In short order, Froome pushed his advantage over the peloton to over three minutes, riding into the virtual race lead. But after two hours in the break, bad luck brought an end to Froome's adventure, with a puncture halting his progress. On the penultimate climb, he required two wheel changes that saw him drop back to the peloton at 40km to go.
Things then got worse, as Froome was dropped by the lead group and then crashed in the closing kilometres, remounting to finish a few minutes down.
"That was a rough day. I felt like I wanted to have a crack at it," Froome said later. "You could see the whole peloton was just pegged about halfway through so I thought I would go for it and get stuck in and see what I had in the legs.
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"The goal was to get over that last climb on my own and see if I could make it down to the finish. I wasn’t far off. I think I had a 30-40 second lead on the Euskaltel guy [counter-attacker Mikel Iturria] behind me and about a minute and a half on the peloton.
"I got a front wheel puncture and I didn’t have a team car behind me as they had already pulled the team car out. I managed to get another wheel from neutral service but it wasn’t really compatible with the bike so I had to stop again and change it with my team car. Then the peloton caught me and surged over the top of the climb and that’s where the lights went out for me."
Froome's day only deteriorated from there as he hit the deck avoiding a car in the road, thankfully avoiding any major injuries in the process.
"I was chasing with a couple of guys to try and get back on, on the descent, but I came around the corner and the QuickStep car had stopped as one of their riders had crashed," Froome said.
"So I came around the corner on the limit and there was the car in the road so I had to abandon and get off into the ditch. So, I scratched myself up a bit but thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be any damage."
Only in this sport can so much be thrown at you! A solo breakaway, 2 wheel changes, and a crash later…Froomey gave it everything today 👏 He finished a few minutes down on winner Ormiston.🇷🇼 #TdRwanda23 pic.twitter.com/ytawLcVfYEFebruary 23, 2023
Glory on the stage would eventually be claimed by Callum Ormiston (Global 6 Cycling), who powered to victory with a solo attack late on.
Earlier in the race, Froome said that he was happy to be in Rwanda and making his debut at the eight-day event, though he emphasised that he wasn't aiming for the GC, instead looking to build form for later goals.
"I'm going to keep fighting every day," Froome told local reporters before the stage. "Even just to be here, to be racing and pushing is good for the next races, for the preparation
"I'm really happy to be here. I'm realistic – I'm not going to be winning this Tour of Rwanda because I'm not in the top shape to win the races yet. My big target will be in July for the Tour de France so now starts my preparation for July."
As well as building up for future races alongside the team's development riders Roi Weinberg, Nadav Raisberg and Cole Kessler, Froome and the Israel-Premier Tech team have been in the country to inaugurate the 'Field of Dreams' bike centre in the country.
The project is the end result of a campaign launched at last year's Tour de France with a special edition kit and fundraising aimed at building the centre, pump track, and 1.2km race track in Bugesera.
"Witnessing the joy on the kids' faces while they rode felt like a great victory," Froome said at the inauguration last week. "It is a game-changer project."
The centre, which is the first of its kind in the region, was broken in by the Israel-Premier Tech squad, who took part in a race against a local women's cycling team, who had been supported by the WorldTour team over the past two years.
Going forward, the facility will be used by the Rwandan Cycling Federation and will also play host to coaching, training and racing sessions for children from Bugusera and the surrounding area.
Israel-Premier Tech inaugurate the Field of Dreams bike centre in Rwanda (Image credit: Noa Arnon/Israel-Premier Tech)
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, joining in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, Road World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Demi Vollering, and Remco Evenepoel. Their favourite races are the Giro d'Italia, Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix.
