Chris Froome announces first race back after injury

Chris Froome has announced his return to racing as he is set to ride the 2020 UAE Tour.

The four-time Tour de France winner has been out injured since a horrific crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné last June.

Froome fell during a recon of the stage four time trial in France and was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries, including a severely broken femur.

But he is back to training and hopes to recover his full fitness in time for the Tour de France this year, kicking off his racing schedule in the Middle East on February 23.

The 34-year-old said: "I'm really excited about getting back to racing at the UAE Tour. 

"I've come off a good block of training in Gran Canaria and look forward to taking the next step in my recovery and getting back to full strength."

After a long and arduous recovery, which involved multiple operations, Froome returned to full training earlier this month with team-mates in Gran Canaria, and is now looking to test himself in race conditions in the Middle East next month.

Last year, the Brit said the only goal he had for 2020 was to line up at the Tour de France, where he hopes to win a record-equalling fifth yellow jersey.

Team Ineos now boast four Grand Tour winners - Froome, Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas and Richard Carapaz.

Froome, Thomas and Bernal have all set their sights on the Tour de France for the new season. 

Last season, Froome had planned to race the inaugural edition of the UAE Tour in his build up to the Tour, but was forced to pull out at the last minute due to fatigue built up during an intense training and racing block in Colombia in January.

The race, which runs from February 23-29, has proven popular with Grand Tour contenders, owing to the warm climate and mid-sized climbs that offer a perfect opportunity to test the legs in the early season.

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Last year, Tom Dumoulin, Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde all lined up at the start in Abu Dhabi, alongside sprinters Mark Cavendish, Elia Viviani, and Caleb Ewan.

The 2019 edition was eventually won by Jumbo-Visma's Primož Roglič, who went on to win the Vuelta a España in September.