Chris Froome leaves IPT after major rebrand: will the four-time Tour winner retire?

Israel-Premier Tech will continue next year under a Swiss licence, without any Israeli identity and without long-time sponsors Premier Tech and Factor. It marks a clean restart for the organisation—and that also means a long list of riders are heading for the exit. Among them is Chris Froome. The big question: is the Briton ready to hang up his bike?

Froome dominated the previous decade, racking up four Tour de France titles, as well as winning two Vuelta a España trophies, snatching the pink jersey in 2018. After leaving INEOS Grenadiers, he joined Israel-Premier Tech, but in the twilight of his career he struggled to make an impact.

Even so, he spent five full seasons with the team. With IPT now shifting towards a major rebrand—expected to include a new name, nationality, and sponsors by 2026—it remained unclear whether the Kenya-born rider would be offered a new deal. An Instagram post has now confirmed he did not receive a contract extension.

"We want to take the chance to thank our departing staff for all of their hard work and, of course, the departing riders: Pascal Ackermann, Chris Froome, Riley Pickrell, Matthew Riccitello, Michael Schwarzmann, and Mike Woods,” the post said. “Thanks for the memories over the last years, we look forward to seeing you in the peloton next year or wherever the next chapter takes you!"

For Ackermann (moving to Jayco-AlUla), Pickrell (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling), and Riccitello (Decathlon-CMA CGM), their departures were already announced. Schwarzmann and Froome, however, were still question marks. The German is 34, while the four-time Tour champion is now 40, and it remains uncertain whether either rider will find a new team—assuming they are even looking. As recently as August, Froome admitted he did not know whether he would race in 2025.

What he does know is what he wants to do if he retires. Speaking to Bici.Pro, he said: "My contract is ending, and I don’t know whether I’ll continue or not. What is certain is that—if I stop—I want to open a cycling school in Africa, as I’ve said for some time," the Nairobi-born Briton said. "I want to give many young people the chance to ride a bike and pursue a career."

Froome’s 2024 season was, once again, riddled with setbacks. He crashed heavily in the UAE Tour, breaking his collarbone. After returning at the Tour of the Alps, he suffered another major crash four months later—this time in training, when he was hit by a car and sustained five broken ribs and a fractured vertebra. Whether these injuries will influence his final decision is something we’ll hear later.

Interestingly—but not surprisingly—Israel-Premier Tech did not offer long farewells to Derek Gee and Jakob Fuglsang. Gee terminated his contract early, reportedly due to the war in Gaza, and now faces a €30 million damages claim. Fuglsang, meanwhile, said immediately after his final race that he was “relieved not to have to ride with the Israel logo anymore.”