News on the way from Chris Froome: 'People will know soon enough'

What does Chris Froome's future look like? The 40-year-old rider fell badly in late August after a collision near hometown Monaco, and in the meantime his long-term contract at Israel-Premier Tech also expired. On Wednesday, he was present at the Vuelta's course presentation, where he gave an update.

Froome was involved in a collision on the Cote d'Azur in late August, sustaining serious injuries. 'Scans revealed a pneumothorax, five broken ribs and a fracture to a lower back vertebra,' it sounded at the time. He also tore a pericardial sac. The Briton had to undergo surgery on it several times, most recently on Tuesday.

After about a week, Froome, who has already suffered setbacks in terms of falls in his career, was allowed to leave the hospital and by the end of November, three months after the fall, he was back out on the bike. 'It’s been a tough road back after my latest crash but it feels so good to finally be out here spinning the legs and on the road again 🚴‍♂️🔥Every setback teaches you something… this one reminded me to slow down, heal & enjoy the simple things in life.'

Meanwhile, the four-time Tour winner did walk out of his contract, leaving him without a commitment with a team as of Jan. 1 - as far as we know. "I'm not ready to talk about my plans yet, but when the time comes, I will definitely let everyone know," he somewhat mysteriously revealed Wednesday at the course presentation at the Vuelta.

'People will know soon enough,' he assured. 'In the next few months. Literally, I just got out of the hospital, so it's about getting back on my feet. I have a pretty good idea, but I'm not quite ready to announce it yet. I'll give more news in a few months.'

So to be continued...