It doesn’t look like Chris Froome will switch to Movistar at short notice. Team principal Max Sciandri of the Spanish cycling team laughs at the stories that revolve around the four-time Tour de France winner.
There have been rumours in foreign media for some time that Froome wants to leave Team INEOS this summer because he has no intention of sharing the lead with the top team. Movistar is mentioned as the most likely new employer.
“The Gazzetta dello Sport called me at ten o’clock in the evening. I didn’t know the story about Froome and Movistar and I don’t know why he would change during the season,” said Movistar team principal Sciandri Cyclingnews.
‘It’s kind of funny. There was a picture circulating of Froome in a Movistar jersey. I shared it in a WhatsApp group with the management and directors of our team and everyone went crazy. We don’t know about it and we haven’t talked about it.’
Sciandri admits that Movistar is closely monitoring the situation with the battered Polish team CCC. ‘We’re not talking about Froome, we’re talking about a few CCC riders. Even if this is not the priority now. Above all, we want to race again.”
Team INEOS has three Tour winners, Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal. Movistar is the team of Alejandro Valverde. The suspended cycling season is scheduled to continue in July.
Follow the latest developments around the virus in the sports world in our liveblog.