Froome, the return that many did not expect

The Tour of the Emirates, which starts on Sunday, is a good, flat and warm race for the Ineos runner, who wants to recover the lost strength in his right leg.

It will be a great surprise to see Chris Froome in the front places of his first race in eight months, the Tour of the Arab Emirates that begins this Sunday in Dubi. It is already an achievement for the Tour de France winner to return to the peloton after the tremendous clash against a wall when he recognizes the circuit of the long time trial of the last Dauphin, on June 12, 2019.

Most likely it will be seen cut in the two arrivals at the mountain of Jebel Hafeet, 10 kilometers at 5.8%, in the third and fifth stages. He will not mind minimally arriving late. It is enough to reach the goal banner.

The open fracture of the fmur of the right leg, the elbow of the same side and several broken ribs that at first prevented him from breathing, made him think that the fifth Tour de France falls off his wish list. But as soon as I wake up from one of the operations, four hours of operating room, to which he submitted, heard good news from doctors Giorgio Testa and Rmi Philippot. “You will be competitive again, champion,” he was encouraged.

This is what remains to be seen: if Froome regains its shape and its dominance in the Tour de France. His ability to overcome difficulties has rehabilitated him to the point of starting hard workouts, although he acknowledges that he still has a long way to go.

His return is not the only incentive in his Ineos team, which puts the Costa Rican to debut Andrey Amador after his contract break with the Movistar Team for the braves. Everything ended up getting a good compensation to those of Unzu minutes before the conciliation period was over and a judge of the International Cycling Union had to decide.

It is also the debut of the youth from Granada Carlos Rodrguez, 19 years old recently. Not only debuts in the Ineos, but also in the professional category. And with many heavyweights at his side, because this race has a high participation.

Great number of sprinters

The race of the Emirates consists of seven stages (1,122 km in total). Four of them (Sunday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) must finish the sprint. There are many of the best sprinters in the world with their best pitchers: Ackermann, Bennett, Dmare, Ewan, Gaviria or Cavendish.

Monday's stage has a slide layout and arrival at the Hatta Dam, a very steep rampn, but of 200 meters in which the sprinters can also shine, although without packaging. On this arrival, since it has been done on the Dubi Tour and then on the Emirat lap, sprinters have won: Kittel, Degenkolb, Lobato and Colbrelli.

The two high arrivals are in the same place, Jebel Hafeet. Emirat orography does not give much more if you want to avoid, as is the case, uncomfortable transfers of the caravan. Ah they have won Chaves, Kangert and twice Alejandro Valverde (in front of Miguel Angel Lpez and Roglic, the last two years).

Valverde is back in the ointment with the idea of ​​opening his locker 2020, as in 2019. But the rivals are very strong: Pogaar returns after his exhibition in the Valencian Community with a very powerful team; Adam Yates, Poels, Gaudu, Zakarin, Kelderman, Ciccone, Pozzovivo, Buchmann, Majka complete the first row.

The Spanish in Liza are Rodrguez (Ineos), Jess and Jos Herrada (Cofidis), Friar and Gorka Izagirre (Astana), Valls (Bahrain), Part and Windy (CCC), Dani Navarro (Israel) and six the Movistar: Valverde, Rojas, Carretero, Torres, Elosegui and Samitier.