Ineos’ new broom as Froome and Thomas out

Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas have both been left out of Team Ineos’ Tour de France squad as Sir Dave Brailsford signals a changing of the guard within the team.

Defending champion Egan Bernal will line up with the support of 2019 Giro d’italia winner Richard Carapaz, but four-time Tour winner Froome will instead go to the Vuelta a Espanainnovember,while 2018 Tour winner Thomas looks to the Giro d’italia in October.

It is a significant moment in the history of a team that has won seven of the past eight Tours, six of them with a British rider, with Luke Rowe the only Brit in an eight-man squad which instead places the emphasis on the youth of Bernal and Pavel Sivakov, both 23.

Froome, who will leave Ineos to join the Israel Start-up Nation squad next season, was targeting what would be a record-equalling fifth Tour crown, but his absence is ultimately not a surprise a year after he broke his neck, femur, elbow, hip and ribs at the Criterium du Dauphine.

The 35-year-old was back at the Dauphine last week alongside Bernal and Thomas, but his 71st place overall did little to convince anyone that he was ready for the challenge of the Tour – something he has now accepted himself.

“I’ve had an incredible recovery from the big crash I had last year and I’m in a very fortunate position to be back racing now already, but I’m not confident that I can really fulfil the necessary job that would be needed from me at this year’s Tour de France,” said Froome.

Thomas, 34, will seek to become only the second Brit – after Froome – to win the Giro.

In a video he posted himself following the team’s announcement, Thomas said: “As you’ve seen, I won’t be at the Tour this year unfortunately.

“It’s been a funny old year racing-wise and trainingwise but [we’ve] made the decision to target the Giro and try to get a pink jersey so that’s a big challenge ahead. I’m looking forward to it.”