Back in the saddle Froome’s delight at UAE Tour return after injury

Chris Froome will make his long-awaited return to racing today after nine months out injured.

The four-time Tour de France champion will compete at the UAE Tour, his first race since his careerthreatening crash at the Criterium du

Dauphine last June.

“It’s all I’ve thought about for months now – being back racing,” said Froome, who suffered a broken hip, fractured femur, fractured elbow and broken ribs as part of a catalogue of injuries when he came off his time trial bike at high speed last summer.

“It will be a huge relief just to be back in the peloton again. It feels like I’ve been given a second chance to come back to pro racing after a crash like that. I’m definitely not taking that for granted.”

Froome is aiming to build up gradually to this summer’s Tour, where he will be hunting a record-equalling fifth maillot jaune.

The 34-yearold will play a supporting role in the seven-day UAE Tour as part of a Team Ineos squad which also includes recent signing Andrey

Amador and Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar.

Froome said it was a case of “managing expectations” at this stage of the season.

“I’m still quite a way off where I was at the Dauphine before the crash,” he said.

“It’s going to take me a while to get back to that shape. The bar is being raised every year. Everyone is going to altitude.”

Today’s first stage of the UAE Tour starts and ends in Dubai. Tomorrow’s second stage features the climb to the Hatta Dam.