Chris Froome is starting his 16th season as a professional rider and despite celebrating his 38th birthday on May 20, he is not thinking about retirement and will start the 2023 season at the Tour Down Under in Australia.

Froome has struggled to regain the form that won him four Tour de France titles after a terrible crash at the 2019 Criterium du Dauphiné. But he was not deterred by multiple fractures and the need for lengthy rehabilitation.

When Froome joined Israel Premier Tech in 2021, team owner Sylvain Adams indicated that Froome would finish his career with the team, although details of the length of his contract were not disclosed.

Adams said that Froome had a rolling contract, but Cycling News reported that Froome had signed a five-year contract through the end of 2025, when he will be over 40 years old.

While former teammate and friend Richie Porte is looking forward to retirement and Thibaut Pinot has announced that he will retire at age 33 at the end of 2023, Froome wants to continue racing no matter what the outcome.

"I think I've been given a second chance. I've been given the opportunity to come back to bike racing and the sport I love. If my career had ended with that crash, I would have felt like there was more I could do," he said on the eve of the Tour Down Under.

"Even though I'm not at the forefront of racing right now, I'm happy with my job and being a part of the Israeli Premier Tech Team. It's as if I'm back to where I was 15 years ago, aiming for the top level. It's a fresh approach for me and I hope to continue doing this for a few more years."

Froom has the look of Benjamin Button. He still seems to enjoy every aspect of being a high-profile professional athlete.

He credits this to the hard work he put in to complete his rehabilitation and the way he now takes care of himself.

"I've seen it in many other sports as well. In tennis, it's great to see older players still very competitive, and in cycling, Valverde just retired and was racing into his 40s and is still very competitive," noted Froome.

"I think it has a lot to do with how athletes take care of themselves these days. I think professionalism, diet, knowing more about your body, and basically being able to take care of yourself for longer has allowed cyclists to be more active into their 40s than before."

Froom again chose to train in warmer climates instead of the cold of a European winter. He added the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race to his program and stayed in Australia for a mini training camp with teammate Simon Clark. He will then return briefly to Europe before traveling to Africa to participate in the Tour de Rwanda, February 19-26.

"It's always beneficial for me to go somewhere in January and do a lot of miles where the climate is warmer and closer to the European summer.

"That's one of the main motivations for coming here. I'd rather be hot than cold. I want to make the most of the warm weather." [It's my first time running the Tour de Rwanda and it's been a long time since I've been back to Africa. I'm looking forward to discovering the race and it's also a chance to check out the "Fields of Dreams" cycling project the team is developing."

Froom was finally able to ride pain-free in 2022, joining the break on stage 12 of the Tour de France, a stage to L'Alpe d'Huez, where he rode impressively. He was unable to match eventual stage winner Tom Pidcock or second-place finisher Louis Maintus, but finished third, proving that he could once again compete on the climbs.

Unfortunately, Froome, like many riders, contracted COVID-19 on the second day of rest and did not make the start of stage 18. Due to the effects of the virus and fatigue from the Tour de France, Froome missed six days. He finished the Vuelta a España, but was unable to maintain his momentum.

Just before Christmas, he contracted COVID-19 for the second time, ruining his vacation and hampering his training.

"The second bout of COVID-19 was not as good as the first. Now I just look forward to immersing myself in racing and form building."

"The Tour Down Under is always an event that jump-starts the season. Generally, the local racers are in very good shape, having just finished the national championships.

"Simon Clark was in great shape at Israel Premier Tech, but he's a little out of shape; hopefully he'll recover in time for Tuesday's start (from COVID-19). Darryl Impey is here and Corbin Strong is in good shape.

Froome's goals for 2023 are very simple and not too ambitious. A fifth Tour de France win is a dream and an incentive, but it is more realistic now.

"I want to get back to where I was last year and build on that and get closer to my old self again.

"It will be a season not too different from previous years, with stage races while heading to the Tour de France. The main objective is to get into the team and to give my best in July. I want to get back to the pointy end of the peloton. Whether that be at the Tour or elsewhere."