Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome has revealed he feels ‘rejuvenated’ ahead of his first season with new team Israel Start-Up Nation.

The 35-year-old left Team Ineos Grenadiers in 2020 after more than a decade with the British outfit, a period which saw him win seven Grand Tour titles.

Now he embarks on the final chapter of his career as he continues his recovery from the high-speed crash which left him out of action for much of 2019 and off the pace in the 2020 season.

But despite the major setback 18 months ago, Froome still believes he has the ability to win a record-equaling fifth Tour crown.

"My goals haven't changed, I want to get back to that top level," he said in the full video released by Israel Start-Up Nation on Facebook.

"I want to be fighting for victories at the Tour de France and other Grand Tours. I'm really looking forward to getting the 2021 season underway now and hopefully this is the start of what's going to be a long exciting successful partnership going forwards.

"So this is going to be my first season with Israel Start-Up Nation. It was a pretty big decision to make to join ISN. Kjell Carlstrom, a former teammate of mine and now the general manager at Israel Start-Up Nation, reached out and it didn't take long for me to have the first conversation with the team owner, Sylvan Adams and immediately there was this connection. His passion was clear to see. 

"We agreed that joining ISN - this is something, a commitment, I'm not just going to make for a year or two, this is a commitment until the end of my career and potentially even beyond that.

"Part of me also feels that at the moment at my age, I'm 35, I'm coming back from a big injury, year after year with the same team, I've been - it's almost been copying and pasting every year, year on year, and changing teams at this point in my career is going to give me so much more, I guess, mental stimulation and motivation - it's a whole new change, it's a new project, a new chapter and it does feel quite rejuvenating for me."

If Froome does go on to win the Tour de France this year, he will join an elite quintet alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddie Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain that have won the race five times.