Chris Froome may not be racing on his road bike this year, with his future in cycling still unconfirmed, but he is taking on another form of racing.
The four-time Tour de France winner will soon be venturing into the Mediterranean Sea to take on a unique challenge, racing a pedal bike boat from Viareggio in Italy to Monaco.
He'll be one of 32 athletes taking on the challenge, known as The Crossing, organised by Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco. The event will raise money to protect marine life and promote water safety in the area.
Froome, 41, and others taking part, including former road racers Filippo Pozzato and Jakob Fuglsang, will tackle a 225km route from Viareggio through the Pelagos Sanctuary – a protected area encompassing the Ligurian Sea and French Riviera – to Monaco.
The Crossing will take place on June 19, with competition coming in the form of eight teams with four members. The event will be sponsored by eyewear brand Scicon Sports.
Froome's participation in The Crossing is an unexpected addition to his calendar of activities this year. He hasn't raced since the Tour de Pologne last year, having suffered life-threatening injuries in a training crash last September.
Since then, Froome's contract with the team now known as NSN expired, though he has delved into other things, including working as the Chief Innovation Officer at AI training platform Vekta and riding Gran Fondo Panama in April alongside Alejandro Valverde, where he recreated his famous Mont Ventoux run from the 2016 Tour de France.
Froome hasn't officially announced that he has retired from racing yet and hasn't commented on his future in cycling for some time. A return to racing at this point looks unlikely, however, with Froome not commenting on any possible return since the Vuelta a España route presentation last December.
Back then, he said, "I'm not really ready to talk about my plans just yet, but when I am, I'll be sure to let everyone know."
