Chris Froome intends to ride the Tour de France with Team Ineos despite failing to agree a contract extension for next season, according to a teammate, Dylan van Baarle. Froome’s deal with Ineos expires at the end of the year and the four-time Tour winner has been linked with a move to the Israeli team Start-Up Nation, with some reports suggesting that he could make the move before the start of the race on 29 August to avoid a leadership battle with the reigning champion, Egan Bernal, and 2018’s winner, Geraint Thomas. But Van Baarle, who is preparing for the Tour at a training camp with Froome and the rest of Team Ineos squad, told the Dutch newspaper AD that the 35-year-old had told him he has no intention of leaving until his contract expires. “That would be strange. And I don’t think it will happen that he will go early,” said Van Baarle. “Of course we’ve talked about it, because it’s in the news all the time. But, as far as I know, he’s staying and wants to ride the Tour with Ineos. In the end, I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes with him either, but that’s what he says to us, so I assume he’ll be there.” Froome was forced to miss last year’s Tour after sustaining multiple serious injuries in a freak high-speed accident at the Critérium du Dauphiné, with Colombia’s Bernal going on to claim his first Tour victory. The 23-year-old is expected to lead the Team Ineos challenge again at this year’s rescheduled race, casting doubt over the British rider’s future. It was claimed last week that Start-Up Nation, who are owned by the billionaire Sylvan Adams, have offered Froome a three-year deal and are also keen to sign Greg Van Avermaet and Jasper Stuyven.