Chris Froome has pulled out of the inaugural UAE Tour, just four days before the event gets underway in Abu Dhabi.

The four-time Tour de France champion was the star attraction for the seven-stage tour across the Emirates.

But Team Sky announced late on Wednesday night that Froome would not be racing.

“I’m disappointed to miss UAE Tour, but I need to recover fully from Colombia, instead of going straight into such a big World Tour race. I wish the boys all the best for what I’m sure will be a great event,” said the 33-year-old in a statement.

Despite the absence of the five-time Grand Tour winner, Team Sky director Dario Cioni was upbeat about Michał Kwiatkowski and Gianni Moscon leading the side in the Emirates.

“It’s the first race for Gianni and Michal this season and after some good winter training, they will be able to gauge where they are at against the rest of the field,” said Cioni.