Chris Froome has been seen at a public event for the first time since his almost-fatal crash in August.
Froome, 40, was left with a collapsed lung, five broken ribs, and a broken back and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Toulon after a crash near Saint-Raphael in France.
The four-time Tour de France winner had emergency surgery and was left with his cycling career on the line, but he appears to be in good spirits.
Earlier this month he broke his silence on social media announcing that he was ‘relieved to be heading home’ and thanking staff at the hospital.
And now he has spoken out for the first time upon attending the Pho3nix Foundation Sport With Purpose Charity Gala 2025 in Zurich, an event hoping to fuel the organisation’s work of providing sporting opportunities for kids worldwide.
Froome said: ‘I think this was a motivation for me to try and push in terms of the rehab and getting out of hospital in time to be ready for this event because it sounds like it’s going to be an amazing evening.’
Chris Froome (left) says he was motivated to accelerate his rehab after his crash to be ready for a charity gala in Switzerland
Froome hung out with the likes of Usain Bolt (first photo) and Anthony Joshua (above, right)
He had a near-fatal crash in France in August, needing surgery for a collapsed lung, five broken ribs, and a broken back
He hung out with stars such as Usain Bolt and Anthony Joshua at the gala.
The British cyclist, who was born in Nairobi, Kenya, has won seven Grand Tours in a sparkling career as well as two Olympic bronze medals in road time trials.
It is not clear what his future holds as his contract with Israel-Premier Tech runs out at the end of the year. He is not expected to compete for the rest of the season and his crash follows on from a broken collarbone that he sustained at the UAE tour in February.
Writing after his surgery, his team said: ‘Following surgery, a statement from his team read on Friday: ‘We can confirm that Chris has successfully undergone surgery following his recent injuries.
‘The procedures went as planned, and Chris is currently recovering in hospital under the care of his medical team.
‘He is in good spirits and grateful for the excellent medical support he has received. Chris and his family would like to thank fans, friends and cycling community for their concern and kind messages during this time.’
Earlier this month, he was asked by bici.PRO what the future holds in terms of his career. His response was coy: ‘My contract is expiring and I don’t know if I’ll continue or not,’ Froome told the website.
He then revealed that he has plans to grow the sport of cycling in Africa, his home continent, having been born in Kenya in 1985.
The multi-Tour de France winner said he was ‘relieved’ to be leaving hospital earlier this month
Froome is ‘lucky to be alive’ after being involved in a training crash last week, his wife Michelle revealed
A statement a day after the crash read that Froome was ‘in good spirits’ as he and Michelle thanked medical staff
Froome secured his first Tour de France title in 2013 before securing three of the following four titles. He hasn’t won a major tour since 2018, when he raced for Team Sky, triumphing at Giro d’Italia for the first and only time.
The British rider has seemingly never recovered from breaking his femur in a high-speed crash in the midst of the 2019 Tour de France.
Following the crash, which kept him out for eight months, he became part of the Israel-Premier Tech team.
The two-time Olympic medallist felt that he had been handed a ‘second chance’ to return to the ‘sport I love’.
