Chris Froome is undergoing surgery in France after a serious crash during training left him with a collapsed lung, broken ribs and a fractured spine.
The incident took place in Saint-Raphael, along the coast from Froome’s home in Monaco. Initial reports suggested Froome had collided with a car on the road, but his team Israel-Premier Tech made clear that no vehicle was involved.
The injuries are likely to rule out the 40-year-old for the rest of the season and could even spell the end of his cycling career, with his contract due to expire at the end of the year.
Israel-Premier Tech said in a statement: “Chris Froome was airlifted to hospital in Toulon yesterday afternoon following a serious training crash [no other cyclists or vehicles were involved].
“Fortunately, Chris is stable and did not sustain any head injuries, however, scans have confirmed a pneumothorax, five broken ribs, and a lumbar vertebrae fracture, for which he will undergo surgery this afternoon. We will update on Chris’ condition following surgery.”
Froome is a four-time Tour de France champion and has seven grand tours in total on a glorious palmares. But he has struggled since another serious crash in 2019 in which he hit a wall while travelling downhill at high speed during a reconnaissance ride at the Criterium du Dauphine.
Team Sky’s legacy is under scrutiny after it emerged the International Testing Agency is investigating David Rozman, a team carer who worked closely with stars including Froome and Bradley Wiggins.
Rozman is alleged to have exchanged a series of messages with Mark Schmidt, a notorious German doping doctor who was convicted in 2021 of leading a sophisticated doping ring involving multiple cyclists and skiers.
