Chris Froome, the celebrated four-time Tour de France champion, has successfully undergone surgery after a serious training accident in France.
The 40-year-old cyclist was airlifted to a hospital in Toulon after the crash, which occurred on Wednesday.
The injuries sustained were significant, including a fractured vertebrae, a collapsed lung, and five broken ribs.
A statement from his Premier-Tech team confirmed the successful surgery, stating that the procedures went as planned and that Froome is recovering in the hospital.
The statement also noted that Froome is in 'good spirits' and is grateful for the medical support he has received.
This crash marks a significant setback and will end his season, potentially signaling the end of his successful Grand Tour career.
Froome's current contract with Israel Premier-Tech, signed when he left the Ineos Grenadiers in 2021, is in its final months.
Throughout his career, Froome won the Tour de France in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Giro d'Italia in 2018, and the Vuelta a España in 2011 and 2017.
He has a total of seven Grand Tour titles, placing him alongside legendary cyclists like Miguel Indurain, Alberto Contador, and Fausto Coppi.
This latest incident follows a previous serious crash in 2019, which left him with a fractured femur, elbow, ribs, and pelvis, and from which he has never fully recovered his previous form.
His last professional win was at the 2018 Giro, and his best result since the 2019 crash was a third-place finish on stage 12 of the 2022 Tour de France.
Froome had hinted that 2025 might be his final year of competitive racing, and this accident could bring that timeline to a definitive end.
The 40-year-old cyclist was airlifted to a hospital in Toulon after the crash, which occurred on Wednesday.
The injuries sustained were significant, including a fractured vertebrae, a collapsed lung, and five broken ribs.
A statement from his Premier-Tech team confirmed the successful surgery, stating that the procedures went as planned and that Froome is recovering in the hospital.
The statement also noted that Froome is in 'good spirits' and is grateful for the medical support he has received.
This crash marks a significant setback and will end his season, potentially signaling the end of his successful Grand Tour career.
Froome's current contract with Israel Premier-Tech, signed when he left the Ineos Grenadiers in 2021, is in its final months.
Throughout his career, Froome won the Tour de France in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Giro d'Italia in 2018, and the Vuelta a España in 2011 and 2017.
He has a total of seven Grand Tour titles, placing him alongside legendary cyclists like Miguel Indurain, Alberto Contador, and Fausto Coppi.
This latest incident follows a previous serious crash in 2019, which left him with a fractured femur, elbow, ribs, and pelvis, and from which he has never fully recovered his previous form.
His last professional win was at the 2018 Giro, and his best result since the 2019 crash was a third-place finish on stage 12 of the 2022 Tour de France.
Froome had hinted that 2025 might be his final year of competitive racing, and this accident could bring that timeline to a definitive end.
