Chris Froome sustained a life-threatening injury to his heart in the training crash in France last week, which also left him with a broken back and broken ribs. The four-time Tour de France winner suffered a pericardial rupture, a tear to the sac surrounding the heart, according to his wife Michelle Froome.
“It was obviously a lot more serious than some broken bones,” Mrs Froome told The Times. “He’s fine, but it’s going to be a long recovery process. He won’t be riding a bike for a while.” Froome, 40, was airlifted to the Sainte-Anne military hospital in the Var, a top-level trauma centre. His team, Israel-Premier Tech, previously reported he had a collapsed lung, five broken ribs and a lumbar vertebrae fracture.
The severity of the injuries has increased speculation that Froome may soon announce his retirement from racing. Last spring, he said he had not decided on retiring after this year but indicated it was likely.
In other cycling news, Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij won the opening stage of the 2025 Tour of Britain in Southwold, overhauling Tord Gudmestad. Geraint Thomas, riding his final professional race, almost missed the start due to flight delays but finished 25 seconds behind the leaders.
