Chris Froome sustained a life-threatening injury to his heart in a training crash in France last week, his wife has revealed. The four-time Tour de France winner suffered a pericardial rupture, a tear to the sac surrounding the heart, in addition to a broken back and ribs.
Michelle Froome told the Times: “It was obviously a lot more serious than some broken bones. He’s fine, but it’s going to be a long recovery process. He won’t be riding a bike for a while.” The 40-year-old was airlifted to the Sainte-Anne military hospital, the highest-level trauma centre in that part of France.
His team, Israel-Premier Tech, had initially stated that Froome sustained a collapsed lung, five broken ribs and a lumbar vertebrae fracture. The severity of his injuries has increased speculation that he may soon announce his retirement from racing. Last spring, Froome said: “I haven’t 100% decided that I’ll be retiring at the end of this year. Chances are, yes, I’ll be calling it a day, but I’m just keeping the door open.”
In other cycling news, Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij won the opening stage of the 2025 men’s Tour of Britain in Southwold. Kooij, who took four stage wins in the 2023 edition, overhauled Norway’s Tord Gudmestad after a violent acceleration. “It was a lot of headwind after the last corner and a little rise as well,” Kooij said. “It was a bit of a waiting game, to make the last push in the final few metres.”
Geraint Thomas, riding his final professional race, almost missed the start after his flight to Stansted airport was delayed. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to get here yesterday, with the flights and stuff,” he said. Thomas arrived at his race hotel in the early hours and got only a few hours sleep. “The main thing is enjoying it, really making the most of it,” he added.
