Chris Froome has given hope of an unlikely return to cycling after a life-threatening crash in August. The four-time Tour de France winner was airlifted to hospital in Toulon after a training accident on the Côte d'Azur, where he underwent successful surgery for a collapsed lung, five broken ribs, a fractured spine, and a pericardial rupture.
The pericardial rupture, a rare complication of blunt force trauma, has a mortality rate of between 20 and 60 percent. The crash ended Froome's season and raised fears it could end his career. However, the 40-year-old posted on Instagram showing himself back on the bike, writing: 'It's been a tough road back after my latest crash but it feels so good to finally be out here spinning the legs and on the road again.'
Froome is currently out of contract after leaving Israel Premier-Tech (now NSN Cycling Team) at the end of this season. He joined the team on a five-year contract in 2021 after leaving Ineos Grenadiers, where he won all seven of his grand tours. His career has been plagued by crashes, including a 2019 training crash that fractured his femur, elbow, and ribs, and a broken collarbone in February 2024.
