Four-time winner Chris Froome is out of the Tour de France after fracturing his leg, hip, arm and ribs in a horrific high-speed crash on Wednesday.
Team Ineos confirmed the 34-year-old’s dream of a fifth Tour de France title this year was over after a gust of wind hurtled him into a wall toward the end of a “recon” ahead of the Criterium du Dauphine’s time-trial fourth stage.
Froome sustained multiple fractures in his right femur, right elbow and ribs, and “will remain in hospital for at least two days in Saint-Etienne” before a decision on further treatment is taken, Ineos team principal Dave Brailsford said.
It appeared Froome had taken his hand off the handlebars in order to blow his nose, “and the wind’s taken his front wheel and he’s hit a wall,” Brailsford told the BBC.
“It’s a tough one, to be honest. He’s not in great shape,” he said, adding that Froome also broke his hip in the crash.
The four-time Tour de France winner had worked “incredibly hard to get in fantastic shape and had been on track for the Tour,” Brailsford said.
“Even though we all recognize the risks involved in our sport, it’s always traumatic when a rider crashes and sustains serious injuries,” he said.
“One of the things which sets Chris apart is his mental strength and resilience — and we will support him totally in his recovery, help him to recalibrate, and assist him in pursuing his future goals and ambitions,” he added.
Froome had been on a high-speed downhill stretch with Dutch teammate Wout Poels when the crash happened, Brailsford said.
“They were going very fast,” Brailsford told a French broadcaster.
The accident happened in the village of Saint-Andre d’Apchon in the Loire region, with fellow competitors estimating that Froome would have been traveling as fast as 60kph.
“He could hardly speak. He’ll be helicoptered to either Lyon or Saint-Etienne hospital within a few minutes,” Brailsford said at the scene as Froome received treatment in an ambulance.
Christian Prudhomme, race director of the Tour de France, which starts on July 6, was swift to wish Froome a speedy recovery.
“We hope he gets well soon. The Tour de France won’t be the same without him. Chris Froome has been the central character at the Tour since 2013,” he said.
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