Chris Froome suffered a life-threatening heart injury in the serious training crash he had last week, it has been revealed.
The four-time Tour de France winner, who currently rides for Israel-Premier Tech, sustained a pericardial rupture, a tear to the sac that surrounds the heart, in the incident on Thursday. His other injuries included a collapsed lung, five broken ribs and a fractured lumbar vertebrae.
“It was obviously a lot more serious than some broken bones,” his wife, Michelle Froome, told The Times this week. “He’s fine, but it’s going to be a long recovery process. He won’t be riding a bike for a while.”
It was reported last week that he had surgery and that the "procedures went as planned. He is in good spirits and grateful for the excellent medical support he has received.
The 40-year-old hit a kerb and collided with a road sign in the south of France at more than 30mph (48km/h), according to The Times. He was then taken to the Sainte-Anne military hospital in Toulon, which specialises in thoracic, or chest, surgery.
According to a report in L'Équipe, Froome remained conscious after the crash, and was able to speak to those around him. No-one else was involved in the incident.
Froome last raced at the Tour de Pologne earlier this month, where he placed 68th overall.
In 2019, riding for Ineos, Froome was taken into intensive car after crashing into a wall in a course recon at the Critérium du Dauphiné. He suffered fractures to his sternum, neck, femur, elbow and ribs, and also lost four pints of blood.
He returned to racing eight months later, but struggled to recover his Grand-Tour-winning form. It took three years for him to say that he was riding pain-free again, and he had to learn how to walk before getting back on his bike.
Froome, who also counts two Vuelta a España titles and one Giro d'Italia crown on his record, is thought to be out of contract at the end of the season, with his five-year contract with Israel-Premier Tech running out. As well as a long recovery, the setbacks could mean a premature end to his career.
