Four-time Tour de France winner’Chris Froome has given fans a glimpse of progress in his recovery after a serious training crash earlier this year. On Wednesday, the 40-year-old former Tour de France champion shared images on Instagram of himself riding outdoors near the Côte d’Azur. That marks his first time back on the bike since August.
“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 posted. “Every setback teaches you something… this one reminded me to slow down, heal & enjoy the simple things in life.”
The August crash
The spill near Saint-Raphaël in France left Froome with five broken ribs, a fractured lumbar vertebra, a collapsed lung, and pericardium damage, requiring emergency surgery. Doctors described the injuries as “potentially fatal.”
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He was airlifted to the hospital but, as his wife Michelle confirmed, he also had a potentially life-threatening injury, his wife Michelle Froome said.
Physicians saw that he also suffered a pericardial rupture while undergoing surgery. A pericardial rupture is a tear in the pericardium. The pericardium is the sac surrounding the heart. The injury is often caused by blunt or penetrating chest trauma. An injury such as that can lead to the heart protruding through the tear, potentially causing life-threatening complications.
Froome’s future as a pro
Following the accident, Israel – Premier Tech confirmed he would not be retained for 2026. In fact, it was the last social media post by the beleaguered ProTeam–soon to be WorldTour, before it was rebranded as N2N – Stoneweg. Immediately after the post thanking Froome, IPT’s social media went dark–as, perhaps, did the chances of the multiple Grand Tour winner returning to the pro peloton.
Wednesday’s post shows Froome riding cautiously, still clearly in rehabilitation, yet returning to an activity that once seemed impossible. He made no mention of racing plans or a contract, however, so it’s still a big TDB in terms of his future.
Six years ago, Froome’s career suffered a major setback following a training accident ahead of the Critérium du Dauphiné. It was even more brutal: he sustained multiple fractures, including a broken femur and pelvis. Following that, Froome has never fully returned to the level he reached before that crash.
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