Froome to miss Tour de France after fracturing femur, elbow and ribs in high-speed crash
Thursday 13 June 2019 17:24, UK
Chris Froome remains in intensive care after sustaining multiple serious injuries in a high-speed crash before stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine.
Froome suffered a fractured right femur, a fractured elbow and fractured ribs after crashing into a wall during his route reconnaissance on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old was airlifted to St Etienne University Hospital and underwent surgery later that night, which went well, but he will remain in intensive care for two more days at least.
A statement released by Team Ineos confirmed Froome would miss the rest of the Criterium du Dauphine and also the Tour de France, which begins on July 6.
"Team Ineos can confirm that Chris Froome sustained multiple serious injuries during a recon of stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine," it read.
"The 34-year-old crashed towards the end of his route recon in Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, sustaining injuries including a fractured right femur, a fractured elbow and fractured ribs.
"Froome has subsequently been ruled out of the rest of the race and will also miss the 2019 Tour de France."
Team Ineos team principal Sir Dave Brailsford confirmed that Froome hit a wall after he took his hands off his handlebars to blow his nose.
"He came down a technical descent and on to a straighter piece of road with houses either side," Brailsford said.
"He signalled to [team-mate] Wout [Poels] that he was going to clear his nose, he took his hand off the bar to do that and a gust of wind took his front wheel, he lost control and went straight into the wall of a house.
"We have had a look at his data. He went from 54kmh to a dead stop."
Froome was eighth in the overall classification for the Criterium du Dauphine, 24 seconds behind leader Dylan Teuns.
British rider Adam Yates now leads the eight-day race after the time trial stage.
