Chris Froome Suffers Broken Leg in Crash – Headed to the Hospital in Serious Condition
The 4-time Tour champ is out of contention
Chris Froome will miss the Tour de France after hitting a wall and suffering severe injuries in a training accident at the Criterium du Dauphine on Wednesday, Team Ineos leader Dave Brailsford has confirmed.
“It’s clear he’ll take no part in the Tour,” Brailsford told French television while four time Tour de France winner Froome was being treated at the scene in a parked ambulance.
“He is in a very, very serious condition,” said Brailsford, adding that the racer was having difficulty speaking and would be helicoptered to hospital.
A witness at the scene of the accident said Froome had suffered an open fracture of the femur and had suffered other injuries too, notably to his elbows.
Brailsford said Froome had been speeding downhill with teammate Wout Poels when a gust of wind blew him off track, making him hit a wall.
“They were going very fast and the wind got his front wheel and sent him straight into the wall,” Brailsford said in French.
“He’s in a very, very serious condition and he could hardly speak. He’ll be helicoptered to either Lyon or Saint-Etienne hospital within a few minutes,” said the Welshman.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme 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.
The Kenyan born Froome, who combines top level time-trialing skills with a fearsome prowess for climbing, first won the Tour in 2013 with Team Sky. He went on to further Tour de France wins in 2015, 2016 and 2017, he also won the 2017 Vuelta a Espana and the 2018 Giro d’Italia, making him the greatest Grand Tour rider of his generation.
Team INEOS can confirm that Chris Froome crashed during a recon of stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine today.
He is currently on his way to a local hospital and won’t start today’s fourth stage.
We will provide a further update in due course. pic.twitter.com/3x3h5BD5cH
— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) June 12, 2019
Chris is on his way to hospital after a high speed crash during the route recon earlier this afternoon, injuries are yet to be confirmed. I am awaiting information and transport to get to where he is and as soon as we have any information we will update you – MF
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 12, 2019
RBA/AFP
Photos: Bettini
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