Chris Froome in intensive care with multiple fractures after hitting wall

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jun/12/chris-froome-doubt-tour-de-france-crash-criterium-hospital-injured

Chris Froome in intensive care with multiple fractures after hitting wall

Paul MacInnes

Wed 12 Jun 2019 13.33 BST

Chris Froome is out of the Tour de France after sustaining “multiple serious injuries” in a freak high-speed accident. The four-times champion, who is in intensive care, broke a leg, ribs and an elbow after colliding with a wall outside the town of Roanne in the Loire on Wednesday. He lost control in high winds when he attempted to blow his nose while cycling at 37mph.

The accident seriously dents the chances of Team Ineos winning the Tour at the first time of asking under their new identity, after taking six of the previous seven titles as Team Sky. The 34-year-old faces months of convalescence and is unlikely to race again this season.

The unfortunate nature of the accident was compounded by the fact Froome was not racing at the time. He had been conducting a reconnaissance of the fourth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, an event he had been using as part of his preparation for the Tour.

He was airlifted to St Etienne University hospital where he had surgery. In a statement Team Ineos said: “Chris Froome sustained multiple serious injuries during a recon of stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné. He 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. He will miss the 2019 Tour de France.”
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