22 days spent in hospital for four-time Tour winner
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Chris Froome (Team Ineos) ahead of the opening stage at the Criterium du Dauphine(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome gives the thumbs up from his hospital bed in St Etienne(Image credit: Twitter)
Chris Froome (Team Ineos) was airlifted to hospital after crashing during a recon ride of the stage 4 time trial at the Criterium du Dauphine(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chris Froome interatcs with fans at Criterium du Dauphine(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Chris Froome during stage 3 at Criterium du Dauphine(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chris Froome left hospital on Thursday, a full 22 days after his horrific crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné. The news was announced by Team Ineos boss Dave Brailsford at the team’s pre-Tour de France press conference in Brussels on Friday.
"It’s a big disappointment that Chris isn’t here and we wish him well on his road to recovery," Brailsford told the media, as he was flanked by Team Ineos’ two leaders for the Tour: Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas.
Froome was transferred by air to hospital in Saint Etienne on June 12 after a heavy crash while riding recon for the stage 4 individual time trial at the Dauphiné. He spent several hours on the operating table, having suffered a laundry list of injuries, including a fractured hip, femur, elbow, and neck, as well as internal injuries.
He spent roughly two weeks in Saint-Étienne before being transferred to a hospital in Monaco, where he resides with his wife and children.
"He left hospital yesterday and transferred to home. That’s a big step. He’s managed to put his feet on the floor for the first time in a long time," said Brailsford.
"The guys here have been to visit him and they think that he’s in remarkable spirits for the situation that he’s found himself in. He’s adjusted to it."
There is still no public confirmation on how long Froome will remain on the sidelines but he is expected to miss the rest of this year’s racing season. He was aiming for a fifth Tour de France title this July.
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Team Ineos still arrive at this year’s race with a strong squad, boasting last year’s winner Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal, who has won both Paris-Nice and the Tour de Suisse this season.
The Tour de France starts on Saturday with a 194.5km stage starting and finishing in Brussels.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
