Chris Froome 'in good spirits' after surgery following major training crash

Chris Froome has successfully undergone surgery following a training crash in southern France on Thursday that saw him airlifted to hospital.

The 40-year-old suffered extensive injuries, including a collapsed lung, five broken ribs and a fractured lumbar vertebrae.

However, he has now had surgery and it was reported on social media on Friday morning that the "procedures went as planned. He is in good spirits and grateful for the excellent medical support he has received."

The crash, in which no one else was said to have been involved, took place near Toulon in the far south of France, and he was airlifted to a hospital in the city.

Today's full update, posted on the Israel-Premier Tech rider's social media channels, reads:

"We can confirm that Chris has successfully undergone surgery following his recent injuries.

"The procedures went as planned and Chris is currently recovering in hospital, under the care of his medical team.

"He is in good spirits and grateful for the excellent medical support he has received.

"Chris and his family would like to thank fans, friends, and the cycling community for their concern and kind messages during this time."

This is not the first time that Kenyan-born Brit Froome has been here – he suffered a serious training crash in 2019 in which he hit a wall at high speed, and suffered even more severe injuries than in this latest incident, including a broken femur and hip.

It took place during a course recon at the Critérium du Dauphiné, and Froome had been due to make a bid for a fifth Tour de France victory only weeks later.

Froome had won the Tour de France in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and also counts the Giro d'Italia (2018) and two Vueltas a España (2011, 2017) on his palmarés. After that crash in 2019 he never recovered the world-beating form he had shown over the previous years.

Now 40 years old and due to be out of contract at Israel-Premier Tech at the end of this season, it seems unlikely he will continue racing professionally. If that is the case, it would be a sad way to bow out.