Chris Froome ‘rammed on purpose’ by driver and his bike is severely damaged

Chris Froome was left with his bike in a crumpled heap after he reported being 'rammed on purpose' by a driver while on a training ride in the south of France. Froome reported that the driver followed him onto the pavement during the incident.

The 31-year-old triple Tour de France winner posted a photo of his badly damaged Pinarello Dogma F10 Team Sky bike on Twitter.

From the image, both wheels and the frame are bent beyond repair.

Froome said that he escaped without injury, but that the driver left the scene after the incident.

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"Just got rammed on purpose by an impatient driver who followed me onto the pavement! Thankfully I'm okay. Bike totaled. Driver kept going!" Froome said.

The Team Sky leader is currently training ahead of the Tour de France in July, where he hopes to claim the overall victory for a fourth time.

He has just competed in the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland, which finished on April 30.

The danger posed by drivers to cyclists is at the forefront of many professional cyclists' minds, after Michele Scarponi died as a result of injuries sustained after a collision with a van during a training ride in April.

On Monday, a host of Spanish professionals including Alberto Contador and Alejandro Valverde also expressed concern over road safety in their home country after two club cyclists were killed and three seriously injured by a drunk driver near Oliva.