Chris Froome will miss the Tour de France, confirms Dave Brailsford
Froome crashed in a time trial recon at the Critérium du Dauphiné
Team Ineos boss Dave Brailsford has confirmed Chris Froome will miss the 2019 Tour de France after injuries suffered in a crash on Wednesday.
Froome crashed during a recon of the time trial course of the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, with his team saying he was immediately taken to hospital.
While his specific injuries are still unconfirmed, Brailsford said the four-time Tour de France winner has suffered a femur fracture following the incident. A picture of Froome being transferred by emergency services shows his right leg strapped up on a stretcher.
Brailsford described the incident as "very serious" and that it will take a long time for Froome to race again. The 34-year-old hit a wall on a downhill section of the 26.1km time trial course in Roanne.
Brailsford told the press: “He’s had a bad crash actually, it sounds like he was at the foot of the descent. It’s obviously very gusty today, and he took his hands off the bars to blow his nose and the wind's taken his front wheel and he’s hit a wall at 60kph or something like that.
"He’s got a bad fracture, he’s badly injured and it sounds like he has a fracture of the femur, to be confirmed, he’s not in hospital yet. He’s just going to get airlifted shortly to hospital, Saint-Etienne, maybe Lyon.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"So obviously we’re trying to manage that at the minute and make sure he’s got the best care. In the meantime, obviously thinking about Michelle, his family and everybody else, make sure that we can give him the best possible care.
“I think in those types of situations what happens in the next hour and a half is crucial so we’ll be on that. In the meantime, we’ve got to keep on racing and I think that’s part of this sport.
"These things happen quickly and you've got to adjust quickly - it's difficult for the guys when something like that happens but you've got to repurpose very, very quickly in this game. It's part of the territory so that's what we'll do for the rest of the race and obviously tonight will sit and assess the situation and go from there.
“There's no doubt about it there'll be an emotional reaction [from the team] to it," Brailsford added.
"I think I’ve got some responsibility there to manage the reaction to the whole team. Looking forward I think it’s too early to assess, he’s not going to ride the Tour, I think that’s pretty clear.”
Froome's wife Michelle tweeted a message from his official account on Wednesday afternoon, saying that her husband had been taken to hospital.
Froome's absence from the Ineos squad will mean they will need to fully back defending champion Geraint Thomas to take a second consecutive title. Thomas is racing at the Tour de Suisse next week as final preparation for the Tour with Froome having opted for the Dauphiné.
It will be a big blow to Ineos and Froome after fairly fruitless season for Brit, who based his entire year around preparing for the Tour. Froome took the option to focus on the Giro d'Italia, which he won, ahead of the Tour last year and was clearly not at his best heading into the French race in July.
Before that, he had won the Tour and the Vuelta a España back to back in 2017 and held the titles of all three Grand Tours simultaneously.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Follow on Twitter: @richwindy
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
-
'I'd love to be an F1 driver': Get to know GB track sprinter Emma Finucane
World sprint champion tells Cycling Weekly about her earliest Olympics memories, drinking coffee in Jakarta, and her passion for F1
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I felt like I was the worst rider in the bunch' - Simon Carr dispels doubt with longest ever solo win at Tour of the Alps
Brit triumphs from lone 45km breakaway, after days of battling allergies
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It was time to change': No regrets for Rod Ellingworth after leaving Ineos Grenadiers
New Tour of Britain race director says he is still on good terms with Dave Brailsford after resigning from team last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘It doesn’t change anything’ - Tom Pidcock’s coach on Tadej Pogačar at Strade Bianche
Kurt Bogaerts says the pressure is off for Pidcock as he looks to defend the title he emphatically won last year
By Tom Thewlis Published