On this day in 2019: Chris Froome out of Tour de France after high-speed crash

Froome was airlifted to St Etienne University Hospital after fracturing his right femur, elbow and multiple ribs.

Chris Froome is a four-time winner of the Tour de France (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Archive)

Chris Froome sustained multiple fractures in a high-speed crash that ruled him out of the Tour de France, on this day in 2019.

Froome, 34 at the time, was airlifted to St Etienne University Hospital after fracturing his right femur, elbow and multiple ribs when hitting a wall at over 33mph during a training ride, while preparing for stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine.

The four-time Tour de France winner was eighth overall in the Criterium after three stages of the eight-day race, while his bid for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France the following month was ended.

Froome claimed victory at the 2016 Tour de France (John Walton/PA) (PA Archive)

Former Team Ineos boss David Brailsford said that the accident occurred when Froome took a hand off his handlebars to blow his nose during a practice ride on the Criterium’s 26.1km time-trial course in Roanne.

Froome announced on social media that he had returned to training in September 2019 and it was announced the following July that he would leave Team Ineos at the end of the season.

Ineos decided not to renew Froome’s contract and he joined Israel Start-Up Nation as their team leader in time for the start of the new season.

Froome competed at the 2021 Tour de France – but not as team leader – and, after being involved in another major crash on the opening stage, he finished the race in 133rd place.

He withdrew from the on-going Criterium du Dauphine this week after complaining of “feeling unwell” having finished stage six way down the rankings.

Froome is Britain’s most successful road cyclist after winning the Tour de France in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.