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Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has been airlifted to hospital in France after a 'serious' crash while training, which has resulted in a collapsed lung, a break in his back and five broken ribs.
Froome, 40, was flown to hospital in Toulon and will have surgery today with his cycling career on the line.
A statement from Froome's team today read: 'Chris was airlifted to hospital in Toulon yesterday afternoon following a serious training crash (no other vehicles or cyclists were involved).
'Fortunately, his condition is stable and he did not sustain any head injuries. However, scans have confirmed a pneumothorax, five broken ribs and a lumbar vertebrae fracture, for which he will undergo surgery this afternoon.'
The Monagasque resident was riding near Saint-Raphael, in the south of France, when he fell, according to a report by French outlet L'Equipe. Froome was conscious and communicating with people around him while being airlifted. He is not thought to of hit his head in the accident.
Froome is now expected to miss the remainder of the Cycling season.
Chris Froome, 40, was unconscious as he was flown to hospital and will have surgery today
The Briton's contract at the Israel-PremierTech team runs out at the end of the year, and the crash has now cast his 18-year professional riding career into doubt.
Earlier this month, he was asked by bici.PRO what the future holds in terms of his career. His response was coy.
'My contract is expiring and I don't know if I'll continue or not,' Froome told the website.
He then revealed that he has plans to grow the sport of cycling in Africa, his home continent, having been born in Kenya in 1985.
'What's certain is that when I stop, as I've been saying for some time, I want to open a cycling school in Africa,' he continued. 'I want to give lots of young people the opportunity to ride and pursue a career.
'I think it's a growing continent, especially in that part of Africa. I'm thinking of the Ethiopian and Kenyan marathon and middle-distance runners. I think there are talents like that who are also suited to cycling, they just haven't had the opportunity to race before.
'I won't be racing in the World Championships in Rwanda, and it's clear that I would have liked to be there, but it's not a big problem because it doesn't change my plans. My real goal is to develop a great project that I'm sure will bring interesting new riders.'
