Chris Froome’s comeback from his 2019 season-ending crash seven months ago has reportedly hit a setback as he has been unable to train with his team.
The four-time Tour de France champion is said to have left a recent Team Ineos training camp in Spain after two days when complications arose with his condition.
According to reports published in the European media, his
team is now fearful he is not close to being ready to race.
The team has made no official comment following reports in a number of Italian media outlets.
However, in those reports one of the team’s directeurs is quoted expressing concern about the progress of Froome’s recovery.
Articles about Froome’s training camp early departure,
reportedly after just two days, appeared on Bicisport and SpazioCiclismo.
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Team Ineos director Dario David Cioni is quoted as
saying: “After two days of training in Spain Froome, who aspires to the fifth yellow
jersey, returned home. He’s not well and who knows if he will recover.”
While the team has yet to make any comment on the
reports, it is not the first time questions have arisen about Froome’s
recovery.
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He said during the summer he hoped to be able to ride an end of season demonstration criterium. However, while he traveled to Japan in late October for Saitama Criterium he did not ride the event.
He explained at the time while he could start the TTT in
Japan riding the road race – though only a short 59km demonstration criterium –
was not possible given his condition.
“My recovery’s gone extremely well but I’m not quite at
the point where I can be in a racing peloton and accelerating out of corners,”
he explained at that time.
Froome crashed during a recon of stage 4 TT at Critérium
du Dauphiné back in June.
He crashed hard as he neared the end of his recon ride in
Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes; a gust of wind catching his front wheel and send him into
a wall at high speed.
And having been treated and examined by local medics a
right femur fracture was diagnosed. He also suffered a broken elbow and broken
ribs.
In September he was back in surgery when he sliced
tendons in his hand while using a kitchen knife at home.
In November he went under the knife again; this time to
have pins and screw removed from his elbow.
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