No retirement after all? Chris Froome back in training for first time since life-threatening crash and Israel - Premier Tech exit

Chris Froome has stunned fans with a major update in his long road back from the brutal crash that left his career hanging by a thread earlier this year — posting pictures on social media of himself riding outdoors again for the first time since August.

The 40-year-old, who has been recovering near Cote d'Azur, shared images of a gentle spin with a message full of relief and perspective:

“It’s been a tough road back after my latest crash but it feels so good to finally be out here spinning the legs and on the road again. Every setback teaches you something… this one reminded me to slow down, heal & enjoy the simple things in life."

It’s a quietly powerful update from a rider whose future looked all but sealed just a few weeks ago.

Froome’s August accident — a high-speed crash during a training ride near Saint-Raphael — resulted in devastating injuries: five broken ribs, a fractured lumbar vertebra, a collapsed lung and damage to the pericardium, the protective membrane around the heart. He was airlifted to Toulon hospital, spent days under close monitoring, and required emergency surgery.

Doctors described the incident as “potentially fatal.”

At the time, his then-team, Israel - Premier Tech, warned recovery would be slow and uncertain. The crash came at the end of a long, difficult spell with the squad — one marked by illness, reduced racing and no meaningful results since 2022.

By mid-November, the team confirmed he would not be retained for 2026. Froome was officially left without a contract, prompting widespread expectation that the four-time Tour de France winner might quietly step away from the sport. Instead, he has taken the opposite step.

Froome’s images show him pedalling carefully, still clearly in rehabilitation mode, yet undeniably back on the bike — a milestone that once looked improbable. At 40, returning to professional racing from this degree of trauma would be an extraordinary feat, even for someone who rebuilt himself once already after the catastrophic 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné crash.

But Wednesday’s update shifts the tone from resignation to possibility. Not confirmation, not comeback hype — just possibility.

Crucially, he offered no indication of chasing a contract or setting competitive goals. Instead, the caption struck a reflective, almost philosophical note: healing, slowing down, appreciating simple moments. For a rider who has spent two decades living by numbers, wattage and margins, that is a telling shift.

That remains the unanswered question. Without a team, without recent results and with severe injuries only months old, the path back to the peloton is steep. But the very fact Froome is back on the road — after a crash described by surgeons as life-threatening — speaks to the relentlessness that defined his peak years.

Whether this marks the first page of a late-career twist or simply a symbolic ride to mark personal progress, one thing is clear: Chris Froome is not done turning pedals.

If he chooses to chase one last race number, today is the first time since August that such an idea feels plausible.