OFFICIAL: Chris Froome confirms retirement from professional cycling after months of uncertainty

Chris Froome has officially announced his retirement from professional cycling, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful Grand Tour careers in modern history. The four-time Tour de France winner confirmed the decision ahead of this year's Tour after spending several months without a team following the expiration of his contract with Israel - Premier Tech at the end of 2025. The 41-year-old had not raced since suffering serious injuries in a training crash in August 2025, which ultimately brought his career to the end.

Appearing as a Skoda brand ambassador before the Tour de France, Froome formally confirmed that his professional career is over. When asked whether he had retired, he responded simply: “Yes.”

Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his final season, Froome admitted his career did not end as he had hoped. “Unfortunately, there was that fall last summer. That wasn’t the way I wanted it to end. But even then, I knew it was over.”

Froome's contract with Israel-Premier Tech expired at the end of the 2025 season, but he delayed announcing his retirement while recovering from multiple surgeries following his training crash.

Last December, he had declined to discuss his future publicly. “I’m not really ready to talk about my plans just yet, but when I am, I’ll be sure to let everyone know,” he said.

Froome turned professional with Barloworld in 2008 before joining Team Sky in 2010, where he established himself as one of the dominant stage racers of his generation.

After initially racing under a Kenyan licence before switching to Great Britain, he first emerged as a Grand Tour contender by finishing second at the 2011 Vuelta a España, a result later upgraded to overall victory following Juan José Cobo's disqualification due to doping.

He finished runner-up at the 2012 Tour de France before claiming four overall victories in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Froome also completed the Grand Tour set by winning the 2017 Vuelta a España and the 2018 Giro d'Italia, cementing his place among the most accomplished riders in the history of the sport.