Chris Froome, Britain's four-time Tour de France champion, has confirmed his retirement from professional cycling at age 41. The announcement came on Friday in Barcelona at the start of this year's Tour, ending what has been described as the longest retirement saga in cycling.
"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 said when asked about his decision.
Froome's career achievements extended beyond his four Tour victories. He won the 2018 Giro d'Italia and claimed the Vuelta a España titles in 2011 and 2017. For a period in 2018, he held all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously, a rare accomplishment in professional cycling.
The British rider's dominance came primarily during his 11 seasons with Team Sky, from 2010 to 2020, when he served as team leader and established himself as one of the era's most formidable stage racers. His climbing ability and time trial prowess made him particularly dangerous in multi-week races, where he built substantial advantages in the mountains.
However, Froome's final years were marked by decline and injury. His last Grand Tour appearance, the 2022 Vuelta a España, saw him finish 113th overall. In his final professional race at the Tour of Poland two weeks before his crash, he completed 68th overall. Last August, a training accident proved decisive when Froome crashed and was airlifted to hospital with five broken ribs, a spine fracture, a collapsed lung, and a pericardial rupture, a potentially life-threatening tear to the sac surrounding the heart.
The injuries capped a difficult period that began in 2019 when Froome crashed during a time-trial reconnaissance at the Criterium du Dauphiné and was hospitalised. This incident marked the beginning of the end for his and Team Sky's dominance, as younger riders like Tadej Pogacar emerged.
Despite the decline, Froome signed a lucrative contract with Israel-Premier Tech in 2021 but never recovered his winning form. His struggle continued as a team ambassador, with billionaire owner Sylvan Adams publicly questioning his value after Froome was excluded from the 2023 Tour team.
Froome's career was also marked by controversy. In 2018, he received an adverse analytical finding for salbutamol use but was ultimately exonerated after contesting the case with Team Sky's support. The incident fuelled scepticism, particularly in France.
Now remaining in Barcelona as a brand ambassador for Tour sponsors Skoda, Froome watched the 2026 race begin while acknowledging that younger riders like Pogacar now dominate the sport he once controlled.