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Chris Froome is expected to remain in intensive care for at least two more days after suffering multiple fractures in a crash which has ruled him out of the Tour de France.
The four-time Tour winner suffered a broken femur, a broken elbow and broken ribs during his reconnaissance ahead of stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old underwent an operation which lasted almost eight hours at a hospital in St Etienne, where he has been joined by his wife Michelle and Team Ineos doctor Richard Usher.
Team INEOS can confirm that Chris Froome will miss the Tour de France after sustaining multiple serious injuries during a recon of today's Criterium du Dauphine stage. — Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) June 12, 2019
Speaking to reporters ahead of Thursday's stage five of the Dauphine, Ineos team principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: "He had surgery to repair his femur, his hip, his elbow.
"He's got broken ribs, a little bit of internal damage as well, so he's staying in intensive care for the next couple of days and then we'll go from there.
"He's being very well looked after. Our doctor is with him now and Michelle is with him. We'll keep monitoring the situation as see how it develops."
Brailsford said Froome was being looked after in "exemplary fashion" but that it is too soon to put any sort of timetable on his rehabilitation programme.
"First things first," he said. "For now, let's just concentrate on today and getting him through today, and then tomorrow et cetera and see how this situation develops from there.
"The first thing in all these situations is to get that first stabilisation, that first phase of medical surgery done really and then go into the recovery process."
Such crap news!! It's always horrible hearing about any bad crash, but even worse when it's a good mate!! Heal up quick!! #he'llbeback https://t.co/E61vKv1cPp
— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) June 12, 2019
Brailsford revealed on Wednesday night that Froome's data showed he went from 54 kilometres per hour to a dead stop as he struck a wall on a descent. The accident happened when Froome wiped his nose and a gust of wind caught his front wheel.
"He came down a technical descent and on to a straighter piece of road with houses either side," Brailsford told BBC Sport's Bespoke Podcast.
"He signalled to (team-mate) Wout (Poels) that he was going to clear his nose, he took his hand off the bar to do that and a gust of wind took his front wheel, he lost control and went straight into the wall of a house.
Chris is in surgery at the moment to repair the multiple fractures, please keep him in your thoughts. I hope to be able to share a message from him tomorrow morning – MF — Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 12, 2019
"We have had a look at his data, he went from 54kmh to a dead stop."
Froome was riding the Dauphine during the final stages of his preparation for the Tour, where he was looking for a record-equalling fifth victory.
Froome was eighth in the overall classification after three stages of the eight-day race, just 24 seconds behind leader Dylan Teuns, with fellow Briton Adam Yates leading after the time trial stage.
Defending champion Geraint Thomas will now be Ineos' sole leader at the Tour, which begins in Brussels on July 6.
