Not retiring yet? Chris Froome shares hopeful update after violent crash: "Every setback teaches you something"

There was quite a scare in late August when it came out that Chris Froome was involved in a serious crash during a training ride. The veteran rider ended up in the hospital and a long recovery awaited him. After his team announced it would not renew his contract, it was likely he would retire from pro cycling. However, a new update now casts doubt on that.

The misery began for Froome on Wednesday, August 27, when the former Tour winner was hit during a training ride. "Chris was involved in a serious training accident that did not involve any other vehicles or cyclists," his entourage was quick to let him know at the time.

The consequences were severe. "Fortunately, his condition is stable and there are no serious head injuries. However, scans did reveal a pneumothorax, five broken ribs and a fracture to a lower back vertebra, for which he will undergo surgery this afternoon. After that surgery, we will come back with another update."

There was a first sigh of relief and a second followed after the surgery. "We can confirm that Chris has successfully undergone surgery on his injuries," a statement said that Friday morning. "The procedures went as planned and Chris is currently recovering in the hospital, with care from the medical team."

"He is in good spirits and he is grateful for the wonderful care he has received. Chris and his family would like to thank fans, friends, and the cycling community for their sympathy and kind messages during this time," his relatively well, although the details of the crash were severe.

Indeed, his wife Michelle said the native Kenyan tore his pericardium in that nasty fall, which can be life-threatening. "It's obviously much more serious than some broken bones. He's doing well now, but it will be a long recovery process. He won't ride a bike for a while. Chris is glad this is being shared so people know what's going on, she revealed.

Then there was Froome's expiring contract, where it remained to be seen whether it would be renewed. The Englishman has not been reaching his level for years, and when considering it, this nasty crash obviously did not help. Israel-Premier Tech, which will continue under the name NSN Cycling next year, announced that Froome's contract would not be renewed.

So his retirement seemed pretty obvious. The four-time Tour winner will already turn 41 in May, and those are ages at which very few riders are still active. Yet Froome does not seem to be thinking about quitting just yet. On his Instagram, he shared beautiful pictures of himself training.

"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," Froome said. "Every setback teaches you something… this one reminded me to slow down, heal & enjoy the simple things in life."