41-year-old Chris Froome ends cycling career

British cycling legend Chris Froome, renowned for his four Tour de France victories, has announced the end of his professional career. The confirmation comes just before the start of this year's Tour de France, marking the conclusion of an era for one of the sport's most dominant figures.

Froome's storied career saw him win the Tour de France four times between 2013 and 2017, adding victories in the Vuelta a España twice and the Giro d'Italia once. He was a dominant force while riding for Team Sky, now known as Ineos Grenadiers.

His final years in the sport were significantly overshadowed by a serious crash during a training ride in 2022. The accident in the South of France resulted in a collapsed lung and five broken ribs, effectively curtailing his ability to compete at the highest level. Froome acknowledged that the crash was not the way he envisioned ending his career but admitted that even at the time, he knew it was likely the end.

After his contract with Ineos expired in 2020, Froome joined Israel-Premier Tech (now NSN Cycling Team) with the hope of regaining his top form and potentially winning a fifth Tour de France. However, he never came close to achieving that goal. His contract with the team was set to expire at the end of the 2025 season, with reports suggesting it was worth around $5 million annually. Froome's last appearance in the Tour de France was in 2022, and in the latter part of his career, he was often relegated to less prominent races.