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Chris Froome abandons Vuelta as scans confirm ankle fracture

Team Sky rider pulls out of Spanish Grand Tour after Stage 11 crash

Team Sky’s Chris Froome has pullled out of the Vuelta after scans confirmed he broke a bone in his ankle in a crash early on during yesterday’s Stage 11.

In a message posted to Twitter late yesterday evening, the Tour de France champion had said: “Knocked sideways into a barrier & stone wall today.

“Further scans in the morning but start unlikely as I can’t walk without crutches.”

This morning, the Tour de France champion confirmed he is out of the race, tweeting: "Scans this morning confirm fractured navicular. End of the Vuelta for me

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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26 comments

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Quince | 9 years ago
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Sky was attempting not to win the TdF as well. They were trying to not even get a rider in the Top 10. They just ballsed up big time.

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Kadinkski | 9 years ago
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Why would their plan be for Froome to not finish? I don't get what Sky get out of that.

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ianrobo replied to Kadinkski | 9 years ago
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Kadinkski wrote:

Why would their plan be for Froome to not finish? I don't get what Sky get out of that.

he is suggesting that no one believes you can win back to back GT's clean so by putting Froome in and say finishing a credible 10th or not finishing due to no energy it proves he is clean.

The problem with that theory is that was it not Pantani the last to do it and he was not clean. So in all the years since we have had so many dopers and even they could not do it so does it get proved anyway.

And only Contador two in one season with a rest for the TDF when he was likely not to have been clean.

If anyone wins back to back GT's or even two in one season now, do we really think it is possible (given the speed and ferocity of the peloton now - hence all the crashes) to do that clean or dirty ?

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Stumps | 9 years ago
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fukawitribe - mate dont rise to his opinions he's just trying his best to be a troll.

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fukawitribe replied to Stumps | 9 years ago
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stumps wrote:

fukawitribe - mate dont rise to his opinions he's just trying his best to be a troll.

I know, you're absolutely right, couldn't stop myself... dumb, dumb, dumb.

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daddyELVIS | 9 years ago
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Plan complete! Maybe not how they wanted it, but job done!

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Leviathan replied to daddyELVIS | 9 years ago
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daddyELVIS wrote:

Plan complete! Maybe not how they wanted it, but job done!

What an unutterable ****

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daddyELVIS replied to Leviathan | 9 years ago
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bikeboy76 wrote:
daddyELVIS wrote:

Plan complete! Maybe not how they wanted it, but job done!

What an unutterable ****

So you think Sky put Froome in Vuelta to win it? Froome might believe his own hype but the Sky management knew he couldn't win it. He was there for one reason, and he achieved it (just not in the fashion they were expecting).

I questioned Sky's decision to send Froome a few weeks ago, on this very website, and said it could end in disaster for him. I said it wasn't worth it - but Sky had their reasons!

I was shot down at the time. Now, who was right?

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fukawitribe replied to daddyELVIS | 9 years ago
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daddyELVIS wrote:
bikeboy76 wrote:
daddyELVIS wrote:

Plan complete! Maybe not how they wanted it, but job done!

What an unutterable ****

So you think Sky put Froome in Vuelta to win it? Froome might believe his own hype but the Sky management knew he couldn't win it. He was there for one reason, and he achieved it (just not in the fashion they were expecting).

I questioned Sky's decision to send Froome a few weeks ago, on this very website, and said it could end in disaster for him. I said it wasn't worth it - but Sky had their reasons!

I was shot down at the time. Now, who was right?

The people who thought the race was important enough, and the chance of victory high enough, and the media exposure good enough to warrant going.

Your 'Sky had their reasons' ? You said "Sky looking to rub salt in the wounds of the other teams" and "suggesting that Sky arrogance may be getting the better of them" at the time - and now their plan all along was for Froome to not finish ? Bullshit. Next time you have some wacky theory, at least have the balls to stand by it.

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daddyELVIS replied to fukawitribe | 9 years ago
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fukawitribe wrote:
daddyELVIS wrote:
bikeboy76 wrote:
daddyELVIS wrote:

Plan complete! Maybe not how they wanted it, but job done!

What an unutterable ****

So you think Sky put Froome in Vuelta to win it? Froome might believe his own hype but the Sky management knew he couldn't win it. He was there for one reason, and he achieved it (just not in the fashion they were expecting).

I questioned Sky's decision to send Froome a few weeks ago, on this very website, and said it could end in disaster for him. I said it wasn't worth it - but Sky had their reasons!

I was shot down at the time. Now, who was right?

The people who thought the race was important enough, and the chance of victory high enough, and the media exposure good enough to warrant going.

Your 'Sky had their reasons' ? You said "Sky looking to rub salt in the wounds of the other teams" and "suggesting that Sky arrogance may be getting the better of them" at the time - and now their plan all along was for Froome to not finish ? Bullshit. Next time you have some wacky theory, at least have the balls to stand by it.

That was when it was first announced Froome would ride the Vuelta - the main thing I said there was warning about the huge risk (i.e. Froome getting injured in a pointless exercise).

Then, when the full Sky team was revealed, the plan became apparent, and I said exactly:

"Blimey - is G going for burn-out?! I can't believe Sky will do much in this race other than 'prove' they are human!"

Now, how do you like them apples?!

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dafyddp | 9 years ago
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I noticed that old shit-stirrer, Tinkov apologised to Froome this morning after tweeting he should have been 'ashamed' of his performance yesterday...

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ianrobo | 9 years ago
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I think his anger at the motor camera was about himself more than the guy on the bike

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fukawitribe replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
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ianrobo wrote:

I think his anger at the motor camera was about himself more than the guy on the bike

Oooo for a number of reasons i'd wager a large part of it was actually about the bike myself..

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ct | 9 years ago
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I mean, I don't even take the bikes off the roof...just drive around to cycley areas throwing thumbs up at 'cyclists' who are actually cycling

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johndonnelly replied to ct | 9 years ago
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ct wrote:

I mean, I don't even take the bikes off the roof...just drive around to cycley areas throwing thumbs up at 'cyclists' who are actually cycling

It is the most reliable way to get a Strava KOM these days.

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ianrobo | 9 years ago
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and half the time the pain is not even due to an injury. Whether it is Froome yesterday, Contador with the broken leg, or plain old road rash the cyclist mentality is usually dont give in unless you are about to die.

That can cause it's own problems but the recent GT's have seen more pull outs that before, so maybe riders and especially teams are now being more sensible.

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vonhelmet | 9 years ago
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I'm sure there must be something innate in cyclists that makes them continue against ludicrous odds, up to and including broken bones. Maybe it's because we cyclists are used to finding ourselves in a state of exhaustion 10, 25, 50 miles from home in the middle of nowhere, with a puncture to fix, clouds gathering overhead, and knowing we have to just get back on the bike and make our way home before nightfall. You got yourself all the way out there, you're the only one that can get you back.

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step-hent replied to vonhelmet | 9 years ago
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There's definitely something in cycling culture which teaches riders not to give up and always to try and make the end of a stage. But there's also the fact that it's a low/no impact activity and you don't have to bear your weight on your limbs most of the time - it would be a lot more difficult to continue in a marathon, for example, because of the impact on the ankle.

That doesn't take away from the fact that these guys endure serious pain in order to carry on, just for the sake of professional pride in most cases. Tough guys, without a doubt.

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earth replied to vonhelmet | 9 years ago
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vonhelmet wrote:

I'm sure there must be something innate in cyclists that makes them continue against ludicrous odds, up to and including broken bones. Maybe it's because we cyclists are used to finding ourselves in a state of exhaustion 10, 25, 50 miles from home in the middle of nowhere, with a puncture to fix, clouds gathering overhead, and knowing we have to just get back on the bike and make our way home before nightfall. You got yourself all the way out there, you're the only one that can get you back.

Road cyclist tend to but others seem to drive about with bikes on the roof of their cars and drive home after.

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PaulBox | 9 years ago
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Has withdrawn this morning, shame.

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Yorkshie Whippet | 9 years ago
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He rode all that way and up them hills on a broken ankle!

Respect.

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DaveE128 replied to Yorkshie Whippet | 9 years ago
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Yorkshie Whippet wrote:

He rode all that way and up them hills on a broken ankle!

Respect.

And only 8 mins or so slower than the fastest. And then answers press questions at the end when he can't even walk. Big respect.

Wonder who it was that knocked him sideways? Hope it's not yet another moto incident - saw he was very upset with a moto he passed later in the stage  7

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earth replied to DaveE128 | 9 years ago
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DaveE128 wrote:
Yorkshie Whippet wrote:

He rode all that way and up them hills on a broken ankle!

Respect.

And only 8 mins or so slower than the fastest. And then answers press questions at the end when he can't even walk. Big respect.

Wonder who it was that knocked him sideways? Hope it's not yet another moto incident - saw he was very upset with a moto he passed later in the stage  7

Is there a plan here to hospitalise all the possible winners except one?

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ianrobo replied to earth | 9 years ago
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according to Froome he was knocked but no mention of a rider or a motorbike, just a plain accident.

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Stumps replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
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ianrobo wrote:

according to Froome he was knocked but no mention of a rider or a motorbike, just a plain accident.

Very true but i think he's to much of a gent to start throwing accusations about other riders.

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Leviathan replied to Stumps | 9 years ago
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stumps wrote:
ianrobo wrote:

according to Froome he was knocked but no mention of a rider or a motorbike, just a plain accident.

Very true but i think he's to much of a gent to start throwing accusations about other riders.

Or bottles.

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