British cycling great Chris Froome is determined to bid for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France crown next year after the horrific injuries he suffered in a crash ruled him out of this year's edition.
The 34-year-old Kenya-born rider -- whose Ineos team-mate Egon Bernal won the world's greatest cycling race last month -- says he is ahead of schedule in recovering from the accident in France on June 12 in which he broke his neck, femur, elbow, hip and ribs.
Froome, who is undergoing three to four hours of physio and two hours of exercises a day, told Team Ineos in his first interview since the accident -- which occurred when he took one hand off the handlebars to blow his nose -- strange as it sounded his injuries could have been far worse.
"It's safe to say I'm ahead of all the predictions made initially of how long it would take," he said.
"The news from the surgeon when he said I could make a full recovery and there's nothing stopping me -- that's all I wanted to hear at that point.
"From then, everything was so positive. I was incredibly lucky not to be more seriously injured."
"They very quickly put that out of my mind. They made it very clear that I wasn't moving anywhere and I should lie still and that I wouldn't be carrying on the rest of the race (Criterium du Dauphine a key prep race for the Tour)."
- 'Really heartwarming' -
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