Chris Froome facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris Froome
OBE

Froome in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Christopher Clive Froome
Nickname	Froomey Froomedog
Born	(1985-05-20) 20 May 1985 (age 40) Nairobi, Kenya
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb; 10 st 10 lb)
Team information
Current team	Israel–Premier Tech
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climbing specialist Time trialist
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France General classification (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) Mountains classification (2015) 7 individual stages (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016) Giro d'Italia General classification (2018) Mountains classification (2018) 2 individual stages (2018) Vuelta a España General classification (2011, 2017) Points classification (2017) Combination classification (2011, 2017) 5 individual stages (2011, 2016, 2017) 1 TTT stage (2016) Stage races Critérium du Dauphiné (2013, 2015, 2016) Tour de Romandie (2013, 2014) Critérium International (2013) Tour of Oman (2013, 2014) Vuelta a Andalucía (2015) Other Vélo d'Or (2013, 2015, 2017)

Christopher Clive Froome (born 20 May 1985) is a British professional road racing cyclist. He is famous for winning seven Grand Tours. These include four Tour de France titles (in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017). He also won the Giro d'Italia once (2018) and the Vuelta a España twice (2011 and 2017).

Froome has also won many other stage races. He received the Vélo d'Or award three times. He earned two Olympic bronze medals in road time trials. These were in 2012 and 2016. He also won a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships.

Froome was born in Kenya to British parents. He grew up there and in South Africa. Since 2011, he has lived in Monaco. He became a professional cyclist at age 22. In 2010, he joined Team Sky. He quickly became one of their top riders. His big breakthrough came in the 2011 Vuelta a España. He finished second overall, but was later named the winner. This made him the first British cyclist to win a Grand Tour.

At the 2012 Tour de France, Froome helped his teammate Bradley Wiggins. He won stage seven and finished second overall. His first major multi-stage race win was the 2013 Tour of Oman in 2013. He then won the Critérium International, Tour de Romandie, Critérium du Dauphiné, and the Tour de France.

He won his second Tour de France in 2015. In 2016, he won his third Tour de France. This made him the first rider since 1995 to win two Tours in a row. He won his fourth Tour de France in 2017. After that, he won the 2017 Vuelta a España and the 2018 Giro d'Italia. This made him the first cyclist since 1983 to hold all three Grand Tour winners' jerseys at the same time.

In 2019, a serious training crash stopped Froome's career for a while. He broke many bones, including his pelvis and leg. He recovered after surgery and returned to racing in 2020. However, he found it hard to get back to his top form. He left Ineos Grenadiers and joined Israel Start-Up Nation in 2021. His best Grand Tour result after the crash was finishing third on the Alpe d'Huez stage of the 2022 Tour de France. He had to leave that race due to illness.

Even with these challenges, Froome was still one of the most successful Grand Tour riders in 2022.

Early Life and First Races

Chris Froome was born on May 20, 1985, in Nairobi, Kenya. He was the youngest of three boys. His parents were British. His mother's parents moved from England to Kenya to run a farm. Growing up, his family kept British traditions. This made him want to race for Great Britain. In Kenya, he used to sell avocados and old bike parts.

When Chris was 13, his mother took him to his first bike race. It was a charity race, and he won it. There, he met David Kinjah, a professional cyclist. David became Chris's mentor and training partner. Chris's mother was sometimes worried about his cycling. She would try to get him to come home from his long rides.

At 14, Chris moved to South Africa for school. He went to St. Andrew's School and St John's College. He was the cycling captain at his school. He also studied economics for two years at the University of Johannesburg. In South Africa, he started road cycling. Once, his home club gave him a second-hand yellow jersey. He didn't know about the Tour de France then, so he didn't realize how special it was.

Chris started road racing in South Africa. He was good at climbing hills. He raced for Kenya at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He finished 17th in the time trial and 25th in the road race. His performance caught the eye of Dave Brailsford, who later led Team Sky. Brailsford thought Chris had great potential.

Chris raced for Kenya at the 2006 Road World Championships in Austria. He finished 36th in the under-23 time trial.

Becoming a Professional Cyclist

Early Years (2007–2010)

Froome at the 2007 Tour of Britain, during his first season as a professional

Chris Froome became a professional cyclist in 2007, at age 22. He left university to join the South African team, Konica Minolta. He also raced for the Union Cycliste Internationale's World Cycling Centre team. In May, he won a stage at the Giro delle Regioni. He also won stage six of the Tour of Japan. In June, he won a silver medal in the time trial at the "B" world championships.

In July, he won a bronze medal in the road race at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algeria. His racing in 2007 got the attention of British Cycling coach, Rod Ellingworth. Chris told him he felt British and had a British passport. They talked about him racing for Great Britain.

Froome on the 2008 Tour de France's final Champs-Élysées stage in Paris, riding in his first season for Barloworld

In 2008, Froome joined the team Barloworld. He finished second overall in the Giro del Capo in South Africa. In May 2008, he switched from a Kenyan to a British racing license. This allowed him to try for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He made his first Grand Tour appearance at the 2008 Tour de France. He was the first participant born in Kenya. He finished 84th overall.

In March 2009, Froome won stage two of the Giro del Capo. He also raced in the 2009 Giro d'Italia, finishing 36th. In September 2009, he announced he would join the British team, Team Sky, for the 2010 season. In 2010, he finished second at the British national time trial championships. He also came fifth in the time trial at the 2010 Commonwealth Games for England.

Breakthrough and First Grand Tour Win (2011)

Froome and Juan José Cobo, on stage 19 of the 2011 Vuelta a España. Cobo was subsequently disqualified for doping, and Froome declared the winner.

Froome joined the 2011 Vuelta a España at the last minute. He was there to help his teammate Bradley Wiggins. In stage ten, Chris surprised everyone by finishing second in the time-trial. He took an unexpected lead in the race. He later helped Wiggins, but still stayed in second place overall.

On stage seventeen, Froome attacked and won the stage. He cut the lead of the overall leader, Juan José Cobo, to just thirteen seconds. Chris finished second overall in the Vuelta. However, on 17 July 2019, Chris Froome was officially declared the winner of the race. This happened after Cobo was disqualified. This win made Froome the first British rider to win a Grand Tour.

After his strong performance, Team Sky offered him a new contract. It was also found that Chris had a parasitic disease called schistosomiasis. He likely got it in Kenya in 2010. Treating this illness helped explain his sudden improvement in racing.

Supporting Wiggins and Olympic Medal (2012)

Froome riding in support of Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France, where he finished second to Wiggins in the general classification

Chris Froome's 2012 season started with illness. He had a chest infection. He also found that the parasites were still in his system. He returned to racing in May. He helped Wiggins win the Tour de Romandie.

Froome was chosen for the Sky team for the 2012 Tour de France. On stage seven, he won the stage. He also took the lead in the mountains classification. He finished second to Wiggins in a time trial. This moved him up to third overall. On stage eleven, he attacked but was told to wait for Wiggins. He finished third on the stage. Chris was praised for being a great helper, or "super-domestique." He finished second overall in the Tour, behind Wiggins. They were the first two British riders to be on the Tour de France podium.

Froome during the time trial at the 2012 Olympics, finishing the race with the bronze medal

Froome also raced in the 2012 Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the time trial. His teammate Wiggins won gold. Chris then led Team Sky at the 2012 Vuelta a España. He finished fourth overall in that race.

First Tour de France Victory (2013)

Chris Froome started his 2013 season by winning the Tour of Oman. This was his first stage race win. He also won the points classification. Next, he raced in the Tirreno–Adriatico and won a stage. He finished second overall.

He then won the Critérium International. In late April, Froome won the prologue of the Tour de Romandie. He kept the leader's jersey for the whole race and won it. This was his third race win of the season.

Froome in the leader's jersey on stage five's individual time trial at the 2013 Tour de Romandie

His final warm-up race before the Tour de France was the Critérium du Dauphiné. He won stage five and took the race lead. He secured the overall victory. This was his fourth major stage race win out of five entered that season.

Froome's Tour de France started with a crash, but he was okay. He won stage eight, the first mountain stage. This gave him the overall lead in the Tour. He also led the mountains classification. He finished second in the individual time trial on stage twelve.

Froome beat Nairo Quintana to win stage 15 of the 2013 Tour de France.

Froome won stage fifteen, which ended on Mont Ventoux. He attacked and rode alone to the finish. This gave him a big lead over his rivals. He also won the stage seventeen time trial. Chris defended his lead in the Alpine stages.

Chris Froome won the general classification on 21 July. He was 4 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of second-placed Nairo Quintana. He also finished second in the mountains classification. In October, he won the Vélo d'Or award for the best rider of the year.

Defending Champion (2014)

Froome wearing the leader's jersey on stage six of the 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné

In 2014, Froome started his season by winning the Tour of Oman again. His next race was the Tour de Romandie. He won it for the second year in a row. He also won the final time trial stage. To celebrate the Tour de France moving from Britain to France, Froome rode his bike through the Channel Tunnel. He was the first solo rider to do this.

Froome crashed out of the Tour de France on stage five. He fell three times in two days. This ended his chance to defend his title. He then raced in the Vuelta a España. He finished second overall. He also won the overall combativity award for being the most aggressive rider.

Second Tour de France Victory (2015)

Froome started his 2015 season at the Ruta del Sol in Spain. He was racing against Alberto Contador. Froome won the fourth stage with a strong solo attack. This allowed him to take the overall race lead by two seconds. He won his first stage race since May 2014. This was his third year in a row winning his first race of the season.

He then raced in the Tour de Romandie. He finished third overall. In June, he prepared for the Tour de France by racing in the Critérium du Dauphiné. He won stage seven and the overall classification.

Froome wearing the yellow jersey during stage thirteen of the 2015 Tour de France

Froome was a favorite for the Tour de France. He took the race lead on stage three. On stage ten, the first mountain stage, he won. He put a lot of time into his rivals. Froome kept his lead during the final week's mountain stages. He won the race overall. He also won the mountains classification.

In August, Froome raced in the Vuelta a España. He crashed on stage eleven and broke his foot. He had to leave the race. In 2016, he was given an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for his services to cycling.

Third Tour de France Victory (2016)

Before the 2016 season, Froome said he would try to win the Tour de France. He also aimed for medals at the Olympics. He started his season early at the 2016 Herald Sun Tour in Australia. He won the last stage with a solo attack. This secured his first victory of 2016. He also won the King of the Mountains award.

He then raced in the Volta a Catalunya, finishing eighth. He also competed in the Tour de Romandie, winning stage four. In June, he won the Critérium du Dauphiné. This was his third win at this race in four years.

Froome on stage 18 of the 2016 Tour de France

On Stage 8 of the 2016 Tour de France, Froome attacked on a downhill section. He won the stage and took the Yellow Jersey. On Stage 12, on Mont Ventoux, Froome crashed with other riders and a motorbike. He had to run for a bit before getting a new bike. He was given the same time as the other riders and kept the yellow jersey. He won stage 18, a time trial. Chris Froome won his third Tour de France on 24 July 2016. He became Britain's first three-time winner of the race.

After the Tour, he won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. This was in the Men's Time Trial event. He also raced in the 2016 Vuelta a España. He won stage 11 and stage 19, a time trial. He finished second overall in the Vuelta.

Completing the Tour-Vuelta Double (2017)

Froome at the 2017 Tour de France

Chris Froome won his fourth Tour de France title on 23 July 2017. He beat Rigoberto Urán by 54 seconds. He didn't win any stages that year. But his strong time trial skills helped him win the overall race.

Froome on the podium in Madrid after winning the 2017 Vuelta a España

On 19 August, Froome started the Vuelta a España. He wanted to win it after finishing second three times. On stage 3, he took the red jersey, which is for the overall leader. He won stage 9 and stage 16, a time trial. He also won the points classification. He finished third on the Alto de l'Angliru climb. This helped him secure the red jersey and the combination classification.

With this victory, Froome became the first British rider to win the Vuelta. He was also the third man to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year. He then raced at the 2017 UCI Road World Championships. He won two bronze medals there. One was in the team time trial and the other in the individual time trial. In October 2017, he won his third Vélo d'Or award.

Winning the Giro (2018)

On 29 November 2017, Froome announced he would race the 2018 Giro d'Italia. He wanted to try and win both the Giro and the Tour in the same year. If he won, he would be one of only seven riders to win all three Grand Tours. He would also be the third rider to hold all three Grand Tour titles at the same time.

Froome started his season at the Vuelta a Andalucía. He crashed during a practice ride for the Giro's opening time trial. He finished 21st in the time trial. By the end of stage 9, he was 11th overall.

Froome (right) on the Colle delle Finestre on Stage 19 of the 2018 Giro d'Italia shortly before his decisive solo attack.

Froome's form improved on Monte Zoncolan. He won the stage and gained time on his rivals. On stage 19, the 'queen stage', Froome launched a solo attack with 80 km left. He gained a lot of time and took the overall race lead. This attack was compared to famous historical performances by other cyclists.

Froome held onto the lead and won the 2018 Giro d'Italia. He became the first British rider to win the Giro. He was also the first rider since 1983 to hold all three Grand Tour titles at once. He then raced in the 2018 Tour de France. He crashed twice but focused on helping his teammate Geraint Thomas. Froome finished third overall behind Thomas. He skipped the 2018 Vuelta a España to rest.

Crash and Recovery (2019)

In 2019, Froome decided to focus on winning his fifth Tour de France. He started his season at Tour Colombia. He also raced in the Volta a Catalunya and Tour of the Alps.

On 12 June 2019, Froome had a very serious crash. This happened while he was training for the Critérium du Dauphiné. He crashed into a wall at high speed. He broke his right leg, elbow, and ribs. This meant he could not race in the 2019 Tour de France. He later spoke about his recovery. By September 2019, he was back training on the road.

Back on the Road (2020)

In January 2020, Froome confirmed he was cleared for full training. His goal was to win his fifth Tour de France. His first race back was the UAE Tour in February. This was his first time in the peloton since his accident.

On 9 July 2020, it was announced that Froome would leave Team Ineos at the end of the year. He had been with the team since it started in 2010. Later that day, he signed a "long-term" contract with Israel Start-Up Nation. He did not race the Tour de France. Instead, he led his team at the Vuelta a España. This was his last race with Ineos.

New Team and Continued Recovery (2021–2024)

Froome trained in California to prepare for the 2021 season. He made his Israel Start-Up Nation debut at the UAE Tour. He was chosen for the Tour de France. His teammate Michael Woods was the team leader. Froome got injured on the first stage but kept going. He finished the race in 133rd place.

In 2022, Froome started his season at the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali. In May, he finished 11th at the Mercan'Tour Classic. This was his best result since his 2019 crash. On stage 12 of the Tour de France, he finished in the top three of a Tour de France stage. This was his first time since 2018. He had to leave the race before stage 18 due to COVID-19. He then raced in the Vuelta a España, which he found tough.

In 2023, Froome raced in Australia. He also led his team at the Tour du Rwanda. He was not chosen for the 2023 Tour de France. In 2024, he raced in the Tour du Rwanda and Tirreno–Adriatico. He crashed in Tirreno–Adriatico and broke his wrist. After recovering, he returned to racing as a helper for his team.

Personal Life

Chris Froome met Michelle Cound in 2009. She is from South Africa. They moved to Monaco in 2011. They got engaged in March 2013 and married in November 2014. Their first child, a son, was born in December 2015. Chris dedicated his 2013 Tour de France win to his mother. She passed away from cancer in 2008. His second child, a daughter, was born in August 2018.

Froome was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016. This was for his achievements in cycling.

How His Body Works

After winning his first Tour de France in 2013, some people wondered about Chris Froome's performance. They were curious because he became a Grand Tour winner so quickly. To answer these questions, Froome agreed to have independent tests.

These tests happened on 17 August 2015, in London. They measured how much power he could produce. They also measured his maximum oxygen use (VO2 max). His peak power was 525 watts. His maximum oxygen uptake was 84.6 ml/kg/min. At the time, he weighed about 69.9 kg. He also shared results from a test in 2007. That test showed his peak power was 540 watts and VO2 max was 80.2 ml/kg/min. At that time, he weighed 75.6 kg.

Career Highlights

Major Results

Grand Tour Results

Grand Tour general classification results timeline
Grand Tour	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Giro d'Italia	—	36	DSQ	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de France	83	—	—	—	2	1	DNF	1	1	1	3	—	—	133	DNF	—	—
/ Vuelta a España	—	—	—	1	4	—	2	DNF	2	1	—	—	98	—	114	—	—

Major Stage Race Results

Major stage race general classification results timeline
Race	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Paris–Nice	Has not contested during his career
Tirreno–Adriatico	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	34	—	91	—	—	—	DNF
Volta a Catalunya	—	—	71	61	—	—	6	71	8	30	—	94	NH	81	—	—	—
Tour of the Basque Country	Has not contested during his career
Tour de Romandie	—	—	DNF	15	123	1	1	3	38	18	—	—	NH	96	65	97	—
Critérium du Dauphiné	—	—	—	—	4	1	12	1	1	4	—	DNF	71	47	DNF	—	92
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	47	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	NH	—	—	—	—

Classics Results

Major Championships Results

Event		2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Olympic Games	Time trial	—	Not held			3	Not held			3	Not held				—	NH
	Road race	—				109				12					—
World Championships	Time trial	—	17	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—
	Road race	DNF	DNF	—	DNF	DNF	DNF	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
National Championships	Time trial	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	NH	—	—
	Road race	—	4	11	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		—	—

Awards

• Vélo d'Or: 2013, 2015, 2017
• Velo Magazine International Cyclist of the Year: 2013
• International Flandrien of the Year: 2013, 2017
• Sports Journalists' Association Sportsman of the Year: 2017
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire: 2016

See also

In Spanish: Chris Froome para niños

• List of British cyclists
• List of British cyclists who have led the Tour de France general classification
• List of Grand Tour general classification winners
• List of Grand Tour mountains classification winners
• List of Olympic medalists in cycling (men)
• List of Tour de France general classification winners
• List of Tour de France secondary classification winners
• Vuelta a España records and statistics
• Yellow jersey statistics