:Chris Froome

Froome was born on 20 May 1985 in Nairobi, Kenya,{{cite web

|url=https://www.teamsky.com/riders/chris-froome |title=Chris Froome

|work={{UCI team code|SKY|2017}} |publisher=BSkyB|access-date=4 June 2017

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730021720/https://www.teamsky.com/riders/chris-froome|archive-date=30 July 2017|url-status=dead

}} the youngest of three boys to mother Jane and English father Clive, a former field hockey player who represented England at under-19 level.{{cite news

|last=Chadband|first=Ian

|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/10144509/Tour-de-France-2013-the-incredible-rise-of-Chris-Froome-and-how-he-was-almost-killed-by-a-hippo.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/10144509/Tour-de-France-2013-the-incredible-rise-of-Chris-Froome-and-how-he-was-almost-killed-by-a-hippo.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live

|title=The incredible rise of Chris Froome – and how he was almost killed by a hippo

|work=The Daily Telegraph |date=27 June 2013 |access-date=28 June 2013}}{{cbignore}} His mother's parents had emigrated from Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England, to Kenya to run a crop farm.{{cite news

|title=Chris Froome at the top as the race hits high notes in cruel mountain stages |last=Gallagher|first=Brendan

|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9390834/Tour-de-France-2012-Chris-Froome-at-the-top-as-the-race-hits-high-notes-in-cruel-mountain-stages.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9390834/Tour-de-France-2012-Chris-Froome-at-the-top-as-the-race-hits-high-notes-in-cruel-mountain-stages.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live

|work=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 July 2012 |access-date=24 August 2012}}{{cbignore}}{{cite news

|last=Thomas|first=Steve

|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/11/news/underdog-no-more-chris-froome-hopes-for-a-bit-more-liberty-in-2012_198493

|title=Underdog no more, Chris Froome hopes for a bit more liberty in 2012

|work=VeloNews|date=23 November 2011|access-date=23 November 2011

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625161209/http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/11/news/underdog-no-more-chris-froome-hopes-for-a-bit-more-liberty-in-2012_198493|archive-date=25 June 2012|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Fotheringham|first=Alasdair |author-link=Alasdair Fotheringham

|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/tour-de-france-chris-froome-zooms-from-riding-with-lions-to-pride-of-pack-7939534.html

|title=Chris Froome zooms from riding with lions to pride of pack

|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=30 June 2013|date=13 July 2012

}} Whilst living abroad his parents maintained British customs with Sunday roast dinners and Beatles songs which contributed to his desire to represent Great Britain in cycling.{{Cite web

|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02sd15p

|title=BBC Radio 4 – Inheritance Tracks, Chris Froome

|date=5 July 2014

|publisher=BBC|access-date=23 November 2018}} In Kenya he would sell avocados and discarded bike parts.Bradford, D. (6 December 2018). The Mentor: David Kinjah. Cycling Weekly, pp. 8–10.

Froome's two older brothers, Jonathan and Jeremy, went to Rugby School in Warwickshire, England. When Froome was 13, his mother took him to his first organised bike race, a charity race that he won despite being knocked from his bike by his mother. There he met professional cyclist David Kinjah, who became Froome's mentor and training partner.{{cite news

|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/24951818

|title=Chris Froome: The making of a Tour de France champion

|last=Fordyce|first=Tom |author-link=Tom Fordyce

|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=6 June 2014

}}

{{cite news

|last=McCallum|first=Kevin

|title=Froome goes from St John's to Sky

|url=http://www.iol.co.za/sport/cycling/froome-goes-from-st-john-s-to-sky-1.1538918

|work=Independent Online|location=South Africa|access-date=1 July 2013|date=28 June 2013

}}

{{cite news

|last=Ingle|first=Sean |author-link=Sean Ingle

|title=Chris Froome confident he can pull off victory in the Tour de France

|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/jun/29/chris-froome-favourite-tour-de-france

|work=The Guardian|access-date=30 June 2013|date=29 June 2013

}} Initially Kinjah misjudged Froome's attitude, fearing he lacked the "work ethic to keep pace with more experienced riders of the group" His mother was upset with his cycling, often driving out ahead, attempting to drive him back home.

After finishing primary school at the Banda School in Nairobi,{{cite news

|last=Dickson|first=M. D.

|title=Weekly Circular |url=http://www.bandaschool.com/pdf/No.2-16th-September-2011.pdf

|publisher=The Banda School|access-date=22 July 2013|page=1|date=16 September 2011|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104204525/http://www.bandaschool.com/pdf/No.2-16th-September-2011.pdf|archive-date=4 January 2014

}}

Froome moved to South Africa as a 14-year-old to attend St. Andrew's School, a publicly funded school in Bloemfontein{{cite news

|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-15-00-chris-froome-aims-to-sweep-clean-at-tour

|title=Chris Froome aims to sweep clean at Tour

|last1=Shapshak|first1=Toby|author-link=Toby Shapshak|date=15 February 2013

|website=Mail & Guardian|access-date=30 August 2015

}}

and St John's College, a boarding independent school in Johannesburg.{{cite news

|last=McRae|first=Donald |author-link=Donald McRae (author)

|title=Chris Froome: Shaped in Africa and ripe for Tour de France win

|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/jun/22/chris-froome-tour-de-france

|newspaper=The Observer|access-date=30 June 2013|date=22 June 2013

}}

{{cite news

|title=Newsletter

|url=http://www.oja.co.za/OJ%20NEWSLETTER%20-%20DEC%202011%20%282%29.pdf

|work=St John's College|access-date=17 August 2012|date=December 2011|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104205554/http://www.oja.co.za/OJ%20NEWSLETTER%20-%20DEC%202011%20%282%29.pdf|archive-date=4 January 2014

}}

Froome attended St John's alongside South African-born Scott Spedding, who went on to a professional rugby union career including playing internationally for France.{{cite web

|url=https://www.the42.ie/france-ireland-scott-spedding-rwc-15-2379127-Oct2015/

|title='My dad used to give me a bit of cash every month just to get me through' |last=Kinsella|first=Murray|date=10 October 2015

|website=the42.ie|access-date=17 July 2020

}} Whilst in South Africa he was the school's cycling captain and kept in contact with Kinjah. He then studied economics for two years at the University of Johannesburg.{{cite news

|last=Hood|first=Andrew

|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/09/news/chris-froome-out-of-africa-and-onto-the-vuelta-podium_192373

|title=Chris Froome: Out of Africa and onto the Vuelta podium

|work=VeloNews|date=15 September 2011|access-date=29 June 2013

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160929174126/http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/09/news/chris-froome-out-of-africa-and-onto-the-vuelta-podium_192373 |archive-date=29 September 2016|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Slater|first=Matt

|title=Tour de France: Chris Froome on bid to emulate Bradley Wiggins

|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/22960925

|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=1 July 2013|date=19 June 2013

}}

{{cite news

|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-15-00-chris-froome-aims-to-sweep-clean-at-tour

|title=Chris Froome aims to sweep clean at Tour

|last=Shapshak|first=Toby|date=15 February 2013

|newspaper=Mail & Guardian|publisher=Anastacia Martin|access-date=21 April 2013

}} In South Africa Froome started to participate in road cycling. On one of his school holidays, his home club gifted him with a second-hand yellow jersey. Being unaware of the Tour de France, he failed to see the significance.

It was not until he was 22 that he turned professional. Froome started road racing in South Africa, specialising as a climber.{{cite news

|title=The Big Interview: Chris Froome

|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/the-big-interview-chris-froome-95581

|work=Cycling Weekly|access-date=28 June 2013|date=3 June 2008

}}

Froome competed for Kenya in the road time trial and the road race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, where he finished 17th and 25th respectively, catching the attention of future Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford: "The performance he did, on the equipment he was on, that takes some doing ... We always thought he was a bit of a diamond in the rough, who had a huge potential."{{cite news

|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/news/the-story-of-brailsfords-froome-discovery-dates-back-to-2006_294574

|title=The story of Brailsford's Froome discovery dates back to 2006 |last=Hood|first=Andrew|date=10 June 2013

|work=VeloNews|access-date=28 February 2015

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233156/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/news/the-story-of-brailsfords-froome-discovery-dates-back-to-2006_294574|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead

}}

While representing Kenya at the 2006 Road World Championships in the under-23 category in Salzburg, Austria, Froome crashed into an official just after the start of the time trial, causing both men to fall, although neither was injured{{cite news

|last=Farrand|first=Stephen

|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/chris-froome-from-cycling-slum-dog-to-monte-carlo-millionaire

|title=Chris Froome: From cycling slum dog to Monte Carlo millionaire

|website=Cyclingnews.com|date=26 June 2013|access-date=30 June 2013

}}

He remounted and finished in 36th place.{{cite news

|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/worlds06/?id=results/worlds062

|title=2006 UCI Road World Championships, Salzburg, Austria

|website=Cyclingnews.com|date=September 2006|access-date=4 July 2012

}}

Froome's appearance at the World Championships came about after he impersonated Kenyan cycling federation president Julius Mwangi by using Mwangi's email account to enter himself into the championships, in order to add some European racing experience to his CV and boost his chances of obtaining a contract with a professional team.{{Cite news

|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-froome-impersonated-official-2016-7

|title=The smartest career move that Tour de France winner Chris Froome ever made was posing as someone else

|work=Business Insider|access-date=31 May 2017}}

File:Chris Froome - Tour of Britain (12539524973) (cropped).jpg, during his first season as a professional]]

Froome turned professional in 2007, aged 22, with the South African team, Konica Minolta, withdrawing from university two years into his degree in economics.{{cite news

|last=Westby|first=Matt

|title=Tour de France: Chris Froome's journey up cycling's ranks comes to glorious end in Paris

|url=http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/22854/8834543/tour-de-france-chris-froomes-journey-up-cyclings-ranks-comes-to-glorious-end-in-paris

|publisher=Sky Sports|access-date=24 July 2013|date=22 July 2013

}}

He competed from April to September in the U23 Nations Cup for the Union Cycliste Internationale's World Cycling Centre (WCC) team based in Aigle, Switzerland.{{cite news

|title=Froome – a product of the WCC

|url=http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=OTQ1Mw&MenuId=MTI2Mjc |url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130724223253/http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=OTQ1Mw&MenuId=MTI2Mjc|archive-date=24 July 2013

|publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale|access-date=24 July 2013|date=23 July 2013

}}

In May he rode his first stage race, the Giro delle Regioni, winning stage five, riding for WCC.{{cite news

|title=Young Guns News Roundup #16D

|url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10894

|work=Daily Peloton|access-date=24 July 2013|date=1 May 2007

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419222659/http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10894|archive-date=19 April 2013|url-status=dead

}}

In late-May he won stage six of the Tour of Japan, attacking from a breakaway in the fourteen-lap circuit in Shuzenji.{{cite news

|last=Gutowski|first=Stephanie |title=11th Tour of Japan – Stage 6 Recap

|url=http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=11093

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019220901/http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=11093|archive-date=19 October 2007

|work=Daily Peloton|access-date=23 January 2015|date=29 May 2007

}}

In June he competed at the "B" world championships in Cape Town, placing second to China's Haijun Ma in the {{convert|26.8|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} time trial.{{cite web

|title=2007 UCI B World Championships

|url=http://oldsite.uci.ch/modello.asp?1stLevelID=PA&level1=0&level2=0&idnews=3962

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328230924/http://oldsite.uci.ch/modello.asp?1stLevelID=PA&level1=0&level2=0&idnews=3962|archive-date=28 March 2010

|publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale|access-date=23 January 2015

}}

{{cite web

|title=World Championship, Road, ITT, Elite B 2007

|url=http://www.cyclingarchives.com/ritfiche.php?ritid=89847

|work=Cycling Archives|publisher=de Wielersite|access-date=24 July 2013

}}

In July, he claimed a bronze medal in the road race at the All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.{{cite web

|title=All African Games, Road 2007

|url=http://www.cyclingarchives.com/ritfiche.php?ritid=91250

|work=Cycling Archives|publisher=de Wielersite|access-date=24 July 2013

}}

On 26 September, he placed forty-first in the under-23 time trial at the world championships in Stuttgart, three minutes and thirty seconds behind the gold medalist, Lars Boom of the Netherlands.{{cite web

|title=Time Trial U23 Men results

|url=http://oldsite.uci.ch/UciDoc/ROA/2007/CM/TT_MU_RE.pdf

|publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale|access-date=24 July 2013|page=2

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101103320/http://oldsite.uci.ch/UciDoc/ROA/2007/CM/TT_MU_RE.pdf|archive-date=1 November 2013|url-status=dead

}}

His performances in 2007 attracted the attention of British Cycling coach, Rod Ellingworth, who believed Froome had potential. Froome said: "Although I was riding under the Kenyan flag I made it clear that I had always carried a British passport and felt British. It was then we talked about racing under the Union Flag, and we stayed in touch."

File:Chris Froome Tour De France 2008 (cropped).jpg's final Champs-Élysées stage in Paris, riding in his first season for {{UCI team code|BAR|2008}}]]

Froome was introduced to the South African-backed, second-tier UCI Professional Continental team, {{UCI team code|BAR|2008}}, by South African Robbie Hunter, signing with them for the 2008 season. In March he finished second overall in the Giro del Capo in South Africa, one minute and forty-one seconds behind his teammate, Christian Pfannberger.{{cite news

|title=South African George wins time trial

|url=http://ftp.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2008/mar08/capo08/capo085

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416184555/http://ftp.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road%2F2008%2Fmar08%2Fcapo08%2Fcapo085|archive-date=16 April 2014

|website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=23 January 2015|date=8 March 2008|url-status=dead

}}

Over March and April, he rode the Critérium International, Gent–Wevelgem and the Ardennes classics. In May 2008, Froome switched from a Kenyan licence to a British licence, to have a chance of riding in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where Kenya did not qualify. He made his Grand Tour debut when he was named in {{UCI team code|BAR|2008|nolink=yes}}'s squad for the Tour de France – becoming the first participant born in Kenya,{{cite news

|title=Froome takes cycling's big step

|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/riders/2008/interviews/?id=chris_froome_nov08

|website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=23 July 2013|date=21 November 2008

}}

in which he finished 84th overall and 11th among the young rider classification.{{cite web

|title=2008 Standings

|url=http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/LIVE/us/2100/classement/index.html

|work=Tour de France|publisher=Amaury Sport Organisation|access-date=12 July 2012|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011014249/http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/LIVE/us/2100/classement/index.html|archive-date=11 October 2012

}}

In October, Froome finished fourth overall in the Herald Sun Tour in Victoria, Australia.{{cite news

|last=Canning|first=Andrew |title=Monday's British news round-up

|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/mondays-british-news-round-up-44-92221

|work=Cycling Weekly|access-date=24 July 2013|date=20 October 2008}}

Froome claimed his next professional win in March 2009, with the second stage of the Giro del Capo in Durbanville, South Africa, attacking a ten-strong breakaway with {{convert|30|km|1|abbr=on}} and finishing four minutes ahead.{{cite news |title=Team Barloworld's Froome opens his account at the Giro del Capo |url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1074/Team-Barloworlds-Froome-opens-his-account-at-the-Giro-del-Capo.aspx |work=VeloNation |access-date=24 July 2013 |date=5 March 2009}} He then participated in the Giro d'Italia, in which he came 36th overall, and seventh young rider classification.{{cite news |title=2009 Giro d'Italia results |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009//giro09/?id=results/giro0921 |website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=17 August 2012 |date=31 May 2012}} In July he won a minor one day race, Anatomic Jock Race, in Barberton South Africa.{{cite web |title=[RSA] Anatomic Jock Race 2009 |url=http://www.cyclingarchives.com/ritfiche.php?ritid=140833 |work=Cycling Archives |publisher=de Wielersite |access-date=24 July 2013}} In September 2009, it was announced that he was to join British cycling team, {{UCI team code|SKY|2010}}, for the 2010 season.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8246175.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |title=Foreign stars sign for Team Sky |access-date=10 September 2009 |date=10 September 2009}}

Froome rode the 2010 Giro d'Italia. On stage nineteen, he was suffering with a knee injury and on the Mortirolo Pass he was seen holding on to a police motorbike. He had been dropped by the gruppetto, and intended to reach the feed zone and retire from the race. For holding on to the motorbike he was disqualified from the race.{{cite news |last=Farrand |first=Stephen |title=Team Sky's Chris Froome expelled from Giro |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/team-skys-chris-froome-expelled-from-giro |website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=18 July 2013 |date=28 May 2010}}{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Gregor |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/giro-ditalia/froome-disqualified-from-giro-ditalia-60517 |title=Chris Froome disqualified from Giro d'Italia |work=Cycling Weekly |date=29 May 2010 |access-date=24 June 2013}} During his first season with Sky, his best result was at the Tour du Haut Var, where he finished ninth in the overall standings.{{cite web |title=2010 Tour du Haut Var results |url=http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/stageraces/Haut-Var/2010-tour-du-haut-var.html |work=BikeRaceInfo |access-date=17 August 2012 |date=21 February 2010}} He also finished second at the 2010 national time trial championships.{{cite news |title=2010 British Time Trial Championships |url=http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/article/roa20100903-2010-British-Time-Trial-Championships-0 |work=British Cycling |access-date=17 August 2012 |date=5 September 2010}} In October he represented England at the Commonwealth Games, in Delhi, coming fifth in the {{convert|40|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} time trial, two minutes and twenty seconds behind the winner, Scotland's David Millar.{{cite news |title=Millar takes time trial gold in Delhi |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/2010-commonwealth-games-jr/mens-time-trial/results |website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=13 February 2013 |date=13 October 2010}}

The early highlights of Froome's 2011 season were top fifteen finishes in the Vuelta a Castilla y León and the Tour de Romandie. Froome had a mixed Tour de Suisse, riding with the lead group on some mountain stages yet losing time on others, and finishing ninth in the final time trial,{{cite news |url=http://www.teamsky.com/race-hub/0,27714,21502,00.html |title=Tour de Suisse |work={{UCI team code|SKY|2011}} |publisher=BSkyB |date=June 2011 |access-date=4 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629200605/http://www.teamsky.com/race-hub/0,27714,21502,00.html |archive-date=29 June 2012 }} and 47th in the general classification.{{cite web |title=Leipheimer snatches Tour de Suisse overall in final TT |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/leipheimer-snatches-tour-de-suisse-overall-in-final-tt-51021 |website=Cycling Weekly |access-date=4 May 2019 |date=19 June 2011}} He continued his season at the Brixia Tour where he finished 45th in the general classification, and the Tour de Pologne, finishing 85th.{{cite web |last1=Ryan |first1=Barry |title=The white whale: Froome's seven-year quest to win the Vuelta a España |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/the-white-whale-froomes-seven-year-quest-to-win-the-vuelta-a-espana/ |website=Cyclingnews.com |access-date=4 May 2019 |date=21 Aug 217}}

File:2011 Vuelta a Espana - Stage 19 - 006 (cropped).jpg, on stage 19 of the 2011 Vuelta a España. Cobo was subsequently disqualified for doping, and Froome declared the winner.]]

Froome entered the Vuelta a España as a last-minute replacement for Lars Petter Nordhaug and a domestique for Bradley Wiggins. Wiggins gave him credit for his ride in stage nine, where he helped Wiggins gain time on his rivals.{{cite news |last=Fotheringham |first=Alasdair |author-link=Alasdair Fotheringham |title=Wiggins: A fantastic finish |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/wiggins-a-fantastic-finish-49080 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=29 August 2011 |date=29 August 2011}} The following day in stage ten, however, Froome out-rode Wiggins to finish second in the time-trial behind {{UCI team code|THR|2011}}'s Tony Martin and to take an unexpected lead in the race.{{cite news |title=Vuelta Stage 10 Time Trial by Chris Froome |url=http://home.trainingpeaks.com/athlete/workout/Z3JDD63H2UVGP77YSXNITPULAE |work=TrainingPeaks |access-date=3 December 2015}}{{cite news |first=Felix |last=Lowe |url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/01092011/58/vuelta-espa-moncoutie-song-wiggins-takes-red.html |title=Moncoutie on song as Wiggins takes red |work=Yahoo! Eurosport |date=31 August 2011 |access-date=4 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208055552/https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/01092011/58/vuelta-espa-moncoutie-song-wiggins-takes-red.html |archive-date=8 December 2015 }} During stage eleven he helped his team neutralise some attacks but soon found himself unable to follow the main group. However, he managed to hang on to second place in the general classification.{{cite news |last=McGrath |first=Andy |title=Wiggins takes Vuelta overall lead as Moncoutie wins stage |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/wiggins-takes-vuelta-overall-lead-as-moncoutie-wins-stage-49015 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=24 March 2013 |date=31 August 2011}}

After losing the jersey to Wiggins on stage eleven, Froome continued to ride in support of his leader. On stage fourteen, he helped to drop rivals including {{UCI team code|LIQ|2011}} rider Vincenzo Nibali and Joaquim Rodríguez ({{UCI team code|KAT|2011}}) on the final climb. Wiggins credited his lead to Froome, in a stage which also saw Froome rise back up to second in the standings.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/8739658/Vuelta-a-Espana-stage-14-Bradley-Wiggins-tightens-grip-on-overall-lead-after-Rein-Taaramae-wins-on-mountain-top.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/8739658/Vuelta-a-Espana-stage-14-Bradley-Wiggins-tightens-grip-on-overall-lead-after-Rein-Taaramae-wins-on-mountain-top.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Daily Telegraph |first=John |last=MacLeary |title=Bradley Wiggins tightens grip on overall lead after Rein Taaramäe wins on mountain top |date=3 September 2011}}{{cbignore}} On the tough stage fifteen which ended on the Alto de l'Angliru, stage winner Juan José Cobo ({{UCI team code|FOT|2011}}) took the overall lead. Froome finished in fourth place, forty-eight seconds behind Cobo, and retained his second place in the overall strandings.{{cite news |last=Turner |first=Jonathan |title=Froome and Wiggins second and third on GC |url=http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/20876/7150965/Cobo-claims-Vuelta-lead |publisher=Sky Sports |access-date=24 March 2013 |date=4 September 2011}}

On stage seventeen, Froome attacked Cobo {{convert|1|km|1|abbr=on}} from the summit finish, but Cobo fought back, catching Froome in the final 300 metres, only for Froome to attack again to win the stage and arrive one second in front of Cobo.{{cite news |title=Chris Froome wins Vuelta a España 17th stage |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/14827719 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=12 July 2012 |date=7 September 2011}} As a result of time bonuses, Froome reduced Cobo's lead to thirteen seconds. Froome was unable to reduce Cobo's lead any further and initially was placed second overall in the Vuelta.{{cite news |last=Bull |first=Nick |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/froome-and-wiggins-finish-on-vuelta-podium-48705 |title=Froome and Wiggins finish on Vuelta podium |work=Cycling Weekly |date=11 September 2011 |access-date=4 July 2012}} On 17 July 2019, Froome was declared the winner of the race following the disqualification of Cobo for drug offences.{{cite web |title=Chris Froome awarded 2011 Vuelta a Espana as Juan Jose Cobo stripped of title |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/49026538 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=18 July 2019 |date=18 July 2019}} The win, retroactively, made him the first British rider to win a Grand Tour.

Froome was initially close to being dropped by the team at the end of the season, and Sky's team manager Dave Brailsford had been in talks with {{UCI team code|RSH|2011}}'s manager Johan Bruyneel offering a trade, but Bruyneel had turned down the offer saying 'I want a cyclist, not a donkey'.{{cite web |title=Chris Froome |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/tag/chris-froome |website=Cycling Weekly |access-date=4 May 2019}}{{cite web |title=Froome reveals how close he was to leaving Team Sky in 2011 |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-reveals-how-close-he-was-to-leaving-team-sky-in-2011/ |website=Cyclingnews.com |access-date=4 May 2019 |date=26 May 2014}}{{cite web |last1=MacKenna |first1=Ewan |title=Ewan MacKenna: So how is it then that you explain a freak like Chris Froome? |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/ewan-mackenna-so-how-is-it-then-that-you-explain-a-freak-like-chris-froome-36968940.html |website=Independent.ie |access-date=4 May 2019 |date=1 June 2018}} However, after watching Froome's strong performance in the Vuelta, team manager Dave Brailsford reportedly flew to Spain to offer him a new contract in the middle of the race. Five days after the race's finish in Madrid, Froome signed a new three-year contract with Sky.{{cite news |title=Chris Froome extends contract with Team Sky |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/14951615 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=24 March 2013 |date=16 September 2011}}

Later that year, it was revealed Froome had suffered throughout the year from the parasitic disease schistosomiasis, after having picked up the disease during a visit to Kenya in 2010.{{cite news |title=Froome still battling parasitic infection |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-still-battling-parasitic-infection |website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=28 June 2013 |date=25 April 2012}}{{cite web |last=Drisdelle |first=Rosemary |title=Chris Froome's Parasite – What is Bilharzia Anyway? |url=http://www.decodedscience.org/chris-froomes-parasite-what-is-bilharzia-anyway/33544 |publisher=Decoded Science |access-date=24 July 2013 |date=21 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419073425/http://www.decodedscience.org/chris-froomes-parasite-what-is-bilharzia-anyway/33544 |archive-date=19 April 2016 |url-status=dead }} Brailsford speculated that the disease had affected Froome's earlier career in a negative way. The discovery and subsequent treatment of the illness has been used to explain Froome's rapid rise in form during 2011.{{cite web |last=Hood |first=Andrew |title=Still living with bilharzia parasite, Froome says he has no drug exemptions |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/news/froome-confirms-no-tue-still-treated-for-bilharzia-parasite_295548 |work=VeloNews |date=16 July 2013 |access-date=24 July 2013 |archive-date=25 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025061126/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/news/froome-confirms-no-tue-still-treated-for-bilharzia-parasite_295548 |url-status=dead }} He was part of the Great Britain team that helped Mark Cavendish win the world road race championship.{{cite news |last=Gladstone |first=Hugh |title=Mark Cavendish wins World Road Race Championship |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/mark-cavendish-wins-world-road-race-championship-48328 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=12 July 2012 |date=25 September 2011}} In October, Froome finished third overall in the first edition of the Tour of Beijing, 26 seconds behind overall winner Tony Martin.{{cite news |title=Tony Martin wins first-ever Tour of Beijing |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2011-10/10/content_13861367.htm |newspaper=China Daily |access-date=12 July 2012 |date=10 October 2011}}

{{clear}}

The early part of Froome's 2012 season was wrecked by illness. He withdrew from the Volta ao Algarve with a severe chest infection, and blood tests showed the schistosoma parasites were still in his system.{{cite news |title=Froome the fighter |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/froome-the-fighter-42658 |first=Nick |last=Bull |work=Cycling Weekly |date=31 May 2012 |access-date=8 June 2012}} In March, while on a training ride, Froome collided with a 72-year-old pedestrian.{{cite news |title=Froome hits pedestrian in Italian training accident |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-hits-pedestrian-in-italian-training-accident |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=13 March 2012 |access-date=8 June 2012}} He returned to racing in May, for the Tour de Romandie, where he helped Wiggins win the race overall,{{cite news|title=Wiggins crowned in Romandie |url=http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290,25179_7716159,00.html |work={{UCI team code|SKY|2012}} |publisher=BSkyB |access-date=28 June 2013 |date=4 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020133246/http://www.teamsky.com/article/0%2C27290%2C25179_7716159%2C00.html |archive-date=20 October 2012 }} before participating in a training camp on Teide in Tenerife with several of his teammates.{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Brendan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9346815/Tour-de-France-2012-Team-Sky-confirm-team-that-will-support-Bradley-Wiggins-and-Mark-Cavendish-in-pursuit-of-yellow-and-green.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9346815/Tour-de-France-2012-Team-Sky-confirm-team-that-will-support-Bradley-Wiggins-and-Mark-Cavendish-in-pursuit-of-yellow-and-green.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Team Sky confirm team that will support Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish in pursuit of yellow and green |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 June 2012 |access-date=28 June 2013}}{{cbignore}}

File:Tour de France 2012, wiggins - froome (14683360257).jpg at the Tour de France, where he finished second to Wiggins in the general classification]]

Froome was selected for the Sky squad for the Tour de France. After placing 11th in the prologue,{{cite web |title=Prologue – Liège > Liège |url=http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2012/us/prologue.html |work=Tour de France|publisher=Amaury Sport Organisation |access-date=28 June 2013 |date=30 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416182532/http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2012/us/prologue.html |archive-date=16 April 2014 |url-status=dead }} he suffered a punctured tyre {{convert|9|mi|1|abbr=on}} from the end of stage one and lost over a minute to overall leader Fabian Cancellara ({{UCI team code|LEO|2012}}).{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Brendan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9373446/Tour-de-France-2012-Peter-Sagan-wins-stage-three-as-Team-Skys-Bradley-Wiggins-retains-second-place-overall.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9373446/Tour-de-France-2012-Peter-Sagan-wins-stage-three-as-Team-Skys-Bradley-Wiggins-retains-second-place-overall.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Peter Sagan wins first stage in sprint finish as Fabian Cancellara retains yellow jersey |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=1 July 2012 |access-date=28 June 2013}}{{cbignore}} On stage three, Froome was involved in a crash on the hill-top finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and was sent flying into safety barriers, but was unharmed and was given the same finishing time as the winner, Peter Sagan of {{UCI team code|LIQ|2012|nolink=yes}}.{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Brendan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9368369/Tour-de-France-2012-Peter-Sagan-wins-first-stage-in-sprint-finish-as-Fabian-Cancellara-retains-yellow-jersey.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9368369/Tour-de-France-2012-Peter-Sagan-wins-first-stage-in-sprint-finish-as-Fabian-Cancellara-retains-yellow-jersey.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Peter Sagan wins stage three as Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins retains second place overall |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=3 July 2012 |access-date=28 June 2013}}{{cbignore}}

On stage seven finishing atop the Category 1 climb to La Planche des Belles Filles, he protected his leader Wiggins and was part of a small group that came in sight of the finish line. Cadel Evans ({{UCI team code|BMC|2012}}) attacked, Froome jumped on his wheel and won the stage with an advantage of two seconds over his leader and Evans. Froome took the lead in the mountains classification.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2012/stage-7/results |title=Froome leads double Sky success on La Planche des Belles Filles |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=7 July 2012 |access-date=8 July 2012 |first=Susan |last=Westemeyer}} With that operation, he took the polka dot jersey, but lost it to Fredrik Kessiakoff of {{UCI team code|AST|2012}} the very next day.{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Mark |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2012/stage-8/results |title=Pinot rides to glory in Porrentruy |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=8 July 2012 |access-date=8 July 2012}} Froome finished second to Wiggins on stage nine, an individual time trial, and moved up to third overall.{{cite news |title=Bradley Wiggins strengthens grip on yellow jersey |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/18773552 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=10 July 2012 |date=9 July 2012}}

On stage eleven to La Toussuire, Froome attacked the remaining group on the last climb, {{convert|4|km|1|abbr=on}} before the finish line. He subsequently received the order from his team manager to hold back and wait for yellow jersey Wiggins. He finished third on the stage.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-breaks-from-the-script-at-la-toussuire |title=Froome breaks from the script at La Toussuire |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=12 July 2012 |access-date=12 July 2012 |first=Barry |last=Ryan}} For his efforts in assisting Wiggins, Froome was lauded in the media as a super-domestique.{{cite news |title=Tour de France 2012: domestique bliss for Team Sky's Chris Froome |last=Rodrigues |first=Jason |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/from-the-archive-blog/2012/jul/14/tour-de-france-domestique-sky-froome |work=The Guardian |date=14 July 2012 |access-date=16 July 2012}}{{Failed verification|date=April 2019}} On stage seventeen, Froome and Wiggins finished second and third respectively on the final mountain stage to further cement their general classification positions,{{cite news |last=Atkins |first=Ben |url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12443/Tour-de-France-Alejandro-Valverde-climbs-alone-to-Peyragudes-victory-on-stage-17.aspx |title=Tour de France: Alejandro Valverde climbs alone to Peyragudes victory on stage 17 |work=VeloNation |date=19 July 2012 |access-date=27 July 2012}} although Froome repeatedly waited for Wiggins on the final climb, costing him the chance of winning the stage.{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Brendan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9413419/Tour-de-France-2012-Team-Skys-Chris-Froome-looks-to-future-after-sacrificing-victory-for-Bradley-Wiggins.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/9413419/Tour-de-France-2012-Team-Skys-Chris-Froome-looks-to-future-after-sacrificing-victory-for-Bradley-Wiggins.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Team Sky's Chris Froome looks to future after sacrificing victory for Bradley Wiggins |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=19 July 2012 |access-date=27 July 2012}}{{cbignore}} On stage nineteen, a time trial, Froome finished second to Wiggins, mirroring the overall standings.{{cite news |title=Bradley Wiggins on verge of first British win |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/18940711 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=17 August 2012 |date=21 July 2012}} Wiggins went on to win the tour with Froome second, becoming the first two British riders to make the podium of the Tour de France in its 109-year history.{{cite news |title=Bradley Wiggins wins 2012 Tour de France |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/18946960 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=17 August 2012 |date=22 July 2012}}

File:Chris Froome, London 2012 Time Trial - Aug 2012.jpg at the 2012 Olympics, finishing the race with the bronze medal]]

Froome, along with Sky teammates Wiggins, Cavendish and Ian Stannard, as well as Millar ({{UCI team code|GRM|2012b}}) were selected for Team GB's road race at the Olympic Games.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/millar-selected-for-team-gb-olympic-road-race-team |title=Millar Selected For Team GB Olympic Road Race Team |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=4 July 2012 |access-date=27 July 2012}} Froome and Wiggins also contested in the time trial.{{cite news |url=http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/gbcyclingteam/article/gbr20120704-gb-cyclingteam-news-Men-s-road-cyclists-selected-to-Team-GB-for-London-2012-Olympics-0 |title=Men's road cyclists selected to Team GB for London 2012 Olympics |work=British Cycling |date=4 July 2012 |access-date=27 July 2012}} Froome won bronze in the time trial, with teammate Wiggins taking gold.{{cite news |last=Wynn |first=Nigel |title=Wiggins wins gold in men's time trial, bronze for Froome |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/olympics/wiggins-wins-gold-in-mens-time-trial-bronze-for-froome-40351 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=1 August 2012 |date=1 August 2012}} Froome was selected as Team Sky's leader for the Vuelta a España, where he aimed to go one better than 2011 and win his first Grand Tour.{{cite news |title=Olympic medallist Chris Froome leads Team Sky at Vuelta |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/19191454 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=17 August 2012 |date=16 August 2012}} He lay third after the first mountain finish on stage three,{{cite news |last=Bull |first=Nick |title=Valverde victorious as Vuelta GC has first shakedown |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/valverde-victorious-as-vuelta-gc-has-first-shakedown-39802 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=22 August 2012 |date=20 August 2012}} and moved up to second on stage four after leader Alejandro Valverde crashed, losing 55 seconds to the chasing group.{{cite news |last=Gladstone |first=Hugh |title=Rodriguez takes over lead after Valverde crashes |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/rodriguez-takes-over-lead-after-valverde-crashes-39755 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=22 August 2012 |date=21 August 2012}} Froome moved down to third during the stage-eleven time trial sixteen seconds off leader Rodriguez.{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Brendan |title=Alberto Contador leapfrogs Chris Froome to close in on Joaquim Rodríguez |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9506965/Vuelta-a-Espana-2012-stage-11-Alberto-Contador-leapfrogs-Chris-Froome-to-close-in-on-Joaquim-Rodriguez.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9506965/Vuelta-a-Espana-2012-stage-11-Alberto-Contador-leapfrogs-Chris-Froome-to-close-in-on-Joaquim-Rodriguez.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=13 September 2012 |date=29 August 2012}}{{cbignore}} He lost another twenty-three seconds on stage twelve, putting him 51 seconds down.{{cite news |last=McGrath |first=Andy |title=Rodriguez wins stage 12 to extend Vuelta lead |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/rodriguez-wins-stage-12-to-extend-vuelta-lead-39553 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=13 September 2012 |date=30 August 2012}} He struggled through the rest of the second half of the race. He ended up fourth overall, finishing over ten minutes behind the race winner, Alberto Contador ({{UCI team code|SAX|2012b}}).{{cite news |title=Alberto Contador wins second Vuelta a España title |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/19537111 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=13 September 2012 |date=9 September 2012}}

Froome's 2013 season began at the Tour of Oman, where he took the race lead on stage four, finishing second to Rodríguez on the summit finish of Jebel Akhdar. Froome then won the following stage to extend his lead, out-sprinting Contador and Rodríguez.{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Brendan |title=Chris Froome claims stage win to retain leader's red jersey |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9872677/Tour-of-Oman-2013-stage-five-Chris-Froome-claims-stage-win-to-retain-leaders-red-jersey.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9872677/Tour-of-Oman-2013-stage-five-Chris-Froome-claims-stage-win-to-retain-leaders-red-jersey.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=15 February 2013 |date=15 February 2013}}{{cbignore}} He finished the race taking the overall classification, his first stage race win of his career, 27 seconds ahead of Contador, with Cadel Evans twelve seconds further back. He also won the points classification.{{cite news |last=Wynn |first=Nigel |title=Chris Froome wins the Tour of Oman |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/chris-froome-wins-the-tour-of-oman-33910 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=16 February 2013 |date=16 February 2013}}

Froome then led {{UCI team code|SKY|2013|nolink=yes}} at the Tirreno–Adriatico in March, where he won the fourth stage after countering an attack by Contador, {{UCI team code|AST|2013|nolink=yes}} rider Nibali and {{UCI team code|FAR|2013}}'s Mauro Santambrogio on the final climb to Prati di Tivo.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Gregor |title=Chris Froome wins Tirreno–Adriatico stage four |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/chris-froome-wins-tirreno-adriatico-stage-four-32983 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=12 March 2013 |date=9 March 2013}} Froome lost time on eventual winner Nibali on the penultimate stage, finishing the race in second place.{{cite news |title=Team Sky's Chris Froome beaten into second place by Astana's Vincenzo Nibali |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9925193/Tirreno-Adriatico-2013-Team-Skys-Chris-Froome-beaten-into-second-place-by-Astanas-Vincenzo-Nibali.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505062907/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9925193/Tirreno-Adriatico-2013-Team-Skys-Chris-Froome-beaten-into-second-place-by-Astanas-Vincenzo-Nibali.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 May 2013 |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=12 March 2013 |date=12 March 2013}}

Froome returned to action, and to the top step of the rostrum, in the Critérium International. After finishing fourth in the short second-stage time trial, he passed teammate Richie Porte to win the third and final stage. In so doing, he overtook Porte in the general classification.{{cite news |last=Wynn |first=Nigel |title=Chris Froome takes final stage and overall win in Critérium International |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/chris-froome-takes-final-stage-and-overall-win-in-criterium-international-32460 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=24 March 2013 |date=24 March 2013}}

File:Tour de Romandie 2013 2013 - Stage 5 - Christopher Froome (cropped).jpg at the 2013 Tour de Romandie]]

In late April, Froome won the {{convert|7.5|km|1|abbr=on}} prologue of the Tour de Romandie in Le Châble, Switzerland, taking the leader's jersey, with a six-second gap over Andrew Talansky of {{UCI team code|GRM|2013|nolink=yes}}.{{cite news |last=Wynn |first=Nigel |title=Chris Froome wins Tour de Romandie prologue |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/chris-froome-wins-tour-de-romandie-prologue-31474 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=23 April 2013 |date=23 April 2013}} He remained in the yellow leader's jersey throughout the entire race, increasing his advantage over his rivals to almost a minute with a strong performance in the penultimate queen stage. Near the end of that stage, after losing his support riders in the peloton, Froome gave solo chase to breakaway {{UCI team code|KAT|2013|nolink=yes}} rider Simon Špilak and after catching him, worked with the Slovenian to maintain and extend their lead on the peloton and improve their general classification standings. Špilak won the stage, which catapulted him into second place in the overall, with Froome on his wheel in second.{{cite news |last=Puddicombe |first=Stephen |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/simon-spilak-wins-tour-de-romandie-stage-four-as-chris-froome-extends-lead-31272 |title=Simon Špilak wins Tour de Romandie stage four as Chris Froome extends lead |work=Cycling Weekly |date=27 April 2013 |access-date=30 November 2015}}{{cite news |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/04/news/simon-spilak-wins-stage-4-of-2013-tour-de-romandie-chris-froome-defends-overall_283855 |title=Simon Spilak wins stage 4 of 2013 Tour de Romandie; Chris Froome defends overall |work=VeloNews |date=27 April 2013 |access-date=30 November 2015 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225902/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/04/news/simon-spilak-wins-stage-4-of-2013-tour-de-romandie-chris-froome-defends-overall_283855 |url-status=dead }} In the final individual time trial stage Froome took third place, increasing his lead and winning his third race of the season.{{cite news |last=Puddicombe |first=Stephen |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/chris-froome-wins-tour-de-romandie-31254 |title=Chris Froome wins Tour de Romandie |work=Cycling Weekly |date=28 April 2013 |access-date=21 July 2013}}

Froome's final warm up race before the Tour de France, for which he was favourite, was the Critérium du Dauphiné at the beginning of June.{{cite news |last=Puddicombe |first=Stephen |title=Critérium du Dauphiné 2013: Who will win? |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/criterium-du-dauphine-2013-who-will-win-29861 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=28 June 2013 |date=31 May 2013}} He sat second overall behind {{UCI team code|GRM|2013|nolink=yes}}'s Rohan Dennis after coming third in the time trial on stage four.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/criterium-du-dauphine-2013/stage-4-itt/results |title=Martin continues time trial winning streak in Dauphiné |first=Stephen |last=Farrand |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=5 June 2013 |access-date=6 June 2013}} Froome won stage five after countering a late attack by Contador, to take the race lead by 52 seconds over teammate Porte.{{cite news |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/06/news/busche-nearly-nails-dauphine-stage-win-at-valmorel_290033 |title=Busche nearly nails Dauphine stage win at Valmorel |first=Jason |last=Devaney |work=VeloNews |date=6 June 2013 |access-date=6 June 2013 |archive-date=14 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714031842/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/06/news/busche-nearly-nails-dauphine-stage-win-at-valmorel_290033 |url-status=dead }} Froome helped Porte solidify his second place on stage seven,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/22827241 |title=Chris Froome leads Dauphine as Sammy Sanchez wins stage seven |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 June 2013 |access-date=8 June 2013}} and on stage eight the pair rode away from their rivals on the final climb, with only Talansky ({{UCI team code|GRM|2013|nolink=yes}}) able to follow. Froome took second on the stage behind Alessandro De Marchi of {{UCI team code|CAN|2013|nolink=yes}}, who had attacked earlier, to secure overall victory, with Porte completing a one-two, 58 seconds back. This was Froome's fourth major stage race victory of the season, out of the five he had entered.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/jun/09/chris-froome-criterium-du-dauphine |first=William |last=Fotheringham |author-link=William Fotheringham |title=Chris Froome seals Critérium du Dauphiné victory in Risoul rain |work=The Guardian |date=9 June 2013 |access-date=9 June 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/22834186 |title=Chris Froome wins Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of Tour de France |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 June 2013 |access-date=9 June 2013}}

Froome's Tour de France got off to a nervy start as he crashed in the neutral zone of the first stage on the isle of Corsica, but he was unharmed. Also, he avoided going down in the large crash towards the end of the stage.{{cite news |last=Westby |first=Matt |title=Marcel Kittel takes yellow as stage-one chaos costs Mark Cavendish |url=http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/15264/8798363/Tour-de-France-Marcel-Kittel-takes-yellow-as-stage-one-chaos-costs-Mark-Cavendish |publisher=Sky Sports |access-date=16 July 2013 |date=30 June 2013}} After staying out of trouble for the rest of the first week, Froome won stage eight, the first mountain stage of the race, finishing on Ax 3 Domaines, by launching an attack after teammates Peter Kennaugh and Porte had brought back an earlier attack by {{UCI team code|MOV|2013}}'s Nairo Quintana, and distanced most of Froome's rivals. Froome's winning margin on the stage was 51 seconds over Porte, and 85 seconds to Valverde ({{UCI team code|MOV|2013|nolink=yes}}) in third. This gave Froome the overall lead in the Tour for the first time and the lead in the mountains classification.{{cite news |last=Westby |first=Matt |title=Chris Froome wins stage eight and takes yellow jersey in Pyrenees |url=http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/15264/8810936/Tour-de-France-Chris-Froome-wins-stage-eight-and-takes-yellow-jersey-in-Pyrenees |publisher=Sky Sports |access-date=16 July 2013 |date=6 July 2013}}{{cite news |title=Chris Froome in yellow after stage win |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23212964 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=16 July 2013 |date=6 July 2013}}

On the following stage, Froome was left isolated as no teammates were able to follow repeated attacks early in the stage by {{UCI team code|GRM|2013|nolink=yes}}, {{UCI team code|MOV|2013|nolink=yes}} and {{UCI team code|SAX|2013|nolink=yes}} riders. Despite being without any team support for most of the stage, Froome was able to defend his lead by following several attacks by Quintana and Valverde.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Gregor |title=Daniel Martin wins Tour de France stage nine as Chris Froome fights to retain lead |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/daniel-martin-wins-tour-de-france-stage-nine-as-chris-froome-fights-to-retain-lead-28147 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=16 July 2013 |date=7 July 2013}} Froome then finished second in the individual time trial on the twelfth stage, twelve seconds behind Tony Martin, to put further time into all of his rivals.{{cite news |last=Fotheringham |first=William |title=Chris Froome extends lead over yellow jersey rivals in Tour de France 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/jul/10/chris-froome-tour-de-france-time-trial |work=The Guardian |access-date=16 July 2013 |author-link=William Fotheringham |date=10 July 2013}} On stage thirteen Saxo-Tinkoff caused a split in the peloton due to strong crosswinds, which Froome missed. {{UCI team code|SAX|2013|nolink=yes}}'s Contador and Roman Kreuziger, and Laurens ten Dam and Bauke Mollema of {{UCI team code|RAB|2013b}} all made the selection and took 69 seconds out of Froome's lead, although Valverde lost over ten minutes and slipped out of contention.{{cite news |title=How Froome was outmanoeuvred |url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/tour-de-france-froome-outmanoeuvred-190318934.html |work=Yahoo! Eurosport |access-date=16 July 2013 |date=12 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208054910/https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/tour-de-france-froome-outmanoeuvred-190318934.html |archive-date=8 December 2015 }}

File:Ventoux - Froome & Quintana (cropped 2).JPG to win stage 15 of the 2013 Tour de France.]]

Froome won stage fifteen, which finished on Mont Ventoux. Kennaugh and Porte dropped all of the leading contenders except Contador on the early part of the climb, before Froome surged clear of Contador with {{convert|7|km|1|abbr=on}} remaining and caught Quintana, who had attacked earlier in the climb. The pair worked together to put time into their rivals, before Froome dropped Quintana with {{convert|1.2|km|1|abbr=on}} remaining and soloed to the finish. This gave Froome a lead of four minutes and fourteen seconds over Mollema in second place, with Contador a further eleven seconds back. Froome also regained the lead in the mountains classification.{{cite news |title=Chris Froome wins stage 15 to extend lead |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23306438 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=16 July 2013 |date=14 July 2013}}{{cite news |title=Chris Froome defends yellow from the front on Mont Ventoux |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/news/chris-froome-defends-yellow-from-the-front-on-mont-ventoux_295053 |work=VeloNews |access-date=16 July 2013 |date=14 July 2013 |archive-date=9 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409024521/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/news/chris-froome-defends-yellow-from-the-front-on-mont-ventoux_295053 |url-status=dead }} He won the stage seventeen time trial, finishing the {{convert|32|km|0|abbr=on}} course from Embrun to Chorges in 51 minutes 33 seconds, with Contador coming in nine seconds behind him, in second place.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23347837 |title=Chris Froome wins time trial to extend Tour de France lead |publisher=BBC Sport |date=17 July 2013 |access-date=17 July 2013}} Froome defended his lead during the Alpine stages, extending his overall lead as Mollema and Contador dropped back.{{cite news |last=Fotheringham |first=William |author-link=William Fotheringham |title=Chris Froome on verge of Tour de France glory after penultimate stage |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/jul/20/chris-froome-tour-de-france |newspaper=The Observer |access-date=20 July 2013 |date=20 July 2013}}

Froome won the general classification on 21 July with a final time of 83 hours, 56 minutes and 40 seconds; he was 4 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of second-placed Quintana. He was also King of the Mountains for six stages; however, he ultimately finished second to Quintana in that classification.{{cite news |title=Tour de France: Chris Froome wins 100th edition of race |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23399875 |access-date=21 July 2013 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=21 July 2013}} Froome's overall win and stage victories in the Tour win put him at the top of the UCI World Tour ranking, with 587, ahead of Sagan on 409.{{cite news |last=Wynn |first=Nigel |title=Chris Froome tops latest UCI WorldTour ranking |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/chris-froome-tops-latest-uci-worldtour-ranking-27285 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=24 July 2013 |date=23 July 2013}} Partly because{{According to whom|date=April 2019}} the 2013 Tour was the first since Lance Armstrong's admission of doping, such questions were asked of Froome. He insisted that he and his team were clean and stated that the questioning saddened him.{{cite news |title=Chris Froome: Tour de France leader 'sad' at doping questions |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23316712 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=21 July 2013 |date=15 July 2013}} Froome was drug tested during the Tour and Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford offered the World Anti-Doping Agency all performance data they had on Froome as evidence.{{cite news |title=Tour de France: Chris Froome's data offered to Wada by Brailsford |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23362874 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=21 July 2013 |date=18 July 2013}}

In October Froome was named winner of the prestigious Vélo d'Or award for the best rider of the year.{{cite news |last=Wynn |first=Nigel |title=Chris Froome wins 2013 Velo d'Or award |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/chris-froome-wins-2013-velo-dor-award-23769 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=30 October 2013 |date=30 October 2013}}

{{clear}}

File:Critérium du Dauphiné 2014 - Etape 6 - Christopher Froome.jpg]]

As defending champion for the first time, Froome started his 2014 season by again winning the Tour of Oman.{{cite news |first=Stephen |last=Puddocombe |title=Chris Froome wins 2014 Tour of Oman |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/chris-froome-wins-2014-tour-oman-115817 |date=23 February 2014 |work=Cycling Weekly }} After some minor illnesses and back problems, which meant he missed Tirreno–Adriatico,{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-withdraws-from-tirreno-adriatico |title=Froome withdraws from Tirreno–Adriatico |website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=30 November 2015}} his next stage race was the Tour de Romandie, again as defending champion, which he won by 28 seconds ahead of Špilak, with the two riders placing first and second in that race for the second consecutive year.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-romandie-2014-2014/stage-5/results |title=Froome dominates the final time trial |first=Stephen |last=Farrand |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=4 May 2014 |access-date=4 May 2014}} He won the final stage of the race, an {{convert|18.5|km|1|abbr=on}} individual time trial, finishing a second faster than three-time time trial world champion Martin. To celebrate the Tour de France moving from Britain to France in July, Froome rode a bicycle through the Channel Tunnel, becoming the first solo rider to do so and one of few cyclists ever to have made the journey. The Crossing took under an hour at a top speed of 65 km/h.{{cite news |title=Chris Froome cycles through the Channel Tunnel |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/recreational-cycling/10951008/Chris-Froome-cycles-through-the-Channel-Tunnel.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708120826/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/recreational-cycling/10951008/Chris-Froome-cycles-through-the-Channel-Tunnel.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 July 2014 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=7 July 2014 |access-date=3 March 2015}}

Froome crashed out on the fifth stage of the Tour de France after falling three times over two days, putting an end to his defence of his Tour de France crown.{{Cite news|last=Glendenning|first=Barry|date=2014-07-09|title=Chris Froome abandons Tour de France: stage 5 – as it happened|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/09/tour-de-france-2014-stage-5-ypres-arenberg-porte-du-hainaut-cobbles-live|access-date=2021-05-13|issn=0261-3077}} He came back in time to duel with Alberto Contador on the Vuelta a España. He lost time on the first individual time trial.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-espana-2014/stage-10/results |title=Vuelta a España: Quintana crashes out of race lead in time trial |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=2 September 2014 |access-date=13 September 2014 |last=Benson |first=Daniel}} Before the last stage, a short (10 km) flat time trial, Froome was in second place with a deficit of 97 seconds on the Spaniard.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/vuelta-a-espana/vuelta-espana-2014-stage-20-136243 |title=Alberto Contador wins final Vuelta a España mountain test |work=Cycling Weekly |date=13 September 2014 |access-date=13 September 2014 |last=Wynn |first=Nigel}} He finally finished second.{{cite news |last=Cossins |first=Peter |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-espana-2014/stage-21/results |title=Contador seals overall 2014 Vuelta a España victory |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=14 September 2014 |access-date=14 September 2014}} He was also awarded the overall combativity award.

Following his 2013 and 2014 early-season victories in the Tour of Oman, Froome decided to begin his 2015 racing season in February at the Ruta del Sol in Spain. He was joined there by Contador, both riders competing in this race for the first time.

Having lost eight seconds to Contador in the first day's individual time trial,{{cite news |last=Fotheringham |first=Alasdair |author-link=Alasdair Fotheringham |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-a-andalucia-froome-loses-time-to-contador-in-first-showdown |title=Vuelta a Andalucía: Froome loses time to Contador in first showdown |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=18 February 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015}} Froome ceded even more time to him on the third stage, when the Spaniard broke away from the peloton during the uphill finish to win the stage. Now 27 seconds behind Contador, with only one mountain stage remaining, Froome seemed likely to end up second.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-happy-despite-losing-to-contador-at-vuelta-a-andalucia |title=Froome happy despite losing to Contador at Vuelta a Andalucía |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=20 February 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015}} But on the penultimate fourth stage, which had a steep uphill finish, Team Sky worked hard and dropped all of Contador's Tinkoff-Saxo teammates as the leaders reached the final climb. After some punchy moves by his support riders, Froome began a solo attack.{{cite news |url=http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/12040/9725462/chris-froome-takes-lead-of-ruta-del-sol-after-beating-alberto-contador-on-stage-four |title=Chris Froome takes lead of Ruta del Sol after beating Contador on stage four |publisher=Sky Sports |date=21 February 2015 |access-date=3 December 2015}}

For a short time Contador was able to follow, but he soon fell away. Froome won the stage and was able to open a 29-second gap on second-place Contador by the finish line, enough to overcome his deficit and take the overall race lead by two seconds. The final fifth stage was relatively flat, with no likely chance for Contador to make up his deficit, allowing Froome to collect his first stage race victory since May 2014.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/31575687 |title=Chris Froome beats Alberto Contador to Ruta del Sol title |date=22 February 2015 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=3 December 2015}}{{cite news |last=Fotheringham |first=Alasdair |author-link=Alasdair Fotheringham |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-seals-morale-boosting-victory-over-contador-in-andalucia |title=Froome seals morale boosting victory over Contador in Andalucia |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=22 February 2015 |access-date=3 December 2015}} This was the third year in a row that Froome won his season opener stage race.

For the second year in a row, Froome did not start Tirreno–Adriatico, due to a chest infection. He participated in the La Flèche Wallonne but crashed badly, remounted and finished 123rd, at 12:19.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-fleche-wallonne-2015/results |title=Valverde wins La Fleche Wallonne 2015 |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=22 April 2015 |access-date=22 April 2015}} He later participated in the Tour de Romandie in hopes of winning it for the third year in a row, but had to settle for third place in the general classification after winner Ilnur Zakarin and second-place Simon Špilak, both of {{UCI team code|KAT|2015|nolink=yes}}.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-romandie-2015/stage-6/results |title=Zakarin wins Tour de Romandie |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=3 May 2015 |access-date=3 May 2015 |last=O'Shea |first=Sadhbh}}

In June, he was in full preparation for the Tour de France as he participated to the Critérium du Dauphiné. He won stage seven, the queen stage, thanks to two consecutive attacks on the last climb of the day, one to shed the leading group and another one to get rid of Tejay van Garderen, who had resisted the first one.{{cite news |title=Chris Froome eyes Critérium du Dauphiné victory after stage seven win |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jun/13/chris-froome-wins-criterium-du-dauphine-stage-seven |access-date=14 June 2015 |work=The Observer |agency=Associated Press |date=13 June 2015}} On the stage, he repeated the exploit of winning solo while putting enough time into van Garderen to win the overall classification as well.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/criterium-du-dauphine-2015/stage-8/results |title=Froome wins finale and overall title at Critérium du Dauphiné |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=14 June 2015 |access-date=14 June 2015}}

File:Chris Froome, TDF 2015, étape 13, Montgiscard.jpg during stage thirteen of the 2015 Tour de France]]

Froome entered the Tour de France as one of the favourites for the overall win. After a strong performance on the Mur de Huy Froome took over the race lead by one second from Tony Martin,{{cite web |url=http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_de_France_2015_Stage_3_General_Classification |title=Tour de France 2015 – Stage 3 |work=ProCyclingStats |access-date=30 November 2015}} although he subsequently lost the jersey to Martin on stage four to Cambrai.{{cite web |url=http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_de_France_2015_Stage_4_Cambrai |title=Tour de France 2015 – Stage 4 |work=ProCyclingStats |access-date=30 November 2015}} Following Martin's retirement from the race with a broken collar bone sustained in a crash near the end of stage six{{cite news |last=Clarke |first=Stuart |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/chris-froome-will-not-wear-the-tour-de-france-yellow-jersey-181658 |title=Chris Froome will not wear the Tour de France yellow jersey |date=10 July 2015 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=30 November 2015}} Froome was promoted to race leader, but declined to wear the yellow jersey during stage seven.{{Cite news|title=Leader Froome not wearing yellow|publisher=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/33477029|access-date=24 May 2020}}

During the evening of the first rest day of the Tour, it emerged that the team had had some of Froome's data files hacked and released onto the internet.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-froomes-data-files-believed-to-be-hacked |title=Tour de France: Froome's data files believed to be hacked |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=14 July 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015}}

As the Tour entered the second week of racing stage ten saw the first mountains stage, the summit finish of La Pierre Saint-Martin, where Froome would go on to take the stage win, putting significant time into his general classification rivals.{{cite web |url=http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_de_France_2015_Stage_10_La_Pierre_Saint_Martin |title=Tour de France 2015 – Stage 10 |work=ProCyclingStats |access-date=30 November 2015}} During the remainder of the race the team faced intense scrutiny regarding their dominant performances; Porte was punched in the ribs by a spectator in the Pyrenees,{{cite news |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/07/news/porte-reveals-he-was-punched-in-the-pyrenees_378596 |title=Porte says that he was 'punched' in the Pyrenees |work=VeloNews |date=18 July 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015 |archive-date=11 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811020454/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/07/news/porte-reveals-he-was-punched-in-the-pyrenees_378596 |url-status=dead }} and Froome claimed he had urine thrown at him by another spectator, who Froome described as 'clearly French',{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1521348/froome-spectator-threw-urine-in-my-face|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150808132232/http://news.sky.com/story/1521348/froome-spectator-threw-urine-in-my-face|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 August 2015|title=Froome: Spectator Threw Urine In My Face|last=Brady|first=Enda|date=19 July 2015|publisher=Sky News|access-date=30 November 2015}} and levelled his blame for the poor spectator behaviour on the press for 'irresponsible journalism'.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/11750034/Tour-de-France-2015-Chris-Froome-maintains-lead-but-French-press-continue-to-attack-Team-Sky.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/11750034/Tour-de-France-2015-Chris-Froome-maintains-lead-but-French-press-continue-to-attack-Team-Sky.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Chris Froome maintains lead but French press continue to attack Team Sky |date=19 July 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph |first=Tom |last=Cary |access-date=30 November 2015}}{{cbignore}} Team Sky then released some of Froome's power data from stage ten in an attempt to calm claims of blood or mechanical doping.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/skys-release-of-froomes-tour-de-france-data-fails-to-clear-the-air |title=Sky's release of Froome's Tour de France data fails to clear the air |last=Fletcher |first=Patrick |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=24 July 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015}}{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-check-froomes-bike-and-five-others-for-hidden-motors-at-tour-de-france |title=UCI check Froome's bike and five others for hidden motors at Tour de France |last=Farrand |first=Stephen |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=23 July 2015 |access-date=30 November 2015}}

Froome maintained his lead during the final week's Alpine mountain stages, although he lost 32 seconds to Quintana, who had emerged as his principal rival, on the penultimate mountain stage to La Toussuire, and another 86 seconds on the final summit finish on Alpe d'Huez, giving him a lead of 72 seconds over Quintana in the general classification. In addition to winning the race overall he clinched the mountains classification.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/25/chris-froome-tour-de-france-nairo-quintana |title=Chris Froome set for Tour de France win despite Nairo Quintana's attack |last=Fotheringham |first=William |author-link=William Fotheringham |date=25 July 2015 |website=theguardian.com | access-date=26 July 2015}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-26/chris-froome-of-britain-wins-tour-de-france-for-second-time |title=Chris Froome Wins Tour de France for Second Time in Three Years |last1=Duff |first1=Alex |date=26 July 2015 |website=Bloomberg.com | access-date=26 July 2015}}

In August, Froome confirmed that he would follow up his Tour win by riding in the Vuelta a España.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-on-team-skys-provisional-vuelta-a-espana-roster/ |title=Chris Froome on Team Sky's provisional Vuelta a España roster |last=Benson |first=Daniel |date=10 August 2015 |website=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=10 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812233546/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-on-team-skys-provisional-vuelta-a-espana-roster/ |archive-date=12 August 2015 }}{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/vuelta-a-espana/chris-froome-at-the-vuelta-a-espana-is-icing-on-the-cake-says-organiser-186721 |title=Chris Froome at the Vuelta a España is icing on the cake, says organiser |last1=Clarke |first1=Stuart |date=11 August 2015 |work=Cycling Weekly | access-date=14 August 2015}} Froome lost time on his rivals on the first summit finishes, though he gained back some time on the summit finish of stage nine.{{cite news |last1=Fotheringham |first1=Alasdair |title=Froome's Vuelta a España back on track on Cumbre del Sol |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froomes-vuelta-a-espana-back-on-track-on-cumbre-del-sol/ |access-date=3 September 2015 |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=31 August 2015}} Stage eleven was a mountainous stage in Andorra that Froome had described as "the toughest Grand Tour stage I’ve ever done".{{cite news |title=Froome: 'Andorra will be the toughest Grand Tour stage I've ever done' |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-andorra-will-be-the-toughest-grand-tour-stage-ive-ever-done/ |access-date=3 September 2015 |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=2 September 2015}} He crashed into a wooden barrier on the approach to the first climb of the day; he continued to the end of the stage, though he lost significant time on all his rivals. The following morning, an MRI scan revealed that he had broken his foot in the crash and he withdrew from the Vuelta.{{cite news |title=Froome out of the Vuelta a España after checks reveal a fracture in his foot |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-out-of-the-vuelta-a-espana-after-checks-reveal-a-fracture-in-his-foot/ |access-date=3 September 2015 |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=3 September 2015}}

Froome was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to cycling.

File:Tour de France 2016, froome (27979590983).jpg]]

Before the 2016 season, Froome announced that he would attempt to win the Tour, as well as the time trial and road race at the Olympics.{{cite news|url = http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-targeting-2016-tour-de-france-and-rio-olympics-double/|title = Froome targeting 2016 Tour de France and Rio Olympics double – Briton aiming for road race and time trial gold medal in Brazil plus third Tour title|date = 1 October 2015|work = Cycling News}} Froome started the season early, competing in the 2016 Herald Sun Tour in Australia (a race in which he had finished fourth in 2008). The Herald Sun Tour consisted of a short individual time trial prologue, followed by four stages. On the last stage, which culminated in a triple climb of Arthurs Seat and a summit finish, Froome broke away in a solo attack on the third and final ascent, and opened up a sufficient gap on the field to secure his first 2016 victory, along with the King of the Mountains award.{{cite news|url = http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/herald-sun-tour-2016/stage-4/results/|title = Chris Froome wins Jayco Herald Sun Tour|work = Cycling News|date = 8 February 2016}}

Froome's next racing appearance was at the Volta a Catalunya in late March, where he finished eighth overall.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling/team-sky-delighted-with-chris-froome-progress-ahead-of-tour-de-france-bid-a6955796.html |title=Team Sky delighted with Chris Froome progress ahead of Tour de France bid |last=Fotheringham |first=Alasdair|author-link=Alasdair Fotheringham|date=27 March 2016 |website=independent.co.uk|access-date=13 May 2016}} He competed at the Tour de Romandie, which brought mixed results. On the second stage, he punctured on a climb 20 km from the end and finished 17 minutes down on stage winner and new race leader Nairo Quintana.{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-de-romandie-stage-two-nairo-quintana-222964 |title=Nairo Quintana takes overall lead at Tour de Romandie as Chris Froome suffers |last1=Windsor |first1=Richard |date=28 April 2016 |website=Cycling Weekly |access-date=13 May 2016}} On stage four, the queen stage, he and Tejay van Garderen attacked from the bunch to join the day's original breakaway; the pair then rode away on the final climb, and Froome distanced van Garderen with 7.4 km to go, holding on to win the stage with a four-second lead over the leader's group.{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/tour-de-romandie-stage-four-chris-froome-223351 |title=Chris Froome takes breakaway victory on Tour de Romandie stage four |last1=Windsor |first1=Richard |date=30 April 2016 |website=Cycling Weekly |access-date=13 May 2016}}

In June, as preparation for the Tour de France, he took part in the Critérium du Dauphiné, which he won by 12 seconds over Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale. This was Froome's third victory at the Dauphiné over the last four years.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/36511258|title=Critérium du Dauphiné: Chris Froome wins third title|access-date=13 June 2016|date=12 June 2016}}

On Stage 8 of the 2016 Tour de France, Froome attacked on the descent of the Col de Peyresourde and held off the leading group of GC contenders to take a solo victory in Bagnères-de-Luchon. By doing so, Froome took the Yellow Jersey, leading the race by 16 seconds over Adam Yates ({{UCI team code|ORS|2016b}}).{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/36755428 |title=Tour de France 2016: Chris Froome claims stage win and lead after stage eight |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 July 2016 |access-date=23 July 2017}} Following the stage, Froome received a fine of 200 Swiss Francs for elbowing a spectator in the face who had run alongside him during the ascent of the Col de Peyresourde.{{cite news|author=Telegraph Sport |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016/07/10/chris-froome-fined-for-elbowing-spectator-in-face-during-stage-eight/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016/07/10/chris-froome-fined-for-elbowing-spectator-in-face-during-stage-eight/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Chris Froome fined for elbowing spectator in face on the way to stage-eight Tour de France victory |date=10 July 2016 |access-date=23 July 2017|newspaper=The Telegraph }}{{cbignore}} He further surprised his rivals on stage 11 to Montpellier when he finished second in a sprint to Peter Sagan, after being part of a 4-man break in the final 12 kilometers after the peloton split due to crosswinds.{{Cite web|title=Froome extends lead in crosswinds|url=https://www.skysports.com/cycling/news/17546/10500708/froome-extends-lead-in-crosswinds|publisher=Sky Sports|access-date=29 May 2020}}

On Stage 12, on the ascent up Mont Ventoux, Froome collided with Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema and a motorbike after spectators on the road forced the motorbike to stop. Porte and Mollema continued riding, while Froome ditched his bike and continued on foot until receiving a replacement bike from his team car. He finished the race 1 minute and 40 seconds behind Mollema, but was awarded the same time as Mollema after a jury decision, and retained the yellow jersey.{{cite news|title=Tour de France: Chris Froome forced to run up Mont Ventoux after crash|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/36797558|publisher=BBC Sport|date=14 July 2016}} He followed with good results in both of the individual time trials with a second-place finish on stage 13 and winning stage 18. Froome went on to claim his third Tour de France victory on 24 July 2016 and became Britain's first-ever three-time winner of the race.{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/24/chris-froome-wins-third-tour-de-france|title= Chris Froome coasts home as André Greipel wins Tour's final stage|date=24 July 2016|work=Guardian|access-date=26 July 2016}}

He followed his Tour win with a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, during the Men's Time Trial event,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/37037338|title= Rio Olympics 2016: Chris Froome wins bronze in men's time trial|date=10 August 2016|publisher=BBC|access-date=10 August 2016}} repeating his bronze medal success from London 2012.{{Cite web|title=Cycling Weekly: Cycling News, Bike Reviews, Sportives & Forums|url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/|website=Cycling Weekly|access-date=27 May 2020}}

After the Olympics, he was named in the start list for the 2016 Vuelta a España, during which he helped the team win the opening team time trial and later won stage 11 on Peña Cabarga, the site of his first Grand Tour stage victory in 2011.{{Cite web|title=Chris Froome wins Vuelta a España stage 11 to move second|url=https://roadcyclinguk.com/racing/reports/chris-froome-wins-vuelta-espana-stage-11-move-second.html|website=Road Cycling UK|access-date=24 May 2020}} He lost over {{frac|2|1|2}} minutes on stage 15 when rivals Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador attacked together from kilometre 10 and blew the race apart, isolating him from his teammates.{{Cite web|title=Nairo Quintana tightens grip on Vuelta a España as Chris Froome loses ground on stage 15|url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/vuelta-a-espana/nairo-quintana-tightens-his-grip-on-the-vuelta-a-espana-as-chris-froome-loses-over-two-minutes-on-stage-15-281887|last=Elton-Walters|first=Jack|date=4 September 2016|website=Cycling Weekly|access-date=24 May 2020}} Froome gained back time lost in a victory on the stage 19 individual time trial to Calp. He finished the Vuelta in second overall, 1:23 back of race winner Quintana.{{Cite web|title=Vuelta a Espana 2016: Chris Froome wins stage 19 time trial|url=https://roadcyclinguk.com/racing/reports/vuelta-espana-2016-chris-froome-wins-stage-19-time-trial.html|website=Road Cycling UK|access-date=24 May 2020}}

File:Tour de France 2017, froome (35326162004) (cropped).jpg]]

Froome won his fourth Tour de France title on 23 July 2017. He beat Rigoberto Urán by 54 seconds. Although Froome never won a stage during the 2017 Tour or any prior race during that calendar year, he was victorious thanks to his exceptional time trialing abilities showcased on the Grand Depart in Düsseldorf and on stage 20 in Marseille.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jul/23/chris-froome-wins-fourth-tour-de-france| title=Chris Froome wins fourth Tour de France after Champs Élysées procession| first=William| last=Fotheringham| work=The Guardian| date=23 July 2017}}

File:Podio de la Vuelta Ciclista a España 2017.jpg]]

On 19 August, Froome started the Vuelta a España aiming to win it having finished 2nd on three occasions previously and had gone in as the overwhelming favourite.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jul/27/chris-froome-aiming-to-end-22-year-wait-for-vuelta-a-espana-and-tour-double |title=Chris Froome aiming to end 22-year wait for Vuelta a España and Tour double |date=27 July 2017 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=11 September 2017}} On stage 3 Froome attacked up the final climb with only Esteban Chaves able to follow him. They were pegged back on the descent and Vincenzo Nibali won the stage in the reduced sprint. Froome finished 3rd and the bonus seconds at the line plus those he picked up at the intermediate sprint were enough to see him take the red jersey for the first time since 2011.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/vuelta-a-espana/chris-froome-attacks-takes-vuelta-espana-lead-vincenzo-nibali-sprints-stage-three-win-347201 |title=Chris Froome attacks and takes Vuelta a España lead as Vincenzo Nibali wins stage three |date=21 August 2017 |magazine=Cycling Weekly |access-date=11 September 2017}}

He went on to win stage 9 at Cumbre del Sol, the same finish where he lost to Dumoulin in 2015, also taking the lead in the points classification in the process. Despite a crash on stage 12, he recaptured the lead in the points classification with a 5th-place finish on stage 15 to Sierra Nevada and won the stage 16 individual time trial at Logroño, also taking the stage's combativity prize. A third-place finish on the Alto de l'Angliru cemented the red jersey as well as the combination classification, and on the final sprint stage at Madrid, held on to win the points classification by 2 points over Matteo Trentin.{{cite web|url=https://www.teamsky.com/article/team-take-third-at-ttt-worlds|title=Team take third at TTT worlds – Team Sky|first=Team|last=Sky|website=www.teamsky.com|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050659/https://www.teamsky.com/article/team-take-third-at-ttt-worlds|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamsky.com/article/froome-captures-bronze-in-worlds-tt|title=Froome captures bronze in Worlds TT – Team Sky|first=Team|last=Sky|website=www.teamsky.com|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050701/https://www.teamsky.com/article/froome-captures-bronze-in-worlds-tt|url-status=dead}}

With the victory, Froome became the first British rider to win the Vuelta, and the third man to successfully complete the Tour-Vuelta double in the same year joining Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault. He then competed at the 2017 UCI Road World Championships in Bergen only about a week after his Vuelta victory and won two bronze medals: one in the men's team time trial with Team Sky, the other in the men's individual time trial for Great Britain.{{cite web|url=https://www.teamsky.com/article/team-take-third-at-ttt-worlds|title=Team take third at TTT worlds – Team Sky|first=Team|last=Sky|website=www.teamsky.com|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050659/https://www.teamsky.com/article/team-take-third-at-ttt-worlds|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamsky.com/article/froome-captures-bronze-in-worlds-tt|title=Froome captures bronze in Worlds TT – Team Sky|first=Team|last=Sky|website=www.teamsky.com|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050701/https://www.teamsky.com/article/froome-captures-bronze-in-worlds-tt|url-status=dead}} On 17 October 2017, he won his third Vélo d'Or award as the best rider of the 2017 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/froome-wins-2017-velo-dor/|title=Froome wins 2017 Velo d'Or|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=17 October 2017}}

On 13 December 2017, the UCI announced that Froome had returned an "Adverse Analytical Finding" (AAF) for almost twice his allowed dose of salbutamol, an asthma medication. Both the A and B samples revealed urinary salbutamol concentration in excess of the 1000–1200 ng/mL threshold of "therapeutic use".{{cite web|url=https://www.wada-ama.org/en/content/what-is-prohibited/prohibited-at-all-times/beta-2-agonists|title=What is Prohibited|website=World Anti-Doping Agency|access-date=31 May 2018|archive-date=23 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623165956/https://www.wada-ama.org/en/content/what-is-prohibited/prohibited-at-all-times/beta-2-agonists|url-status=dead}}

The threshold for salbutamol is 1000 ng/mL and the decision limit, taking into account measurement uncertainty, is 1200 ng/mL.{{cite web|title=WADA will not appeal UCI decision in Christopher Froome case|url=https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2018-07/wada-will-not-appeal-uci-decision-in-christopher-froome-case/|website=wada-ama.org|publisher=World Anti-Doping Agency|date=2 July 2018|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702141016/https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2018-07/wada-will-not-appeal-uci-decision-in-christopher-froome-case|url-status=dead}}

The test was taken after stage 18 of the Vuelta a España. In a statement, Froome commented: "My asthma got worse at the Vuelta so I followed the team doctor's advice to increase my salbutamol dosage. As always, I took the greatest care to ensure that I did not use more than the permissible dose."{{cite web|title=Chris Froome returns adverse analytical finding for Salbutamol|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-returns-adverse-analytical-finding-for-salbutamol/|website=cyclingnews.com|access-date=13 December 2017|date=13 December 2017}}

Under new WADA rules, compensation has been made for urine concentration and dehydration, under which Froome's level has been lowered to 1,429 ng/mL rather than 2,000 ng/mL.{{cite web|title=What the newest salbutamol study means for Froome|url=http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/4723/what-the-newest-salbutamol-study-means-for-froome/|website=cyclist.co.uk|access-date=11 May 2018|date=11 May 2018}} Subsequently, Froome took much of the off-season contacting experts and reading reports on the situation.Pitt, V. (6 December 2018). 'Only Real Men Wear Pink': Chris Froome on how confidence in himself, his team and his audacious attack carried him to his most spectacular win yet, at the Giro d'Italia. Cycling Weekly, pp. 12–16.

Following the leaking of test results to The Guardian and Le Monde newspapers,{{cite news|last1=Ingle S., and Kerner M.|title=Chris Froome fights to save career after failed drugs test result|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/dec/13/chris-froome-team-sky-reputation-abnormal-drug-test|access-date=29 December 2017|agency=Guardian Newspaper|date=13 December 2017}} the newspaper article stated that ' [this] ...threatens to damage his reputation as one of Britain's most successful athletes.' His team were asked to explain the high levels of the drug revealed in the test, and if not adequately explained it would have resulted in a ban from the sport.

His case has been widely criticised by fellow cyclists and in January 2018 UCI president David Lappartient recommended that he was suspended by {{UCI team code|SKY|2018}} until his case was resolved.{{cite web |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/easier-everyone-team-sky-suspended-froome-says-uci-boss-366352 |title=It would be easier for everyone if Team Sky suspended Froome, says UCI boss |work=Cycling Weekly |last=Brown |first=Gregor |date=19 January 2018 |access-date=22 July 2022}} In February 2018 Dave Brailsford defended Froome saying "For me, there's no question, he's done nothing wrong – no question, no question, no question." He went on to say that he believed Froome was innocent and that he felt the case shouldn't have been made public.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/brailsford-at-this-moment-we-totally-back-chris-froome/|title=Brailsford: At this moment we totally back Chris Froome |work=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=2 May 2018}}

On 2 July 2018, the UCI officially closed the investigation into Froome, stating that the rider had supplied sufficient evidence to suggest that "Mr Froome's sample results do not constitute an AAF".{{cite web |title=UCI statement on anti-doping proceedings involving Mr Christopher Froome |url=http://www.uci.org/pressreleases/uci-statement-anti-doping-proceedings-involving-christopher-froome/ |website=uci.org |publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale |date=2 July 2018|access-date=2 July 2018}}

On 29 November 2017, Froome announced that he intended to participate in the 2018 Giro d'Italia in an attempt to complete the Giro-Tour double, marking his first start in the race since 2010. A win would make him the seventh rider to win all three Grand Tours, and the third rider to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously in a single 12-month period.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-confirms-giro-ditalia-participation/|title=Chris Froome confirms Giro d'Italia participation|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=29 November 2017}}

On 5 February 2018, Froome announced he would start his season with an entry into the Vuelta a Andalucía (Ruta del Sol),{{Cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-to-make-season-debut-at-ruta-del-sol/|title=Chris Froome to make season debut at Ruta del Sol|work=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=2 May 2018}} despite calls for him not to race until his case was resolved. There were also signs of support for Froome, with Ruta del Sol organiser Joaquín Cuevas claiming it to be "a pleasure and an honour" to have Froome in the race,{{Cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/director-of-ruta-del-sol-welcomes-chris-froome/|title=Director of Ruta del Sol welcomes Chris Froome|work=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=2 May 2018}} and Mauro Vegni, the organiser of the Giro d'Italia, commenting that 'If he [Froome] wins the pink jersey, he'll always be the winner for me'.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vegni-i-cant-stop-chris-froome-racing-the-giro-ditalia/|title=Vegni: I can't stop Chris Froome racing the Giro d'Italia|work=Cyclingnews.com|access-date=2 May 2018}} Cyclingnews.com also reported that Froome would be likely to compete in two Italian pre-Giro stage races: Tirreno–Adriatico and the Tour of the Alps.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vegni-i-cant-stop-chris-froome-racing-the-giro-ditalia/|title=Vegni: I can't stop Chris Froome racing the Giro d'Italia|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=7 February 2018}}

File:GIR40227 froome poels.jpg on Stage 19 of the 2018 Giro d'Italia shortly before his decisive solo attack.]]

Froome entered the 2018 Giro d'Italia as one of the favourites to take the overall victory in Rome at the end of May. Once at the start of the Giro d'Italia, he was he would be cleared of his offences. Before the race could even begin Froome crashed whilst performing a recon of the opening time trial in Jerusalem.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-crashes-in-giro-ditalia-time-trial-recon/|title=Chris Froome crashes in Giro d'Italia time trial recon|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=4 May 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2018/05/04/chris-froome-crashes-giro-ditalia-starts/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2018/05/04/chris-froome-crashes-giro-ditalia-starts/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Chris Froome crashes... before Giro d'Italia even starts|first=Tom|last=Cary|date=4 May 2018|via=www.telegraph.co.uk|newspaper=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}} Froome finished the time trial in 21st place, ceding 35 seconds to overall rival Tom Dumoulin. After the race, Team Sky directeur sportif Nicolas Portal admitted that the injury Froome sustained in the crash was worse that they had stated at the time, and Brailsford said that the crash was a setback to Froome's physical condition, which the team felt was below the required level at the start of the Giro.{{cite web |url=https://rouleur.cc/editorial/inside-line-froome-was-overweight-in-pain-and-thinking-about-quitting-giro/ |title=Inside line: Froome was overweight, in pain and thinking of quitting |last=Pryde |first=Kenny |date=31 May 2018 |website=Rouleur |access-date=6 June 2018 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141440/https://rouleur.cc/editorial/inside-line-froome-was-overweight-in-pain-and-thinking-about-quitting-giro/?mc_cid=bf6a47697c&mc_eid=84d881b4f6 |url-status=dead }}

By the end of the first summit finish on Mount Etna, Froome had risen to eighth overall, one minute and 10 seconds behind early race leader Simon Yates.{{cite web|url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2018/stage-6-gc|title=Giro d'Italia 2018 – Stage 6|website=www.procyclingstats.com}} On stage 8, Froome fell on his injured side when his rear wheel slid on a wet climb. By the end of stage 9 to Gran Sasso d'Italia, Froome had lost a further one minute and 17 seconds to Yates, dropping to 11th overall. Stage 10 could have also proven ominous when afterwards he admitted to feeling pain and an imbalance between his legs; and was glad to maintain his position.

Froome's first signs of recovery came through on the most difficult climb of the race to that point, Monte Zoncolan, where he distanced all of his main overall rivals, taking the stage win. Froome's deficit to the maglia rosa was now 3' 10".{{cite web|url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2018/stage-14-gc|title=Giro d'Italia 2018 – Stage 14|website=www.procyclingstats.com}} On the final climb of the following stage to Sappada Froome cracked, yielding more than a minute to the other main general classification contenders. Overall, Froome lay 4'52" from Yates, the leader, 2'41" from Dumoulin, 2'24" from Domenico Pozzovivo and 2'15" from Thibaut Pinot.{{cite web|url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2018/stage-15-gc|title=Giro d'Italia 2018 – Stage 15|website=www.procyclingstats.com}} Froome's fortune began to change as the race entered the third week, with a strong performance in the 34 km, Stage 16 time trial – from Trento to Rovereto – finishing fifth on the stage, rising to fourth overall and moving to within four minutes of Yates.{{cite web|url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2018/stage-16-gc|title=Giro d'Italia 2018 – Stage 16 (ITT)|website=www.procyclingstats.com}} On stage 18 to Prato Nevoso Yates displayed the initial signs of weakness, cracking on the final slopes of the summit finishes and losing 28 seconds to all of his other general classification rivals.{{cite web|url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2018/stage-18-gc|title=Giro d'Italia 2018 – Stage 18|website=www.procyclingstats.com}}

Stage 19 of the race had been classified as the 'queen stage' of the race, with three focused climbs in the latter half of the stage. These included the half paved-half gravel climb of the Colle delle Finestre, followed by the climb to Sestriere and the final uphill finish to Bardonecchia. Team Sky's management decided that Finestre would be the ideal place to put pressure on Yates: if a team rode hard on the front, its 27 hairpin turns would create a concertina effect in the peloton, making it difficult for riders behind to follow, and forcing teams to shed their domestiques. Froome then planned to attack Dumoulin on the 8 km gravel section at the top of the climb.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44372328|title=How Chris Froome won Giro d'Italia thanks to 'spectacular' stage 19 victory |last=Fordyce |first=Tom|author-link=Tom Fordyce|date=6 June 2018 |website=bbc.co.uk|access-date=6 June 2018}}

To ensure that Froome would be able to obtain the nutrition necessary to sustain such a long-range attack, the team commandeered all its staff at the race to ensure there were feeding stations every ten minutes up the Finestre. On the stage itself, the early breakaway, which included Froome's teammates Sergio Henao and David de la Cruz, was closed down by Yates's {{UCI team code|ORS|2018}} team just before the Finestre. Sky's climbing train set an extremely high tempo at the beginning of the climb: with Yates in difficulty on its lower slopes.

With 80 km left of the stage, Froome launched a solo attack. Froome's advantage grew throughout the second half of the stage, culminating in him taking the stage honours. Importantly, a stage victory of more than three minutes which included picking up three bonus seconds at the second intermediate sprint in Pragelato resulted in Froome taking the overall race lead, 40 seconds ahead of the 2017 Giro d'Italia victor, Tom Dumoulin.{{cite web|url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/giro-d-italia/2018/stage-19|title=Giro d'Italia 2018 – Stage 19|website=www.procyclingstats.com}} Taking the maximum number of points on all three of the remaining climbs on the stage (Finestre, Sestriere and the Jafferau), Froome also moved into the lead in the mountains classification.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-i-have-a-clear-conscience/|title=Chris Froome: I have a clear conscience|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=26 May 2018}}

His solo attack was likened to famous historical performances such as Fausto Coppi to Pinerolo in 1949, Claudio Chiappucci to Sestriere in 1992, Marco Pantani on the Galibier in 1998, Floyd Landis's long-range attack to Morzine, and Michael Rasmussen to Tignes in 2007. Froome held on to the maglia rosa on the final 'true' day of racing for the GC, neutralizing several attacks by Dumoulin in the final kilometers before launching a counter-attack of his own, putting an additional 6 seconds into his rival at the finish line at Breuil-Cervinia.

Froome took victory in the 2018 Giro d'Italia making him the first British rider to win the overall title, the first rider since 1983 to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously, as well as becoming the seventh man to have completed the career Grand Tour grand slam.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/may/27/chris-froome-wins-giro-ditalia-rome-first-briton-british-winner-cycling|title =Chris Froome wins Giro d'Italia in Rome to join cycling's exclusive club|date=27 May 2018|work=Guardian|access-date=31 May 2018}} He then went into the 2018 Tour de France as one of the main favorites for victory despite the mostly negative reactions from some fans.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-icy-welcome-for-defending-champion-chris-froome/ |title=Tour de France: Icy welcome for defending champion Chris Froome|work=Cyclingnews.com |access-date=29 July 2019 |archive-date=9 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809155610/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-icy-welcome-for-defending-champion-chris-froome/ |url-status=dead }} Crashing twice on stages 1 and 9 as well as looking vulnerable on several other stages, Froome then shifted his focus on helping his friend and longtime teammate Geraint Thomas. Thanks to his performance in the penultimate day time trial to Espelette, Froome finished third overall behind Thomas.

Despite being defending champion of the Vuelta, Froome decided to skip the 2018 edition having ridden four consecutive Grand Tours.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} He instead rode the 2018 Tour of Britain. It was the last race of his 2018 season, electing to skip the World Championships in Austria citing physical as well as mental fatigue to be the main reasons behind his decision.{{Cite web | url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-geraint-thomas-to-miss-world-championships/ |title = Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas to miss World Championships|date = 5 September 2018}}

On 1 January 2019, Froome announced that he would not be defending his title at the Giro d'Italia, instead focusing on the 2019 Tour de France with the aim of winning the race for the fifth time.{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/46728045 | title=Chris Froome to skip Giro d'Italia to focus on Tour de France| publisher=BBC Sport| date=2 January 2019}} He started his season at Tour Colombia in February, and also rode the Volta a Catalunya in support of Egan Bernal. He completed the Tour of the Alps and the Tour de Yorkshire prior to returning to the Critérium du Dauphiné.{{Cite web | url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-adds-tour-de-yorkshire-to-2019-race-programme/ |title = Chris Froome adds Tour de Yorkshire to 2019 race programme|date = 2 January 2019}}{{Cite web | url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-adds-tour-of-the-alps-to-pre-tour-de-france-race-programme |title = Chris Froome adds Tour of the Alps to pre-Tour de France race programme|date = 10 April 2019}}

On 12 June 2019, Froome was hospitalised with a fractured right femur, a fractured elbow, and fractured ribs, after a high-speed crash into a wall while training for the 4th stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48612884|title=Chris Froome out of Tour de France after 'very serious' crash|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 June 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/48617835|title=Team Ineos cyclist in intensive care after suffering serious injuries in crash|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 June 2019}} The incident ruled out his participation in the 2019 Tour de France.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jun/12/chris-froome-doubt-tour-de-france-crash-criterium-hospital-injured|title=Chris Froome out of Tour de France after suffering multiple fractures in crash|last=MacInnes|first=Paul|date=12 June 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 June 2019}} He spoke for the first time on 3 August 2019 in an interview about the incident and the recovery process.{{cite tweet|number=1157546643908153345|user=INEOSGrenadiers|title=In his first interview since the crash that ended his 2019 season, @ChrisFroome reflects on the incident and detail... |date=3 August 2019}} On 10 September 2019, almost 3 months into his recovery, Froome was confirmed to participate in the 7th edition of the Saitama Criterium,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-aiming-to-compete-in-post-season-criteriums/|title=Chris Froome aiming to race again in 2019|date=13 September 2019}} and on 29 September 2019 posted to social media that he was back training on the road.{{cite tweet|number=1178304959135264770|user=chrisfroome|title=Good to be back on the road again 😁🚴🏻‍♂️💨 #cycling |date=29 September 2019}}

In his first official team interview posted on 17 January 2020, Froome confirmed that he had been given the green light to begin full training following the rehab stage of his recovery and participated in a training camp with several teammates in Gran Canaria, citing his big focus as getting to the 2020 Tour de France with the ambition of getting his fifth overall victory.{{cite tweet|number=1218216517176786944|user=INEOSGrenadiers|title="The only appointment I’ve set myself is the Tour de France. The prospect of going for a fifth yellow jersey is mas... |date=17 January 2020}} On 22 January, it was announced that Froome's first race back would be the UAE Tour at the end of February, rejoining the peloton for the first time since his accident.{{Cite web|url=https://www.velonews.com/2020/01/news/froome-to-return-to-racing-in-february_503993|title = Froome to return to racing in February|date = 22 January 2020}}

On 9 July 2020, it was announced that Froome's contract with {{UCI team code|INS|2020a|nolink=yes}} would not be extended beyond the end of the 2020 season, having been with the team since its formation in 2010. Later that day, Froome signed a "long-term" contract with {{UCI team code|ISN|2021}} from the 2021 season.{{cite news|first=Daniel|last=Benson|title=Chris Froome leaves Ineos for Israel Start-Up Nation|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-leaves-ineos-for-israel-start-up-nation/|website=Cyclingnews.com|date=9 July 2020|access-date=9 July 2020}}{{cite news|title=Leadership and long-term contract keys to Froome move|url=https://www.velonews.com/news/leadership-and-long-term-contract-keys-to-froome-move/|work=VeloNews|date=9 July 2020|access-date=9 July 2020}}

Following the end of the lockdown, Froome completed the Route d'Occitanie, the Tour de l'Ain and the Critérium du Dauphiné. On 19 August 2020, it was announced that he would not be part of the team for the Tour de France, but would instead be the team's designated leader at the Vuelta a España, which would eventually be his final race with Ineos.{{Cite web |url=https://www.teamineos.com/article/ineos-grenadiers-set-out-grand-tour-plans-for-2020 |title=INEOS Grenadiers set out Grand Tour plans for 2020|publisher=Team INEOS |access-date=19 August 2020 |archive-date=19 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819185155/https://www.teamineos.com/article/ineos-grenadiers-set-out-grand-tour-plans-for-2020 |url-status=dead }}

Froome had been training and working on further rehabilitation in southern California in preparation for the 2021 season. On 17 December 2020, it was announced that he would make his {{UCI team code|ISN|2021|nolink=yes}} debut at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina starting on 24 January.{{Cite web|url = http://israelcyclingacademy.com/israel-start-up-nation-and-chris-froome-kick-off-season-2021-in-argentina/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201217192111/https://israelcyclingacademy.com/israel-start-up-nation-and-chris-froome-kick-off-season-2021-in-argentina/|url-status = dead|archive-date = 17 December 2020|title = Israel Start-Up Nation and Chris Froome kick off season 2021 in Argentina|date = 17 December 2020}} However, with the cancellation of the race due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, it was later announced that he would open the season at the UAE Tour starting on 21 February.{{Cite web|url=http://israelcyclingacademy.com/returning-to-the-uae-tour/|title = Returning to the UAE Tour|date = 21 January 2021}} Froome was selected for the Tour de France, his first appearance at the race since 2018, but {{UCI team code|ISN|2021|nolink=yes}} named Michael Woods as team leader.{{cite news|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/michael-woods-to-lead-israel-start-up-nation-at-tour-de-france/|title=Michael Woods, not Chris Froome, to lead Israel Start-Up Nation at Tour de France|website=Cyclingnews.com|date=14 June 2021}} Froome's compatriot Mark Cavendish, who won the points classification, insisted Froome was not to be written off, citing his own comeback testimony as example.{{cite news|first=Barry|last=Ryan|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mark-cavendish-insists-chris-froome-should-not-be-written-off-despite-tour-de-france-struggles/|title=Mark Cavendish insists Chris Froome should not be written off despite Tour de France struggles|date=5 July 2021|website=Cyclingnews.com}} Froome sustained injuries on the opening stage but continued on, eventually completing the race in 133rd overall.{{cite web |url=https://www.letour.fr/en/rider/31/israel-start-up-nation/chris-froome|title=Profil of Chris FROOME - ISRAEL START-UP NATION - Tour de France 2021}}

Froome made his 2022 debut at the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali after a knee tendon inflammation.{{cite web |last1=Windsor |first1=Richard |title=Chris Froome set for 2022 race debut in Italy |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/chris-froome-set-for-2022-debut-in-italy |website=Cycling Weekly |date=19 March 2022 |access-date=26 March 2022}} At the end of May, while riding the Mercan'Tour Classic, Froome managed his best result since his crash at the 2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, when he finished 11th in the mountain race.{{cite web |last1=Benson |first1=Daniel |title=Chris Froome delivers best performance in years at Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes |url=https://www.velonews.com/news/road/chris-froome-delivers-best-performance-in-years-at-mercantour-classic-alpes-maritimes/ |website=VeloNews.com |access-date=31 May 2022 |date=31 May 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Becket |first1=Adam |title='I'm trying to get back to my old self again' — Chris Froome achieves his best result since 2019 horror crash |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/im-trying-to-get-back-to-my-old-self-again-chris-froome-achieves-his-best-result-since-2019-horror-crash |website=cyclingweekly.com |access-date=31 May 2022 |date=31 May 2022}} On stage 12 of the Tour de France, which was a high mountain stage that finished atop Alpe d'Huez, he bridged up to the breakaway with Tom Pidcock about halfway through the stage,{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2022/opinion-old-meets-new-in-fruitful-alpe-d-huez-alliance-between-chris-froome-and-tom-pidcock-on-the-t_sto9036750/story.shtml|title=Opinion: Old meets new in fruitful Alpe d'Huez alliance between Chris Froome and Tom Pidcock on the Tour de France|first=Felix|last=Lowe|publisher=Eurosport|date=14 July 2022|access-date=24 July 2022}} and finished top three of a Tour de France stage for the first time since the 2018 Tour de France. He failed to start stage 18, while in 26th overall, following a positive test for COVID-19.{{cite news|url=https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/cycling/news/21683/12656216/four-time-tour-de-france-champion-chris-froome-out-of-this-years-event-due-to-covid-19|title=Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome out of this year's event due to Covid-19|work=Sky Sports|publisher=Sky UK|date=21 July 2022|accessdate=11 June 2023}} He returned to racing at the Vuelta a España, but did not record a top-50 individual finish on any of the stages, describing the event as a "tough race".{{cite news|url=https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/vuelta-a-espana/2022/a-tough-race-for-me-chris-froome-reflects-on-his-overall-performance-at-la-vuelta_sto9141131/story.shtml|title='A tough race for me' - Chris Froome reflects on his overall performance at La Vuelta|work=Eurosport|publisher=Warner Bros. Discovery|date=11 September 2022|accessdate=11 June 2023}}

Froome started his 2023 season in Australia, riding the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race UCI World Tour events, along with the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic national event,{{cite news|first=Simone|last=Giuliani|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-to-race-melbourne-to-warrnambool/|title=Chris Froome to race Melbourne to Warrnambool|work=Cyclingnews.com|publisher=Future plc|date=3 February 2023|accessdate=11 June 2023}} where he recorded his best finish of this block of racing, with 12th place.{{cite news|first=Simone|last=Giuliani|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-gets-his-hard-training-ride-at-267km-melbourne-to-warrnambool/|title=Chris Froome on 267km Melbourne to Warrnambool – 'I finished completely cross-eyed'|work=Cyclingnews.com|publisher=Future plc|date=4 February 2023|accessdate=11 June 2023}} He led {{UCI team code|ISN|2023}} at the Tour du Rwanda, but finished outside the top twenty overall, having spent some of the fifth stage in a solo breakaway.{{cite news|first=Daniel|last=Ostanek|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froomes-solo-75km-tour-du-rwanda-breakaway-ends-with-puncture/|title=Chris Froome embarks on solo 75km breakaway at Tour du Rwanda, ends with puncture and crash|work=Cyclingnews.com|publisher=Future plc|date=23 February 2023|accessdate=11 June 2023}} Froome missed out on being selected for the 2023 Tour de France.{{Cite web |date=23 June 2023 |title=Chris Froome to miss Tour de France 2023 as Israel-Premier Tech leave out multiple Grand Tour champion |url=https://www.skysports.com/amp/more-sports/cycling/news/15264/12908219/chris-froome-to-miss-tour-de-france-2023-as-israel-premier-tech-leave-out-multiple-grand-tour-champion |access-date=9 October 2024 |website=Sky News}}

At the start of the 2024 season, Froome competed in the Tour du Rwanda, where he helped teammate Itamar Einhorn to victory on stage 2.{{Cite web |last=Karra |first=Yulia |date=2024-02-21 |title=In first, Israeli cyclists win Tour de Rwanda race |url=https://www.israel21c.org/in-first-israeli-cyclists-win-tour-de-rwanda-race/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=ISRAEL21c |language=en-US}} Following this he competed in the Tirreno–Adriatico. On stage 2 he crashed, and did not start stage 5, suffering from a fractured wrist as a result of the crash.{{Cite web |author1=Alasdair Fotheringham |date=2024-03-08 |title=Chris Froome abandons Tirreno-Adriatico with fractured wrist |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-abandons-tirreno-adriatico-due-to-fractured-wrist/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=cyclingnews.com |language=en}} Following two months of recovery, Froome returned to competition in the Mercan'Tour Classic and thereafter rode in three stage races as a domestique.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-30 |title="It's still way too early to say" - Chris Froome unsure he'll be allowed Tour de France return later this summer |url=https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/its-still-way-too-early-to-say-chris-froome-unsure-hell-be-allowed-tour-de-france-return-later-this-summer |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=CyclingUpToDate.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-05-31 |title=Chris Froome sees Tour de France hopes boosted as Israel - Premier Tech announce lineup for 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné |url=https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/chris-froome-sees-tour-de-france-hopes-boosted-as-israel-premier-tech-announce-lineup-for-2024-criterium-du-dauphine |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=CyclingUpToDate.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-06-21 |title=Chris Froome: Tour de France blow for British cyclist, left out of Israel-Premier Tech team |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cekke7xjy7xo.amp |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-gb}}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-03 |title=Cyclisme. Sibiu Tour - Israel-Premier Tech avec une sacrée équipe en Roumanie |url=https://www.cyclismactu.net/info-cyclisme-route-sibiu-tour-israel-premier-tech-avec-une-sacree-equipe-en-roumanie-82569.html |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.cyclismactu.net |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2024-08-05 |title=Chris Froome hints at retirement as he makes Arctic Race of Norway debut |url=https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/chris-froome-hints-at-retirement-as-he-makes-arctic-race-of-norway-debut |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=CyclingUpToDate.com |language=en}}

At the start of his 2025 season, Froome suffered a crash in the final stage of the UAE Tour, resulting in a broken collarbone and his abandonment of the race.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-23 |title=Chris Froome suffers broken collarbone in crash at UAE Tour |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/clyz2zpevkqo.amp |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-gb}}

Froome met Michelle Cound, a South African of Welsh origin, through South African rider Daryl Impey in 2009. Froome and Cound moved to Monaco together in 2011 and got engaged in March 2013.{{cite news |last=Bevan |first=Chris |title=Chris Froome's fiancee on life with the Tour de France leader |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/23385376 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=23 July 2013 |date=20 July 2013}}{{cite news |last=White |first=Jim |title=How Chris Froome's feisty fiancee is the power behind his throne |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/10196367/How-Chris-Froomes-feisty-fiancee-is-the-power-behind-his-throne.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/10196367/How-Chris-Froomes-feisty-fiancee-is-the-power-behind-his-throne.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=23 July 2013 |date=23 July 2013}}{{cbignore}} The couple married in November 2014,{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/chris-froome-long-haul-strategy-149606 |title=Chris Froome working on long-haul strategy towards 2015 Tour de France |last1=Smith |first1=Sophie |date=16 December 2014 |work=Cycling Weekly |access-date=19 December 2014}} and on 14 December 2015 had their first child, a son.{{cite news |title=Chris Froome celebrates birth of first child |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-celebrates-birth-of-first-child/|access-date=16 December 2015 |website=Cyclingnews.com|date=16 December 2015}} Froome dedicated his 2013 Tour de France win to his mother, who died of cancer five weeks before his Tour debut in 2008. His second child, a daughter, was born on 1 August 2018.{{cite tweet|number=1025022262225891328|user=chrisfroome|title=Welcomed my little girl Katie to the world yesterday 💝 |access-date=17 July 2019|date=2 August 2018}}

Froome was appointed officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to cycling.

Since winning his first Tour de France title in 2013, doubts over Froome's performances were raised by various experts, including former Festina coach Antoine Vayer. These allegations were based mainly on his sudden transformation from a relatively unknown rider to a Grand Tour winner, following his breakthrough performance in the 2011 Vuelta. After his dominant showing in the first mountain stage of the 2015 Tour, the suspicions increased even further.

In an attempt to answer these questions, Froome promised to undergo independent physiological testing soon after finishing the Tour. The test, arranged by Froome himself, took place shortly before the start of the Vuelta, on 17 August 2015, in the GlaxoSmithKline Human Performance lab in London. Several tests were carried to determine his maximum sustainable power for 20–40 minutes (threshold power), level of maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and his peak power.

Froome's peak power was measured at 525 W; his peak 20–40-minute power, at 419 W, corresponds to 79.8 per cent of the maximum. Given his weight of {{convert|69.9|kg|lb|abbr=on}} (of which 9.8% was body fat) at the time of test, this corresponds to figures of 7.51 and 5.98 W/kg respectively. His maximum oxygen uptake was measured at 84.6 ml/kg/min. At the time, he was reportedly almost {{convert|3|kg|lb|abbr=on}} heavier compared to his Tour weight of {{convert|67|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. Using this number, the VO2 max figure would translate to approximately 88.2 ml/kg/min.

Froome also released results from a previous test, carried out in 2007 while being part of the UCI development programme. The 2007 test measured his peak power at 540 W, the threshold power at 420 W and the maximum oxygen uptake of 80.2 ml/kg/min, at a weight of {{convert|75.6|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Moore (journalist) |url=http://chrisfroome.esquire.co.uk/ |title=The Hardest Road |work=Esquire |date=4 December 2015|access-date=4 December 2015}}

Source:{{cite web |title=Chris Froome |url=http://www.cyclingarchives.com/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=22017 |work=Cycling Archives |publisher=de Wielersite |access-date=9 March 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/riders/sky-procycling/froome-christopher.html |title=Christopher Froome |work=Tour de France|publisher=Amaury Sport Organisation |access-date=28 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702024816/http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/riders/sky-procycling/froome-christopher.html |archive-date=2 July 2013 |url-status=dead }}

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

;2005

: 1st Stage 2 Tour de Maurice

;2006

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de Maurice

::1st Stages 2 & 3

: 2nd Anatomic Jock Race

;2007

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Mi-Août en Bretagne

: 1st Stage 5 Giro delle Regioni

: 1st Stage 6 Tour of Japan

: 2nd Berg en Dale Classic

: 2nd 15px Time trial, UCI B World Championships

: 3rd Road race, All-Africa Games

: 8th Tour du Doubs

;2008

: 2nd Overall Giro del Capo

: 3rd Giro dell'Appennino

: 4th Overall Herald Sun Tour

: 6th Overall Volta ao Distrito de Santarém

;2009

: 1st Stage 2 Giro del Capo

: 1st Anatomic Jock Race

: 4th Road race, National Road Championships

: 9th Gran Premio Nobili Rubinetterie

;2010

: 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships

: 5th Time trial, Commonwealth Games

: 9th Overall Tour du Haut Var

;2011 (2 pro wins)

: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Vuelta a España

::1st {{cjersey|white}} Combination classification

::1st Stage 17

: 3rd Overall Tour of Beijing

;2012 (1)

: 2nd Overall Tour de France

::1st Stage 7

::Held {{cjersey|polkadot}} after Stage 7

: 3rd File:Bronze medal olympic.svg Time trial, Olympic Games

: 4th Overall Vuelta a España

: 4th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné

: 7th UCI World Tour

;2013 (13)

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de France

::1st Stages 8, 15 & 17 (ITT)

::Held {{cjersey|polkadot}} after Stages 8 & 15–19

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de Romandie

::1st Prologue

: 1st {{cjersey|Dauphine}} Overall Critérium du Dauphiné

::1st Stage 5

: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Tour of Oman

::1st {{cjersey|green}} Points classification

::1st Stage 5

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Critérium International

::1st Stage 3

: 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

::1st Stage 4

: 2nd UCI World Tour

: 3rd File:bronze medal uci.svg Team time trial, UCI Road World Championships

;2014 (6)

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de Romandie

::1st Stage 5 (ITT)

: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Tour of Oman

::1st Stage 5

: Critérium du Dauphiné

::1st {{cjersey|green}} Points classification

::1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 2

: 2nd Overall Vuelta a España

::{{cjersey|red number}} Combativity award Overall

: 6th Overall Volta a Catalunya

: 7th UCI World Tour

;2015 (7)

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de France

::1st {{cjersey|polkadot}} Mountains classification

::1st Stage 10

: 1st {{cjersey|Dauphine}} Overall Critérium du Dauphiné

::1st Stages 7 & 8

: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Vuelta a Andalucía

::1st {{cjersey|blue}} Points classification

::1st Stage 4

: 3rd Overall Tour de Romandie

::1st Stage 1 (TTT)

: 6th UCI World Tour

;2016 (10)

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de France

::1st Stages 8 & 18 (ITT)

: 1st {{cjersey|Dauphine}} Overall Critérium du Dauphiné

::1st Stage 5

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Herald Sun Tour

::1st {{cjersey|black}} Mountains classification

::1st Stage 4

: 1st Stage 4 Tour de Romandie

: 2nd Overall Vuelta a España

::1st Stages 1 (TTT), 11 & 19 (ITT)

::{{cjersey|red number}} Combativity award Stage 19

: 3rd File:Bronze medal olympic.svg Time trial, Olympic Games

: 3rd UCI World Tour

: 8th Overall Volta a Catalunya

;2017 (4)

: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de France

: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Vuelta a España

::1st {{cjersey|green}} Points classification

::1st {{cjersey|white}} Combination classification

::1st Stages 9 & 16 (ITT)

::{{cjersey|green number}} Combativity award Stage 16

: 2nd UCI World Tour

: UCI Road World Championships

::3rd 15px Time trial

::3rd 15px Team time trial

: 4th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné

: 6th Overall Herald Sun Tour

;2018 (3)

: 1st {{cjersey|pink}} Overall Giro d'Italia

::1st {{cjersey|azul}} Mountains classification

::1st Stages 14 & 19

: 3rd Overall Tour de France

: 4th Overall Tour of the Alps

: 9th UCI World Tour

: 10th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía

{{div col end}}

• Vélo d'Or: 2013, 2015, 2017
• Velo Magazine International Cyclist of the Year: 2013{{cite news |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/11/magazine/velo-magazine-december-2013_309647 |title=Velo Magazine – December 2013 |work=VeloNews |date=19 November 2013 |access-date=20 November 2013 |archive-date=10 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110055910/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/11/magazine/velo-magazine-december-2013_309647 |url-status=dead }}
• International Flandrien of the Year: 2013, 2017{{cite news |url=http://cyclingquotes.com/news/van_avermaet_and_froome_win_quotflandrien_of_the_yearquot_awards/ |title=Van Avermaet and Froome win 'Flandrian of the Year' award |work=CyclingQuotes.com |publisher=JJnet.dk A/S |date=18 October 2013 |access-date=13 September 2014 |first=Emil |last=Axelgaard}}
• Sports Journalists' Association Sportsman of the Year: 2017{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/awards-news/froome-cockroft-and-england-women-cricketers-take-sja-prizes/|title=Froome, Cockroft and England women cricketers take SJA prizes – Sports Journalists' Association|website=www.sportsjournalists.co.uk|date=6 December 2017 }}
• Officer of the Order of the British Empire: 2016

{{Portal|Biography|Sports|Olympics|United Kingdom|Kenya|South Africa}}

• 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

{{Reflist}}

{{reflist|group=N}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last1=Brailsford |last2=Froome |first1=Dave |first2=Chris |author-link1=Dave Brailsford |title=The Pain and the Glory: The Official Team Sky Diary of the Giro Campaign and Tour Victory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XTUPAAAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=London |isbn=978-0-00-754471-4}}
• {{cite book |last=Froome |first=Chris |title=The Climb: The Autobiography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-COQngEACAAJ |year=2014 |publisher=Penguin Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-241-00418-0}}
• {{cite book |last=Sharp |first=David |title=Va Va Froome: The Remarkable Rise of Chris Froome |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gNzgmAEACAAJ |year=2013 |publisher=Birlinn |location=Edinburgh |isbn=978-1-78027-166-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Vlismas |first=Michael |title=Froome: The Ride of his Life |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WuY2ngEACAAJ |year=2013 |publisher=Jonathan Ball Publishers |location=Johannesburg |isbn=978-1-86842-604-1}}
• {{cite book |last=Walsh |first=David |author-link=David Walsh (journalist) |title=Inside Team Sky: The Inside Story of Team Sky and their Challenge for the 2013 Tour de France |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CZvZAAAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York City |isbn=978-1-4711-3331-2}}

{{refend}}

{{Commons category|Chris Froome}}

{{Wikinews|Chris Froome wins Tour de France}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170730021720/https://www.teamsky.com/riders/chris-froome Chris Froome profile] at Team Sky
• {{Sports links}}

{{Tour de France general classification winners}}

{{Tour de France mountains classification winners}}

{{Giro d'Italia general classification winners}}

{{Giro d'Italia mountains classification winners}}

{{Vuelta a España general classification winners}}

{{Vuelta a España points classification winners}}

{{Vuelta a España combination classification winners}}

{{Vélo d'Or}}

{{Israel Start-Up Nation riders}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Froome, Chris}}

Category:1985 births

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