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| Human Interest | |
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General Interest | |
| Other information | NATIONAL FIRST He became the first British rider to win two Tour de France titles when he won the 2015 edition. (bbc.co.uk, 26 Jul 2015) PHYSIOLOGICAL TESTS He agreed to undertake physiological tests following intense scrutiny surrounding his 2015 Tour de France victory. The test, arranged by himself, took place shortly before the start of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana. Several tests were carried out to determine his maximum sustainable power for 20-40 minutes [threshold power], level of maximum oxygen consumption [VO2 max] and his peak power. He also released results from a previous test, carried out in 2007, while part of the UCI development programme. "I haven't cheated, I haven't taken any secret substance that isn't known of yet. I know my results will stand the test of time, that 10 or 15 years down the line people won't say, 'Ah, so that was his secret'. There isn't a secret." (cyclingnews.com, 04 Dec 2015; bbc.co.uk, 04 Dec 2015; independent.co.uk, 04 Dec 2015) TURBULENT TOUR He faced intense scrutiny from the media and the public over his performances in the 2015 Tour de France. Team Sky Procycling computers were hacked during the tour for his power data from previous tours, and he also had urine thrown over him by a spectator during a stage of the tour as a result of allegations that he had doped. During the second rest day of the tour, team principal Sir Dave Brailsford released Froome's power data into the public domain, saying, "We thought we would give people concrete numbers and figures." (bbc.co.uk, 18 Jul 2015) MISSED TEST He revealed that he missed a drugs test in 2015 while on holiday in Italy. "The authorities showed up at seven o'clock in the morning and the hotel wouldn't give them access to our room. They also refused to let them call up to the room." He argued that the missed test should not stand on his record but later conceded that it is the athlete's responsibility to ensure they are available for a test. "I should have been more proactive in letting the hotel know that this is a possibility that I could be tested. I have certainly learnt my lesson there." He also admitted he missed a test while training in 2010. (bbc.co.uk, 25 Jun 2015) FROM KENYA TO GREAT BRITAIN He initially represented Kenya but since 2008 has ridden under a British licence. He was meant to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing but an administrative error by the Kenyan authorities prevented him from doing so. (chris-froome.com, 01 Jun 2012; cyclingweekly.co.uk, 25 Jan 2011) SACRIFICES He had reached national standard on the road by the time he went to the University of Johannesburg to begin an economics degree. However, he abandoned his degree two years into the course in 2007 to pursue his cycling dream at a global level after being given the opportunity to ride with the Konica Minolta team. (bbc.co.uk, 21 Jul 2013; skysports.com, 23 Jul 2013) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs | "I always have porridge, quinoa and an omelette the morning of a stage race." (theturbine.com, 09 Jul 2015) |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning the 2013 and 2015 Tour de France. (theguardian.com, 07 Jun 2014) |
| Famous relatives | His father, Clive, is a former hockey player who represented England at U19 level. (telegraph.co.uk, 27 Jun 2013) |
| Most influential person in career | Former coach and mentor David Kinjah. (theguardian.com, 07 Jun 2014; skysports.com, 06 Jul 2014; velonews.competitor.com, 19 Jul 2013) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English |
| Family | Wife Michelle and son Kellan |
| Residence | Monaco, MON |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Team Sky: Great Britain |
General Interest | |
| Injuries | He fractured a bone in his foot after a fall on stage 11 of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana, forcing him to withdraw from the race. (bbc.co.uk, 05 Sep 2015) A chest infection in March 2015 ruled him out of competing at the 2015 Tirenno-Adriatico race. He missed the 2014 version of the race with a back injury. (bbc.co.uk, 09 Mar 2015) He broke bones in his wrist and his hand at the 2014 Tour de France, prematurely ending his participation in the event. (bbc.co.uk, 11 Oct 2014) He withdrew from the September 2013 World Championships road race in Florence, Italy, due to back pain. (insidethegames.biz, 30 Oct 2013) He suffered from bilharzia in 2010, a long-term illness that feeds on the body's red blood cells and nutrients, delaying the recovery time after training or racing. By 2012 the bug had still not left his system entirely. (chris-froome.com, 01 Jun 2012) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | He said that cycling was his freedom from a young age. He was guided into the sport by the Safari Simbaz founder David Kinjah. Kinjah was an inspiration to him and training together in the rural highlands north of Nairobi ignited his passion for cycling. |
General Interest | |
| Ambitions | To win an unprecedented Tour de France, Olympic road race and Olympic time trial treble at the 2016 Tour de France and 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (skysports.com, 01 Oct 2015) |
| Awards and honours | He was given the Order of the British Empire [OBE] in the 2016 New Year's Honours List for his services to cycling. (teamsky.com, 30 Dec 2015) He won the 2013 Velo d'Or, given each year by French publication Velo Magazine. (insidethegames.biz, 30 Oct 2013) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Tim Kerrison [coach], AUS |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | His love affair with the sport began on dirt roads in Kenya, but his competitive streak only truly emerged when he moved to South Africa in 1999 at age 15. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Froomey (cyclingnews.com, 11 Jan 2016; chris-froome.com, 27 Apr 2016) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "When doing a time trial, try not to go too deep into the red too early. Aim to hold a power that you know you can hold for at least 25 minutes then, if you feel like you still have the legs, give it everything in the final five kilometres." (chris-froome.com, 01 Jun 2012) |