Chris Froome avoids surgery after wrist fracture and is back on the bike

Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) is back on the bike a week after fracturing his scaphoid at Tirreno-Adriatico.

GCN has learned that the four-time Tour de France winner avoided surgery at the start of this week but that he will remain in a cast for another four weeks as he recovers from the injury.

Froome crashed on stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico but initial scans failed to pick up on the true extent of his injuries. He battled through two more stages in Italy before seeking further medical tests on the evening of stage 4.

An MRI scan confirmed a scaphoid fracture – the same injury that led to him pulling out of the Tour de France in 2014.

Surgery was initially scheduled for this week after Froome’s return from Italy but the rider’s medical experts eventually decided against the procedure. Further scans are expected in the coming weeks.

Froome was able to return to training for the first time on Wednesday with a ride around Monaco and Nice after a custom cast was provided on Tuesday.

Although his team have yet to confirm his race programme for the coming weeks and months, a return has been pencilled in for the Campeonato Vasco Navarro de Montaña on March 30. The race was previously known as the Gran Premio Miguel Induráin.