Chris Froome fractured neck in crash and lost four pints of blood with Brit set for six weeks in hospital

Chris Froome suffered a broken neck during his crash on Wednesday and lost appoximately four pints of blood as the four-time Tour de France champion prepares for a lengthy spell out.

A six-week spell in hospital will follow after the 34-year-old suffered an accident after taking his hands off the handlebars to blow his nose while travelling at 54 km/h.

The BBC report Froome suffered a broken neck, while scans also showed the six-time Grand Tour winner fractured his right femur, a broken hip, a fractured elbow and fractured ribs.

After successful surgery, chief surgeon Remi Philippot insisted he will be out for "at least six months".

The incident occured during a practice ride before stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine in Roanne, France, but the early signs are Froome can make a full recovery, with orthopaedic surgeon Giorgio Gresta claiming he can come back "stronger than before."

“He was conscious and reactive, when my colleague, Remi Philippot, and I explained what he had and what we would do,” Gresta told Gazzetta dello Sport.

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“He was optimistic despite his injuries not being simple. He seemed determined to ride again and return to racing. And from a medical point of view there won’t be a problem: he can recover from all his injuries.

“We’re at the avant-garde [in recuperation techniques] at Saint-Etienne [hospital]. A number of athletes have come to us to recover from injuries. Froome was unlucky with his crash but he was lucky to be close to us.

"The intensive care? That was a precautionary measure due to the length of the surgery and considering that the patient had lost a lot of blood, more or less two litres,” Gresta added. “He’s not facing any specific risk and its important he’s calm and relaxed.

“He’ll be transferred to a normal care unit as soon as possible. His recovery time depends on his desire to fight back but he seems very motivated. He could just need six months to be back stronger than before.”