Tour de France: 'I'll keep the dream alive' - Chris Froome determined to reach 'old level' after Stage 12 heroics
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Updated 18/07/2022 at 14:52 GMT
"I don't know how far I'm going to get and if I'm going to get to my old level but one thing is for sure I'm going to work as hard as I can." Chris Froome was back on the podium at the Tour de France for the first time since 2018 on Stage 12 as he continues to work his way back from a career-threatening crash three years ago. Stream the Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+.
'No regrets' - Froome 'gave it everything' on remarkable Stage 12 comeback
Chris Froome believes there is now "nothing holding him back" as he strives to get back to his best.
The four-time Tour de France winner has been battling the effects of serious injury following his career-threatening high-speed crash in 2019.
Froome was in intensive care and sustained fractures to his neck, right femur, hip, elbow and ribs after hitting a wall at 60kmph while training.
However, while the Israel-Premier Tech rider admits the road to something approaching a full recovery has been a long one, he rolled back the years produce a stunning performance to finish third on Stage 12 of this year’s Tour on Alpe d’Huez.
"These past five, six months, were probably the only five six months in the last three years that I've been able to work uninterrupted with no pain, no injuries, nothing," Froome said in an interview with Reuters.
"Nothing holding me back. So I'm still seeing improvements, seeing progressions and as long as I'm seeing these improvements, I'm going to keep working.
"I don't know how far I'm going to get and if I'm going to get to my old level but one thing is for sure I'm going to work as hard as I can.
"And as long as I see these improvements, I'm going to keep the dream alive and keep working for it."
Froome was naturally pleased with his performance to get back on the podium at the Tour for the first time since 2018.
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The Brit admitted there were times when he ‘lost faith’ in his abilities but has renewed motivation following his improved showing on Alpe d’Huez.
"I think I managed to hold in there for four or five kilometres within sort of 20 seconds but then the light started going out to me and the elastic snapped," said Froome.
"So at that point it was clear I was riding for third place on the stage. I had (Neilson) Powless very, very close behind me. But I wanted to make the most of it and at least try to finish with a top three on the stage."
"Last year, I worked extremely hard to be ready for the Tour de France. But when I came here, I was in the grouppetto battle every day.
"I was struggling. I was really fighting to finish the stages. And just to make it to Paris was a really big challenge for me last year so, yes, there are moments of course I had doubts myself.
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"I was losing faith in my abilities for sure. I think naturally as athletes we doubt ourselves a lot. But when you work extremely hard and you're not seeing the gains that you hope to get, there are definitely moments where I was doubting myself there.
"I really need to say a massive thank you to the people around me and most notably my wife (Michelle). She believed in me, she's given me motivation to continue and keep fighting and only now, three years later, am I finally starting to turn the corner and starting to see some real progress.
He added: "And now, this Alpe d'Huez stage, it's given me more hope and more motivation."
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