(CNN) — Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome suffered a life-threatening heart injury in his crash last week in France, his wife has said.

The 40-year-old Froome, who races for Israel–Premier Tech, was airlifted to hospital following a crash during training on August 27, undergoing surgery a day later.

In a post on Froome’s X account , it said that he had sustained a pneumothorax, five broken ribs, and a lumbar vertebrae fracture.

Speaking to The Times , Michelle Froome said her husband had also sustained a pericardial rupture, a tear in the protecative sac surrounding the heart, often caused by blunt chest trauma and often occurring in road accidents.

“It was obviously a lot more serious than some broken bones,” Michelle said. “He’s fine but it’s going to be a lon

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