I was losing faith says Britain's resurgent Froome

CARCASSONNE, France : It has been more than 1,500 days since Chris Froome last won a race but the four-time Tour de France champion has an unwavering certainty he can still improve, although there were moments he was losing faith after a career-threatening freak crash in 2019.

Three years after hitting a wall at 60kph and sustaining fractures to his neck, right femur, hip, elbow and ribs, the Briton fought for a stage win at the top of the iconic climb to l'Alpe d'Huez on the Tour last week.

The 37-year-old took third place, which was way above anyone's expectations for a rider who struggled to reach the finish line on most of the days in last year's race.

"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 told Reuters on Monday.

"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's last victory came in 2018 when he won the Giro d'Italia after a vintage 80-km solo ride and, while he was far from that level on the way to l'Alpe d'Huez, he was in the mix, albeit only for a stage victory that went to compatriot Tom Pidcock.

THIRD PLACE

"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