Chris Froome has taken to social media to share the number plate of a motorist who he alleges attempted to drive into him “multiple times” as he tried to filter past during a recent training ride in the French town of Menton.
The four-time Tour de France winner also claimed that the driver in question has been “terrorising” AG Insurance -Soudal pro Urška Žigart, the current Slovenian champion and fiancée of Tadej Pogačar, and said it was “about time she faces the consequences”.
Froome, who is expected to return to racing at the Tour of the Alps later this month after fracturing his collarbone at the UAE Tour in February, was only a few kilometres into a mountainous 108km training ride in the south of France when the alleged road rage incident took place on Thursday, in Menton, near his home in Monaco.
Posting a photo of the driver’s car and licence plate on his Instagram stories, the 39-year-old Israel-Premier Tech pro said: “This lady tried to drive into me multiple times while I was attempting to pass her.
“Apparently cyclists are NOT allowed to pass vehicles. Who knew?”
In a separate post, Froome also highlighted a sticker on the motorist’s car belonging to the Institute Arnault Tzanck, a hospital in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, just outside Nice.
“Not her working for a hospital! Is she trying to get more patients?” the former Team Sky leader posted.
And on Friday morning, in response to a post from cycling content creator Joe Timms – who pointed out that even four-time Tour winners have “to deal with crazy drivers on the road” – Froome revealed that he’s not the only professional cyclist living on the Côte d’Azur who’s had a run-in with that particular angry motorist.
“Same woman has been terrorising Urška Žigart,” Froome claimed on X, formerly Twitter, making it clear that the driver in question is known for dangerous, erratic behaviour around cyclists.
“I doubt we are the only ones in the area that have had issues with her. About time she faces the consequences.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Froome has experienced aggression at the hands of a driver while training near his Monaco home.
In May 2017, two months before he won his fourth and final Tour de France, Froome said he was “rammed on purpose by an impatient driver who followed me into the pavement”.
The British rider luckily emerged unscathed from that deliberate hit-and-run, though his Pinarello Dogma was damaged beyond repair.
“Pretty scary experience today. The French police have been brilliant, I have given them all the details. Just grateful I wasn’t hurt,” Froome said at the time.
He wasn’t as lucky in September 2022, however, sustaining minor injuries when he was the victim of a dooring incident while returning home from a training ride.
“I went out for a lovely Sunday ride,” Froome said following the crash. “It was stunning, lovely weather, stunning views but just before I got home, 50 metres before my front door, I got doored.
“That means as I was riding along someone in a parked car opened their door right in front of me. It was literally a metre in front of me. I didn’t even make it to my brakes. I hit the door and went flying over.”
Froome sustained a grazed hip and damage to his left elbow in the fall, which he used as an opportunity to raise awareness of the Dutch Reach technique for opening car doors, which aims to minimise the risk of similar crashes involving cyclists.
23 thoughts on “Chris Froome angrily takes to social media to share number plate of motorist who allegedly tried to drive into him “multiple times”, calling for her to “face the consequences””
Report to the police. Social
Report to the police. Social media posts are easy but usually achieve little.
Agreed, but he was still
Agreed, but he was still right to publicise the event. The police, if they’re anything like Lancashire, will do nothing at all.
Also we only get one side of
Also we only get one side of the story when it’s social media.
And that side of the story normally has has dedicated followers who don’t care why.
Tbh I’m sure this driver was out to get him.
Wearing that top out in public, as another poster said, basically asking to have an incident with a letter box.
Webstaff wrote:
Anyone carrying a Palestinian flag or wearing a keffiyeh is basically asking to get punched. Is that statement okay? Of course it isn’t, so it isn’t okay the other way. You can disagree profoundly with Israel and support freedom for the Palestinians (as I do) without supporting violence against civilians in other countries; if you have the attitude that somebody who disagrees with you is “asking for it” then you should ask yourself what makes you so different from the people you purport to oppose?
You’ve just confused Israel
You’ve just confused Israel with Judaism and Palestine with Hamas, do better Rendel
Car Delenda Est wrote:
Genuinely puzzled as to how you’ve extrapolated that from what I said. Care to explain?
Rendel Harris wrote:
The obvious answer to that question is whether you support genocide or not. It’s similar to claiming that Nazis shouldn’t be punched because that makes you as bad as them, but that’s simply not true. However, it would be a mistake to assume that because someone lives in a country that they support the actions of the government.
If you’re a cyclist on a road
If you’re a cyclist on a road you are public enemy number 1.
Always seems to be female
Always seems to be female drivers
And today’s award for the
And today’s award for the dumbest comment goes to cool kitty
Coolkitty wrote:
I’d say as a rough estimate of drivers who deliberately behave badly towards me when I’m cycling it would be split 90/10 male/female, of those who drive thoughtlessly, selfishly or carelessly but not actually deliberately trying to hurt/intimidate, probably 75/25 male/female.
Maybe it was the genocide
Maybe it was the genocide supporting top he was wearing.
I hope this comment stays.
I hope this comment stays.
Personally I’d suggest given the last incident involving a car, Chris needs to learn some road biking skills.
All car drivers are trying to kill you, ride accordingly.
Why don’t you offer to give
Why don’t you offer to give home some tips?
Webstaff wrote:
Victim blaming at its finest, a driver apparently repeatedly tries to drive into a cyclist to prevent him overtaking and it’s the cyclist’s fault. Did you even think for a second how stupid you look telling the man who is fourth on the all-time list of Grand Tour winners that he needs to “learn some road biking skills”? And if you did, did you consider what possible road biking skills are available that prevent someone deliberately trying to drive into you when you overtake them?
Presumably she also has an
Presumably she also has an entirely well-founded grudge against Belgian sealants, which justifies her trying to drive in to Urška Žigart.
Rome73 wrote:
As if Tadej Pogacar’s slavery-supporting jersey is any different…
Jamminatrix wrote:
Maybe it was the genocide supporting top he was wearing.
— Jamminatrix As if Tadej Pogacar’s slavery-supporting jersey is any different…— Rome73
or Team Bahrain … selective outrage.
If the local police is
If the local police is unwilling or unable to do their job properly, then perhaps her insurance provider ought to re-evaluate the risks she poses to their bottom line and act accordingly
“near his home in Monaco”
“near his home in Monaco”
Yet another cyclist who doesn’t pay any tax
IanGlasgow wrote:
He pays all the tax that the state he lives in requires of him.
I’m sure you were being
I’m sure you were being sarcastic… however …
Lewis Hamilton lives in Monaco.
Yet another car driver that doesn’t pay any tax
Is the relvant authorites are
Is the relvant authorites are so inept they can’t even efficiently tax someone who sole relevant skill is that they drive a car quickly in a circle for, on average, a few hours a week, then good luck to him.