Chris Froome has thumb surgery after freak accident

Chris Froome was back in hospital after spending three weeks being treated for injuries after a crash on 12 June

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has admitted "this is not my year" after suffering a freak injury at home.

The 34-year-old cut his thumb with a kitchen knife and needed surgery to repair a tendon.

It comes just months after Froome suffered fractures in three different places after a horrific crash at the Criterium du Dauphine.

"Can't wait for 2020," the Team Ineos rider said on social media on Saturday.

British rider Froome was not able to compete at this year's Tour in July as he recovered from his accident after crashing into a wall in a warm-up for a stage at the Criterium.

He fractured his elbow, right femur and a number of ribs, as well as losing four pints of blood and had to spend more than three weeks in hospital to begin his recovery.

Froome was able to get back on his bike for some light training sessions at the end of August, but he now needs to keep his thumb in a sling for a couple of weeks.

"Stuck giving a thumbs up for a couple of weeks," he joked in his post.

There has been some good news this summer, though.

Froome was retrospectively awarded the 2011 Vuelta a Espana after Spaniard Juan Jose Cobo was found guilty of doping irregularities.