Madrid, Jun 13 (IANS): Four-time Tour de France champion Britain's Chris Froome continues to be in intensive care at a French hospital in Saint-Etienne following his accident a day back, his team and family said.

Froome underwent surgery on Thursday. He has been ruled out of this year's Tour de France, which starts on July 6.

He had taken a hand off his handlebars to blow his nose on Wednesday when a gust of wind had caught his front wheel, causing him to hit a wall at high speed, fracturing his right femur bone, hip, an elbow and several ribs during a reconnaissance ride during the Criterium du Dauphine race, reports Efe news.

"He had surgery to repair his femur, his hip, his elbow. He's got broken ribs, a little bit of internal damage as well, so he's staying in intensive care for the next couple of days and then we'll go from there," his team principal Dave Brailsford said.

The 34-year-old British rider had been accompanied to the University Hospital of Saint-Etienne by his wife, Michelle, and the Team Ineos doctor, Richard Usher.

"It is a very serious accident. Clearly, he will not be at the start of the Tour de France," Brailsford said Wednesday. "It will take quite a long time before he races again," he added.

Froome was crowned the winner of the 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Tours, won Vuelta a Espana title in 2017 and clinched his first Giro d'Italia title in 2018, the first Brit to win the Italian road race.