Chris Froome (Team Ineos) returned to the bike Sunday afternoon on his home roads in southern France. The four-time Tour de France winner posted a selfie on Twitter, saying he was "happy to be back on the road again."

It was the first time Froome had ridden on the road since a brutal crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné, where he was riding a reconditioned time trial in the June race when he lost control on a downhill and crashed into the wall.

In addition to a broken femur, he fractured his elbow, sternum, and vertebrae, and lost four pints of blood. After being airlifted to a local hospital, he spent time in intensive care, spending a total of three weeks in the hospital before finally being released.

Since then, he has ridden a stationary bike and also completed a few laps at the local velodrome.

Froom suffered a small setback in early September when he damaged a tendon in a knife accident at home and underwent surgery on his right thumb.

But there was more positive news as well, with Froome saying earlier this month that he aims to return to racing in post-season criteriums by the end of 2019. He later signed on to start the Saitama Criterium in Japan in late October.

The 34-year-old has his sights set on winning his fifth Tour de France title next season, the most in history, and says he will then compete in the Tokyo Olympics.