Chris Froome has been back in hospital for what the four-time Tour de France winner hopes will be the final surgery relating to the serious crash he suffered in June.

The 34-year-old has had an operation to remove metalwork from his hip and elbow.

Froome posted a picture on social media following the operation, restating his goals of getting back to full fitness in time for next summer's Tour de France and the Olympic road race in Japan.

"Less some hardware from my hip & elbow. Feeling groggy but all went perfectly #roadtoTDF2020 #roadtotokyo2020," the Team Ineos rider wrote.

Froome suffered multiple fractures, including a broken femur, in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine in June.

He was back riding his bike by September and in late October took part in the team time trial at the Saitama Criterium, an end-of-season exhibition event in Japan, but said he was not yet ready to ride in a peloton.

During his trip to Japan, Froome joined a number of other riders on a short recce of key parts of the route for next year's Olympic road race around Mount Fuji and expressed an interest in taking part if his recovery progresses as hoped.