Factbox: Chris Froome withdraws from Tour

(Reuters) - Factbox on 2013 Tour de France winner Chris Froome of Britain, who withdrew from the race on Wednesday: Born: May 20, 1985 in Nairobi, Kenya * Starts riding in a group led by former Kenyan professional David Kinjah in the highlands of Nairobi, at 17. Represents Kenya and takes his first victory in 2006 at Tour of Mauritius. * Joins the Konica-Minolta team in South Africa. EUROPE * Joins the Barloworld Continental team in 2008, riding with a Kenyan license until May when he switches to British license. * Rides his first Tour de France that year, taking 84th place overall. His best result is 14th in a time trial. TEAM SKY * Joins Team Sky in 2010. Disqualified from Giro d’Italia for hanging on a motorbike on a climb in the 19th stage. * In 2011, he rides the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) at the service of team leader Bradley Wiggins. He wins a time trial and takes overall lead but he pays for his work for Wiggins and drops out the next day. He still finishes second overall and ahead of Wiggins. * Rides the 2012 Tour de France as Wiggins’s lieutenant, but expresses frustration on the bike as he seems better than his leader in the mountains. Wins his first Tour stage at the top of La Planche des Belles Filles in the seventh stage. * Two days later, he attacks in the mountain stage to La Toussuire, but is reined in by team sports director Sean Yates. * He finishes second overall behind Wiggins and takes bronze in the London Olympics time trial behind champion Wiggins and German Tony Martin. GLORY * Wins the Tour of Oman in February 2013 ahead of several Tour de France contenders. Also dominates the Criterium International in Corsica and wins the Tour de Romandie. * Takes the yellow jersey on the Tour de France after winning the eighth stage. Reinforces his domination by becoming the first yellow jersey to prevail at the top of the Mont Ventoux since Eddy Merckx in 1970. * Wins the final mountain time trial nine seconds ahead of Contador and takes his maiden Tour de France title on July 21. * February 2014, wins Tour of Oman for a second time and also retains his Tour de Romandie title. * July 9: Abandons Tour de France after second fall in heavy rain, on stage five. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Tony Goodson)