Froome off Giro pace after crash in practice

Chris Froome admitted crashing during his recce of the Giro d’Italia’s opening stage was not the best start to his attempt to win a third straight grand tour but said it could have been worse.

Team Sky’s five-time grand tour winner was one of several riders to fall as they tested Jerusalem’s tight corners and rolling hills before the 9.7-kilometre time trial started but Froome got off lightly compared to ex-team-mate Kanstantsin Siutsou.

The Belarusian’s race was over before it started and he is now heading back to his Bahrain Merida team’s Italian base with a broken neck.

Speaking after a stage that saw him cross the line in 21st place, 37 seconds behind defending champion and yesterday’s winner Tom Dumoulin, Froome said: “I’m all right and just grateful it wasn’t more serious – a few guys went down and some were pretty badly injured.”

Normally so solid against the clock, Froome rode like a man in pain, particularly in the twisty first half of the course, where he struggled to carry speed through corners.

The crash, which was filmed by a Belgian journalist and posted online, took place on a 90-degree turn about two kilometres into the course. Froome was not going quickly but his front wheel went from under him and he fell hard on his right side.

● Birthday girl Megan Guarnier claimed overall victory in the women’s Tour de Yorkshire by winning stage two to the summit finish on the Cow and Calf outside Ilkley.

American Guarnier of the BoelsDolmans team broke clear in the final 500 metres of the 124km stage from Barnsley, winning by 14 seconds from Canyon/SRAM’s Alena Amialiusik.

Dani Rowe, racing for Great Britain, was third across the line, 17 seconds behind Guarnier, to claim second place in the general classification.

Picture: AP. Chris Froome crashed on his reconnaissance ride.