GERAINT’S HOPES OF GOLD END WITH LATE RIO CRASH
W ELSH wonder Geraint Thomas dramatically crashed out of the Olympics road race with 10km to go when he was chasing a medal in Brazil and received medical treatment afterwards.
Thomas was in contention for a podium position when he crashed on the final descent after he tumbled into the ditch after Vincenzo Nibali and Sergio Henao had also came of their bikes.
This left Rafal Majka out on his own in the final flourish but the Pole was overhauled in a dramatic finish with Belgian Greg Van Avermaet claiming gold and Danish rider Jacob Fuglsang winning silver.
Majka hung on for bronze on the gruelling 237km course with the remarkable race lasting more than six hours.
Thomas was in line to pull off one of Wales’ finest ever Olympics moments by attempting to claimed a third Games gold in the Rio road race and celebrate Team GB’s first triumph in Brazil.
After winning two golds on the track with the team pursuit squad in Beijing in 2008 and at London 2012, Thomas was hoping to enjoy his finest inspirational individual moment.
The Commonwealth Games road race champion has been a wonderful support rider for Team Sky mate rider Chris Froome by helping his fellow British rider take three Tour de France titles.
It was hoped it would be Thomas’ time in Brazil by claiming victory after fellow Brits Adam Yates, Chris Froome, Ian Stannard and Steve Cummings dropped out of contention.
But the crushing fall put paid to Geraint’s Olympics dream, although he heroically got back on his bike and finished the race two-and-a-half minutes down but was still the top British man in 11th place.
Froome had labelled the road race a lottery, citing Spain’s Alejandro Valverde and Nibali as clearer favourites.
And in truth Wednesday’s timetrial is Froome’s more controllable opportunity.
Thomas was in medal contention until his spill as - for the second straight Olympics, after Mark Cavendish’s 29th-placed finish on The Mall behind Alexandre Vinokourov four years ago - Britain experienced disappointment on the road on the opening day.
It was something of a phony war along the beautiful, but brutal, Rio coastline before the final full loop of the Vista Chinesa Circuit.
Nibali and his Italy team-mate Fabio Aru increased the pace on the descent, knowing there was one more climbing section to come.
Adam Yates and Thomas bridged the gap to join the Italians in an 11-rider group.
Yates lost contact at the start of the final ascent as Thomas followed Ni-