Thomas’ Giro hopes are floored by police bike
WELSHMAN Geraint Thomas yesterday revealed the extent of his injuries after crashing during the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia, leaving his hopes of winning in tatters.
Team Sky’s rider went down hard after a bike in front of his collided with a police motorbike 10km from the end of the stage.
As the riders headed into the Blockhaus climb, Sunweb rider Wilco Kelderman hit the deck after clipping the vehicle and a number of other riders went down with him, including Thomas and his Team Sky joint-leader Mikel Landa.
Fellow British rider Adam Yates (Orica-Scott) was also caught up in the incident.
“We were all racing for the bottom of the climb and then, next thing I know, somebody in front of me hits the motorbike.
“We go down and my shoulder popped out. I felt good, but then I crashed and that was it, race over. “It’s really disappointing. “We were racing for positions, so we filled the road. Someone hit it in front of me and then there was nowhere to go but straight down.”
Despite his injuries, Thomas bravely ploughed on to finish the stage but now finds himself five minutes and 14 seconds behind race leader Nairo Quintana down in 17th position, having started the day in second.
As such, his plans for the Giro will now need to be reassessed but the Welshman will let the anger subside before forging any new plans.
“It’s too early to think, I’m a bit angry and the minute.
“We’ll sit down and work out what we’re going to do tomorrow.”
Quintana, the 2014 champion, attacked with Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) midway up the final climb before accelerating away by himself to take the stage and the leader’s pink jersey.
Quintana finished 24 seconds ahead of second-placed Pinot and Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb), with Nibali slipping back to finish one minute behind.
Quintana leads by 28 seconds from Pinot ahead of today’s rest day, with Dumoulin two seconds further adrift in third place.
Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) is 51 seconds behind in fourth and Nibali is fifth, 1min 10secs behind.
Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford told Eurosport: “A motorbike shouldn’t have been there. I’m sure the guy who was riding the motorbike realises that too. “We fight on. That’s it.” Kelderman was forced to abandon following the crash and suffered a broken finger, Team Sunweb said.