Geraint Thomas caught in dramatic crash during Tour de France stage 16 (video)
Team Sky rider was knocked off the road on the descent of the Col de Manse by Giant-Alpecin's Warren Barguil
Geraint Thomas's Tour de France campaign looked like it was over after the Team Sky rider took a nasty-looking tumble on the descent of the Col de Manse on stage 16.
Giant-Alpecin's Warren Barguil slammed into the side of the Welshman after losing control on a right-hand bend, forcing Thomas off the road and into a telegraph pole.
The race leaders were pushing the pace on the technical descent as they chased Vincenzo Nibali, who attacked over the summit of the climb.
It looked like a serious crash, but Thomas was able to get back on his bike and complete the stage. He lost less than a minute to the group of his teammate and race leader Chris Froome, which also contained Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
Young Frenchman Barguil, who managed to stay upright in the incident, reportedly apologised to Thomas for the incident after the stage, which was won by Ruben Plaza (Lampre-Merida) from a breakaway and saw Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) take another second place at this Tour.
The descent from the Col de Manse has featured prominently in Tour de France history, with Contador crashing there in 2013 as he tried to put time in to race leader Froome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqhTpmsBARw
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Follow on Twitter: @richwindy
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
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