Geraint Thomas says his slide down the Tour de France general classification due to injuries sustained in his stage three crash is "tough on the head" as the Welshman perseveres despite finishing in the gruppetto on the first mountain day.
The Ineos Grenadier finished 33 minutes adrift, although came across the line chatting and laughing alongside Primož Roglič, who has since abandoned the race, despite the result putting Thomas' GC hopes to bed definitively.
"I think the crash has taken a lot more out of me than I thought," Thomas said after stage seven. "I think you get through some days and you talk yourself into it, you'll get better blah blah blah."
Thomas was dropped from the peloton almost immediately after a fast start to the first day of racing in the Alps, along with nearly half of the field as Tadej Pogačar soared into the race lead.
>>> Tadej Pogačar: 'Maybe today was payback for yesterday,' as he mauls Tour de France competition on first mountain test
"It was a hard stage, hard start, I was out the back of it straight away and out the arse and that was it," Thomas explained.
"Wet roads, up and down, real solid day. They were racing in front the whole day so I had no chance to get back or even come out of a bad patch. After a lot of hard work since January to finish 33 minutes with the sprinters is not really what I wanted."
While the physical toll of his injuries is impacting his performance on the road, the 35-year-old says it's the mental aspect that is truly gruelling.
"It's tough, it's tough on the head as much as anything as well, there's been a lot of sacrifices and that, got through it anyway, tomorrow is another day."
Ineos' highest-placed rider in the overall is Richard Carapaz in sixth, five minutes behind Pogačar.
