Geraint Thomas has been given the all clear by doctors following a crash which forced him to quit the Tour de Suisse on stage four.
The 33-year-old was brought down in an incident with Andrey Zeits (Astana) with around 30km to go, sustaining abrasions and a cut to his forehead.
>>> Tom Dumoulin abandons altitude training in further setback to Tour de France ambitions
Thomas was taken to hospital after doctors pulled him from the race, despite him wanting to continue, with the team later confirming he suffered abrasions and a cut above the right eye.
The Welshman has just under three weeks to prepare for the 2019 Tour de France starting on July 6, which he'll lead ahead of Egan Bernal after Chris Froome's crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
Speaking about the crash, Thomas said: “There was a lip in the road that came out of nowhere. An Astana rider hit the lip and crashed and I had nowhere to go. I landed on my shoulder and my face and there was quite a bit of blood. You’ve always got to be cautious with a head injury, and whilst I was keen to carry on, the doctors made the right decision to pull me out of the race.”
The team said Thomas's involvement in the Tour shouldn't be in danger, with Thomas describing it as a "small setback" in his preparations.
“Clearly it’s frustrating and a small setback for my Tour de France preparations, but there’s still plenty of time before we start in Brussels in a few weeks’ time," Thomas said.
"We will recalibrate and I’m sure my coach Tim (Kerrison) will have a plan in place to ensure I’m ready for July 6.”
Team Ineos doctor Derick Macleod said it was necessary for staff to take Thomas out of the race due to the level of impact on his head from the crash. He added that they will monitor Thomas as he begins to return to training in the coming days.
“Geraint took a heavy fall. The main area of impact was to his head," Dr. Macleod said.
"He passed his initial concussion roadside test but with the nature and severity of the impact, it was felt unsafe for him to continue in the race. He was taken to hospital and thankfully all the X-rays and scans have come back clear. He’s now back in the Team hotel and in good spirits.
“He’s been given the all clear which is great but we will continue to monitor him over the next few days. Knowing Geraint, it won’t take him long to get back on his bike but we’ll need to ensure he’s symptom free in the next few days before he does so.
"We’re optimistic he’ll make a full recovery over the coming days though and all being well he’ll be back on his bike very soon.”
-
-
Anna van der Breggen launches signature clothing collection
Double world champion adds new kit range to her list of projects in her final year as a pro
By Simon Smythe •
-
Specialized Expert Alloy Shallow bend road handlebar reviewed
Go-to handlebars if you like a curly drop
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan •
-
Ineos Grenadiers end partnership with Castelli in favour of new clothing sponsor
After five successful seasons, the British racing outfit is now parting ways with its Italian clothing partner
By Stefan Abram •
-
Geraint Thomas says Tour de France collapse is 'tough on the head'
The Welshman is still battling through injuries sustained in a crash on stage three
By Jonny Long •
-
Tour de France 2021: Geraint Thomas says 'I’m suffering but hopefully I start to feel better soon'
The Ineos co-leader is concerned about the mountain stages this weekend
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Geraint Thomas expects aggressive start to Tour de France mountains: 'We'll see how UAE hold up in the Alps'
The Welshman has promised an exciting race for fans as Ineos and Jumbo-Visma have no option but to attack Tadej Pogačar
By Jonny Long •
-
Geraint Thomas reacts to Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France stage win
'I’ve got to say I was a little surprised...I hope he doesn’t hear me say that, but I thought he always had a chance’
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Early GC time gaps don't make much difference to eventual Tour de France podium, argues Ineos' Michał Kwiatkowski
The Polish super domestique says the British team were prepared to spend more energy early to keep GC riders safe, but even that can prove insufficient at the Tour de France
By Jonny Long •
-
Luke Rowe explains why he was handed fine on Tour de France stage three
The British rider was fined by commissaries for 'assault, intimidation, insults, threats, improper conduct'
By Cycling Weekly •
-
Update: No broken bones for Geraint Thomas, will be reassessed before Tour de France stage four
The Welshman did not suffer a fracture in his right shoulder after crashing on stage three and will be checked over again by the Ineos medics in the morning
By Jonny Long •
