Geraint Thomas escapes serious injury following Tour de Suisse crash
The Welshman says crash is a 'setback' but will continue to prepare for Tour de France defence
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.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“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.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
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).
-
Nightmares, niceties and gnarl: 10 years of the Transcontinental Race
The ultra-distance benchmark that pits riders against a 4,000km self-supported Europe-wide trek reaches double figures
By James Shrubsall Published
-
Why the best commute will always be aboard my old steel fixie
Charming, simple, and always a great workout, this is the perfect town bike
By Joe Baker Published
-
Giro d'Italia 2024 start list: Geraint Thomas to lead 'aggressive' Ineos Grenadiers
All the teams and riders for the 107th Giro d'Italia
By Adam Becket Published
-
'It was one of the hardest days of my life' - Rain and cold lay waste to Tour of the Alps
Juanpe López takes stage three victory, while Geraint Thomas finishes three minutes down in inclement Austrian weather
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It was time to change': No regrets for Rod Ellingworth after leaving Ineos Grenadiers
New Tour of Britain race director says he is still on good terms with Dave Brailsford after resigning from team last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published