Geraint Thomas and Michał Kwiatkowski cleared to continue after Tour of the Basque Country crash
Julian Alaphilippe left bloodied in same crash but initial indications are good for Deceuninck-Quick-Step’s star
Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas appears to have emerged relatively unscathed from a big crash that took down a significant part of the bunch during the final kilometres of the third stage at the Tour of the Basque Country.
The Briton fell with a number of his Sky team-mates, including Michał Kwiatkowski, with Deceuninck-Quick-Step's stage two winner Julian Alaphilippe and his team-mate Enric Mas also among those affected.
According to Sky director Gabriel Rasch, the initial prognosis for Thomas and Kwiatkowski is positive.
“G and Kwiato are OK, they’ve just lost the time on GC,” Rasch told Cycling Weekly at the finish. “They fell pretty hard, but they look OK now. For sure, they will both start tomorrow. The team doctor sees them every night and every morning so they’ll get checked over before then.”
The news was not so good, though, for Sky’s Jonathan Castroviejo, who was one of several riders who received treatment for several minutes after the crash.
“Castro is the worst affected and is on his way to the hospital. It could be a collarbone, a shoulder or just the impact of the crash. We don’t know yet,” said Rasch, who didn’t know what had caused the impact in the first place.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“The last 10k were very open. We knew it was going to be like that and so did everyone else, so everyone wanted to be at the front in case the wind had an impact,” he explained.
“The road also narrowed a lot with about 5k to go and that was another reason to be towards the front. I don’t think there was any special reason for the crash. There wasn’t anything in the road or anything like that, it was just one of those unlucky ones that happens.
“The road was three or four lanes wide where it happened. The guys were all together and ready to move up before that narrower section with 5k to go. That’s why they all went down together. I don’t think there was anything wrong with their position. Alaphilippe also went down because he was in the same position. It was just unlucky.”
Alaphilippe and Mas also finished, the Frenchman with an extensive wound on his hip.
“We don’t think he has broken anything,” said Deceuninck-Quick-Step directeur sportif Klaas Lodewyck.
“The main goal for us was to put him on the bike and get him to the finish line. Now the doctor will look into what could be wrong and then we’ll see tomorrow morning how he feels and decide what we’ll do.”
Lodewyck said the team’s main concern is Alaphilippe’s condition with a view to the upcoming Ardennes Classics, for which he is the outstanding favourite given his outstanding form this season.
“That he has made it to the finish on the bike is already a good thing, but now we just need to be sure because the Ardennes, our big goals, are coming up.
“It’s hard to tell what happened,” Lodewyck added. “The guys were all in a good position in front and suddenly the peloton swings from the right side to the left side. [Enric] Mas told us a guy tried to get in between and pushed too hard and his front wheel went away and, boom, there he goes.”
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
Peter Cossins has been writing about professional cycling since 1993, with his reporting appearing in numerous publications and websites including Cycling Weekly, Cycle Sport and Procycling - which he edited from 2006 to 2009. Peter is the author of several books on cycling - The Monuments, his history of cycling's five greatest one-day Classic races, was published in 2014, followed in 2015 by Alpe d’Huez, an appraisal of cycling’s greatest climb. Yellow Jersey - his celebration of the iconic Tour de France winner's jersey won the 2020 Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year Award.
-
Among market turmoil, Colnago boasts €55 million in sales: CEO shares the brand’s secret
Colnago’s growth has tripled since the brand’s acquisition by new majority stakeholders in 2020 and seems impervious to the downturn. Here's why.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Why e-bike torque numbers matter more than you think
You should choose an e-bike based on torque, not just power
By Paul Norman 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
-
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
-
'Losing the plot in public - it's mental' - Geraint Thomas on Patrick Lefevere's criticism of Julian Alaphilippe
Ineos Grenadiers rider says he feels sorry for his peers who are criticised in public by the Soudal Quick-Step boss
By Adam Becket Published
-
Geraint Thomas to race Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in 2024
Welshman will return to the Giro in May before heading to the French Grand Tour as part of the Ineos Grenadiers squad
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
A complete history of Ineos Grenadiers kits, from Adidas to Gobik, via Rapha
The British team switch to Gobik in 2024 after two years with Bioracer
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Opinion: Professional cyclists deserve a life too
Perhaps 12 nights out at the end of the season shouldn't be too bad a thing, really
By Adam Becket Published
-
18-year-old American becomes Ineos Grenadiers first signing for 2024
AJ August will turn pro with British team next season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Geraint Thomas signs two-year contract extension with Ineos Grenadiers, possibly his last
Welsh Tour de France winner will remain with British team until he is 39
By Adam Becket Published