Ineos give medical update on Geraint Thomas following Giro d'Italia crash
The Welshman escaped broken bones but faces further assessment ahead of stage four
>>> Update: Geraint Thomas abandons Giro d’Italia 2020 after scans reveal fractured pelvis
Geraint Thomas did not suffer any broken bones in his crash on Giro d'Italia stage three, his Ineos Grenadiers team have said.
The Welshman fell hard in the neutral zone after getting a stray bidon caught in his wheel. Fan video footage shows him attempting to keep upright after hitting the bidon before falling hard on his left side.
The peloton waited for Thomas to return before the stage began, but the crash had clearly affected him as he struggled in the final 40km, eventually finishing over 12 minutes down on the stage winner on the final climb of Mount Etna and seeing his chances of Giro victory fall away.
Thomas was taken for medical checks and x-rays on his injuries after the end of the stage, which confirmed he had escaped any broken bones in the crash, but his team said he would face further assessment ahead of stage four on Tuesday.
"Geraint crashed on his left side, so he took a significant blow to the back of his left hip and he has some abrasions on his left arm and leg. After the stage he was taken for x-rays at the finish," said Ineos team doctor Phil Riley.
"The initial x-rays didn’t show anything broken, but we are awaiting confirmation in the morning. We will treat him tonight, continue to monitor him and then review it in the morning again."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The unfortunate crash will come as a bitter blow to Ineos and Thomas. The 2018 Tour de France winner wasn't chosen for this year's French Grand Tour and instead refocused his efforts on targetting the Giro, which he entered as the hot favourite. He put in a stellar performance on the stage one time trial to put over a minute into all his rivals bar fellow Briton Simon Yates, but is now extremely unlikely to be able to recover the time to compete on GC despite 18 stages still remaining in this Giro.
Ineos face a second Grand Tour of the year in which their leader has failed to stay in contention for the win, after Egan Bernal cracked on stage 15 of the Tour and subsequently abandoned a day later. Chris Froome will lead the squad into the final Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta a España, which overlaps with the end of the Giro starting on October 20.
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).
-
'Why are other bikes so expensive?' - Van Rysel says it's not 'cheating the customer' as WorldTour bike undercuts competition
Van Rysel's flagship bike, as used by Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, is just the start of Decathlon's super bike journey
By Adam Becket Published
-
'We found out on social media' - British team Lifeplus-Wahoo on their Tour de France Femmes invite snub
There will be no British squads at the race for the first time in its history
By Tom Davidson 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