Thomas avoids disaster after a late crash; gives up his time at Pinot – VeloNews.com



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Geraint Thomas crashed at a crucial moment in Saturday's eighth stage, but the speed with which his Ineos teammates reflected helped him recover the peloton before the final.

SAINT-ÉTIENNE, France (VN) – It could have been a lot worse for Geraint Thomas (Ineos).

Thomas crashed at the worst moment of the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Saturday. But the reigning champion of the Tour was able to avoid the disaster thanks to the quick thinking of his teammates Ineos. According to Thomas, the worst of the fall is that the French Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) has gained 20 seconds overall.

"I'm fine, but it was obviously frustrating. It was a key moment in the race, Woodsy crashed and just released Gianni and me, "explained Thomas.

The accident occurred while there was 15 km to go on Saturday in the 200 km special leading to Saint-Etienne, the peloton making a quick descent on narrow roads before the steep climb of the Côte de la Jaillière .

Canadian rider Michael Woods (EF Education First) slipped into a tight corner on the right and Thomas crashed over him. His teammate Thomas Ineos, Gianni Moscon (Ineos), also crashed, breaking his Pinarello carbon bike frame in two.

Team Ineos went into action, mobilizing all the riders of the group other than Egan Bernal. Ineos competed in a team time trial for several kilometers, with Wout Poels as the last rider to shoot on the front. The effort helped Thomas regain the back of the pack just as he was leaning on the lower slopes of the climb.

But when Thomas found the group, the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) attacked on the steep ramp 12 km from the end. Alaphilippe was followed by Pinot and the two French won a gap over the other favorites.

"I just got a little wrapped up in Gianni's bike and it took a bit of time to get there, but the boys did a great job and I narrowed the gap at the last moment and then I've progressed slowly in the group, "said Thomas. "But obviously, by the time I was in the top 20 to 15, it was when they sprinted to the top and then for a few seconds, so I was gassed for a while."

In doing so, Pinot beat Thomas in third overall. Among pre-race favorites, Pinot is now the highest ranked overall.

"It's boring and frustrating, but at the same time, coming back as I did shows that the legs are good at least. You simply do not want to waste unnecessary time, "said Thomas.

"If I was not crushed, I could have followed, so a totally different story then.That's how it goes, still a lot of races to come."

A series of photos tells of the fall of Geraint Thomas at stage 8. The captain of Ineos bowed in a sharp right turn; his Ineos teammates helped him get back on his bike and then started running after the peloton; finally Thomas found the group with 12 km remaining. Photo: Frank Faugere-Pool / Getty Images

When Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) won the Tour 2014, Pinot finished third overall. Thomas considered the 29-year-old as "very" dangerous for the last trophy.

"I think he's already on the podium. he rolls very hard. So, a big threat, "said Thomas.

When asked what part of his body had most absorbed the impact of the accident, Thomas looked at his left side. "The left," he said. "But the worst thing is that Pinot has had time. I'm fine."

Egan Bernal, co-leader of the campaign, took the time to warm up with Thomas on the outside bus of the Ineos team. In the overall race, Thomas is 19 seconds behind Pinot. Bernal is 23 seconds behind the Frenchman.

"I just heard that G crashed and that he came back very quickly on the bike," said Bernal.

"I thought he would come back and I was ready to wait if needed, but the team said nothing, just to stay ahead of the group, which I did.

"Today was one of the most difficult stages of the Tour, all day, we were refueling. I am happy because I felt good at every step. I am happy."

Thomas also fell in the first stage in Brussels. The fall of Saint-Etienne today may not mean much when the race reaches the high mountains. Already, Thomas was gaining time over all his rivals during the short climb of seven kilometers from the Plache des Belles Daughters.

He will continue to watch Pinot, however.

"Yeah, he and Alaphilippe certainly have a good kick and a good punch for the moment, they are very good both," he added. "These are really the guys to watch and beat."

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