Geraint Thomas optimistic of defending Tour de France title following Tour de Suisse crash
Last Updated: 19/06/19 12:18pm
Geraint Thomas says he is "all OK" after his crash at the Tour de Suisse and is optimistic he will defend his Tour de France title next month.
Thomas was given the all-clear after being taken to hospital on Tuesday, when he came off his bike along with Astana's Andrey Zeits around 30 kilometres from the end of stage four.
It was feared Thomas' involvement in the Tour de France may have been in danger but the Welshman is confident he will be on the start line in Brussels on July 6.
Thomas wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning: "Thanks for all your messages!! Gutted to leave Tour de Suisse but luckily I'm all OK.
"I hit my head and needed stitches above my eye, so the doctors stopped me getting back on my bike. It just means I'll need some big training rides next week now."
Thomas had issued a statement via Team Ineos on Tuesday evening confirming he had not sustained any significant injuries.
Team Ineos said the Welshman had "suffered abrasions on his shoulder and a cut above his right eye" and added Thomas' planned involvement in the Tour de France "isn't likely to be affected by [the] crash".
Thomas said: "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.
"We will recalibrate and I'm sure my coach Tim [Kerrison] will have a plan in place to ensure I'm ready for July 6th."
Team Ineos doctor Derick Macleod gave some more details about the fallout from the crash.
"Geraint took a heavy fall. The main area of impact was to his head. 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 said on the team's website.
"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."
Macleod added: "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."
Thomas is due to lead Ineos at this year's Tour de France, which takes place next month, after team-mate Chris Froome last week crashed while in France for the Criterium du Dauphine.
Froome underwent extensive surgery following his high-speed crash, which left him with multiple injuries, including a broken femur.
