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Video: "It shouldn't happen" - Geraint Thomas on crash that has wrecked his Giro d'Italia hopesGeraint Thomas Giro d'Italia 2017 Stage 9 crash (Eurosport still).JPG

Video: "It shouldn't happen" - Geraint Thomas on crash that has wrecked his Giro d'Italia hopes

Team Sky's Welsh rider lost more than 5 minutes after coming down when rider in front hit parked police motorbike...
by Simon_MacMichael
Sun, May 14, 2017 17:29
32

Geraint Thomas says the crash towards the end of today’s Stage 9 that saw him plummet from second to 17th in the overall standings at the 100th Giro d’Italia was “ridiculous” and "shouldn’t happen."

The overall contenders and their key support riders were racing for position ahead of the climb of the Blockhaus, the group spread out across the road, when a rider in front of Thomas hit a police motorcycle that was parked at the roadside.

Thomas and Team Sky co-leader Mikel Landa were among the riders to come down, as was Orica-Scott’s Adam Yates and Wilco Kelderman of Sunweb – the latter already confirmed as having had to abandon the race.

Following the stage, Thomas – showing remarkable composure, given the circumstances – said: “That’s ridiculous, that shouldn’t happen.

“We were all racing for the bottom of the climb then next thing I know, someone in front of me hits the motorbike and you go down.

“My shoulder, it popped out as well,” added the Welsh rider.

“I felt good but then I crashed and that was it, race over. It’s really disappointing.”

“The motorbike shouldn’t have been there, frankly, I think we all see that,” said Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford after the stage.

“I’m sure the guy who was riding the motorbike sees that too and I’m not sure he’ll be feeling too great.

“But I do think we need to go back and have a look at it and ask the question, ‘Why did it happen?’ – but we fight on.”

Thomas lies 5 minutes 14 seconds behind new race leader and today's stage winner, Movistar's Nairo Quintana. Yates is one position ahead of Thomas on GC, but is now 4 minutes 49 seconds behind the Colombian.

Giro d'Italia 2017
moto collisions
Geraint Thomas
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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32 comments

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Grizzerly | 6 years ago
3 likes

Police motorcyclists aren't there for fun and act under strict instructions.  This driver would not have just decided to stop at random,  he will have been acting on specific instructions.   He was as far off the road as he could be.  They bunch of riders were passing safely.  One rider, outside of the bunch hit the motorcyclist,  presumably because he hadn't seen him.

 

Whose fault is this?

Avatar
Zjtm231 replied to Grizzerly | 6 years ago
1 like
Grizzerly wrote:

Police motorcyclists aren't there for fun and act under strict instructions.  This driver would not have just decided to stop at random,  he will have been acting on specific instructions.   He was as far off the road as he could be.  They bunch of riders were passing safely.  One rider, outside of the bunch hit the motorcyclist,  presumably because he hadn't seen him.

 

Whose fault is this?

 

The moto - he stopped with his bike in the road...

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