Geraint Thomas: Froome Crash Doesn’t Change My Tour de France Plans

Geraint Thomas insists Chris Froome absence from the Tour de France will not change how he defends the Yellow Jersey.

The Cardiff-born rider has admitted he was shocked to hear of his Team INEOS team-mate’s crash in France which left him with multiple injuries.

Thomas was set to share the team leadership with Froome but now will not have to face the challenge of the four-time champ when the Tour gets underway in Brussels next month.

And that should see Thomas getting the full backing of his team rather than them having to work out who to back at crucial stages of the three-week race.

But young Colombian Egan Bernal could also be a factor having been set to lead the team’s challenge in the Giro d’Italia until he was injured in a crash.

Geraint Thomas and Froome (in yellow) were set to battle for the coveted jersey next month

“The biggest implication for the team is that there’s now an extra space in the line-up,” said Thomas in his latest column for GQ magazine.

“Chris Froome was always guaranteed a ride. From my point of view, it doesn’t really change much – I’ve always just been trying to get to the race in the best shape I can be in and then compete.

“For the team, though, we’re going into the Tour without one of the greatest riders ever. Tactically, we had a strong hand to play in the finale of the biggest stages so it’s a setback, but we’re still strong as a team.

“We’ll go into the race with me and Egan Bernal very much still in contention, looking to get the best result possible.

“I’ll still be a protected rider, but it looks like we’ll have one less leader and one more domestique.

“I don’t know yet who that will be – there’s a longlist of 10 to 12 riders and Sir Dave Brailsford will name eight from there. It’s a decision that’s not usually made until a week before the race, anyway.”

On the road to recovery https://t.co/JnybEgjjQC pic.twitter.com/HiOZi2h7KZ

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 15, 2019

Froome suffered a horrendous crash at the Criterium du Dauphine when he hit a wall at around 35mph during a recon of the stage four time trial.

The 34-year-old suffered fractures to his sternum and neck vertebrae, as well as his right femur, elbow and ribs which will sideline him for weeks but could have cost him his life.

“Hearing about any crash is bad enough, let alone when it’s one or your close teammates and friends,” added Thomas, currently competing at the Tour de Suisse, in his column for the magazine.

“I haven’t spoken to Froomey yet, but I spoke to Wout [Poels], who was there with him, and Dan Martin, who was just behind him, and they said it was pretty scary.

“Someone crashing at high speed into a wall isn’t the best thing to witness.

“Froomey has a long recovery ahead of him now, but by the sound of things it could have been worse. We’re all lucky it wasn’t.”

Thomas came home in the same time as stage winner Peter Sagan in Monday’s 162.3km third stage of the Tour de Suisse from Flamatt to Murten to remain eighth overall, 28 secs down on the Slovak rider.