Geraint Thomas admits he feared his Tour de France was over after suffering a crash at the Tour de Suisse.
The Welshman came off his bike with approximately 30 kilometres remaining at stage four before receiving medical attention on the road.
The 33-year-old should make it to Brussels on July 6 to begin his defence of the Yellow Jersey, but admitted he thought the crash would rule him out of this year’s race.
“Yeah,” Thomas told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Bespoke podcast when asked whether he thought the Tour de France had gone. “Dave B [Brailsford] has been talking about risk-limiting racing and when I was sat on the floor I was bit like ‘oh, jeez’.
“But I felt OK, you know instantly if you have done any proper damage. When I could feel the blood dripping from the face I could see that the doctor would stop me.
“He asked me all the usual questions, I knew what day it was and what race I was in and it’s just one of those things.
“But it does make sense [to be out of the race] as he is probably the first person I would’ve had a go at had he let me start and I ended up crashing.
“I miss the next four days of big GC days [at the Tour of Switzerland] and maybe that week. I will just have to go out and train hard and get going and try to get a big week or four or five days and then go to the Tour.”
Thomas conceded his head and whole torso is hurting after tumbling at 50mph.
Thomas will now look to extra work to be ready for the Tour de France, having lost valuable race time in Switzerland.
The Team Ineos rider is also thankful he did not break his collarbone, having broken it two years ago and still carrying screws and plates following surgery.
