Tour de France king Geraint Thomas was involved in a dramatic crash near the finish of the opening stage of his defence of the title.
But the Welshman’s Team Ineo bosses insisted he was “feeling fine” after climbing off the barriers and remounting to cross the finish line.
The accident, which brought down a number of riders, took place less than 3km from the finish in Brussels so Thomas will be given the same time as stage winner Mike Teunissen.
Thomas and Colombian sensation Egal Bernal are leading the Ineos effort in France this year after four-time champion Chris Froome suffered serious injuries during a crash last month.
Thirty-three-year-old Thomas’ last race, the Tour of Switzerland, saw him suffer a head injury during another crash and be forced to withdraw.
