Thomas bounces back from crash to take Romandie victory

Welshman displays impressive form as he wins Swiss race, reports Vern Pitt

- Vern Pitt

For a brief few seconds on Saturday Geraint Thomas’s chances of victory at the Tour de Romandie appeared to have slipped through his fingers. The Welshman was meters from the finish line atop Thyon 2000 on the race’s fourth stage when, as he appeared from the mist, and raised himself out of the saddle to sprint and contest the stage victory with Michael Woods. As he did so his right hand slipped off the bar, he lost control of the front wheel and promptly tumbled to the tarmac.

He’d recover to cross the line, shaking his head, in third and go on to win the race in the time trial the next day.

At the finish, on Saturday a “frustrated” Thomas told French website CyclingPro he “felt like a right whopper”. He explained: “I had no feeling in my hands due to the cold and tried to shift gears, but lost control.”