Geraint Thomas withdraws from Paris-Nice after crash

Geraint Thomas forced to pull out of Paris-Nice after crashing in final five kilometres of stage seven on Saturday

Geraint Thomas after a crash on stage seven of the 2014 Paris-Nice

(Image credit: Graham Watson)

Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) has withdrawn from Paris-Nice after sustaining injuries as a result of a heavy fall in the final five kilometres of stage seven on Saturday.

Thomas had started the day in second place overall, just eight seconds behind leader Carlos Betancur (Ag2r). However, a crash near the finale of Saturday's penultimate stage saw him lose well over seven minutes on stage winner Tom-Jelte Slagter (Garmin-Sharp) and Betancur - his hopes of a podium placing dashed.

Thomas will now recuperate before taking to the start line of Milan-San Remo on March 23 and commencing his 2014 Spring Classics campaign.

Team Sky confirmed Thomas's withdrawal on Saturday evening, but had earlier issued a statement from the squad's doctor, Richard Usher saying that they would observe him overnight.

"Geraint’s got multiple bruises and abrasions but we’ve cleaned him up and he won’t need a trip to the hospital. He’s travelled back to the hotel with us this evening and we’ll monitor his situation closely overnight."

Tom-Jelte Slagter takes second Paris-Nice stage win as Geraint Thomas crashes out of top 10

Nasty crash in final 5km of Saturday's stage sees Geraint Thomas drop well out of top 10 overall

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.