Cycling: Thomas Says Tour Exit Yet To Sink In

BERGERAC, France, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2017 ) - Geraint Thomas admitted on Monday it was too soon to realise the full extent of his disappointment after crashing out of the Tour de France on Sunday.

Thomas broke his collarbone in a fall midway through the ninth stage. He was one of five riders to crash out of the race on Sunday as rain made mountain descents slippery and dangerous. What was worse for Thomas, though, was that it was the second Grand Tour of the year he's crashed out of, having also left May's Giro d'Italia at the end of the first week.

"It still hasn't really sunk in. I'm sure it will be like the Giro and when I get home is when it really hits home, so to speak," said the 31-year-old Team Sky rider. "The show goes on pretty quickly.

So I think it will hit me tomorrow and in a few days time." Thomas, though, was already looking forward to the future and getting back on his stationary training bike.

"I'm going to see a specialist on Tuesday and get it operated on this week.

I'll have a week off and then I should be back on the turbo trainer." Until his crash it had been a hugely successful Tour for the Welshman. He won the opening stage time-trial on July 1 -- his first ever Grand Tour stage victory -- and took over the leader's yellow jersey.

He held onto that for four days before his Sky team leader Chris Froome took it off him, but Thomas was still second overall when he crashed. And he said there will be a time when he looks back on his Tour with pride.

"At the moment it's more just the devastation of leaving the Tour, but obviously you've got to remember and savour the good times because they are rare in this sport. "For sure, in a week or so or once the Tour is over, I'll look back on those good bits. But for the moment it#s still pretty raw."