"Sometimes we are like clowns in a circus" - Geraint Thomas tears down Giro d'Italia over dangerous finale

Geraint Thomas has no problem in voicing his opinions, and often this is about problems within pro cycling. One key issue is rider safety, and the leader of INEOS Grenadiers was very upset after what he considered a dangerous finale on a day where he crashed.

“We talk a lot about safety these days, but this really wasn't safe. Sometimes we are like clowns in a circus. You heard chains jumping off bikes all the time," Thomas said in an interview with Eurosport. "That's not nice. It's quite scary when riders are constantly coming under to pass you. There were also a lot of holes in the road. I'm glad I made it through the ride unscathed. It was really chaotic in the final, but the boys managed to protect me well again today. This way I almost always rode in a good position.”

Thomas did fall with 58 kilometers to go, but largely without consequences. In the finale INEOS was close to winning with Jhonatan Narváez but Thomas was focused in preserving his third place. He did so successfully but that wasn't without a lot of tension in a finale that was rather technical and according to him, in bad road conditions.

It is safe to say that these 9 days of racing were quite hard and tense and Thomas is honest when it comes to his opinion on today's rest day: “I'm glad that I don't have to see anyone from the peloton for a while. I'm a grumpy old man now. Yes, I'm looking forward to the rest day.”