“That was a very good sign, he was leading the whole climb" - Geraint Thomas happy to see Pavel Sivakov put in a strong performance after prior crash at the Giro d'Italia

After a self-admitted 'bad day' for the INEOS Grenadiers on stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia, stage 12's quite day for the peloton would have been very welcome. An added bonus for the team was the impressive recovery of Pavel Sivakov.

Crashing yesterday as part of the incident that saw former Maglia Rosa winner Tao Geoghegan Hart exit the Giro d'Italia in an ambulance with a fractured hip, Sivakov was seemingly showing no signs of any lasting injuries. “That was a very good sign, he was leading the whole climb," said Geraint Thomas in his post-stage interview. "He's feeling good again, but he's a tough guy. Great to see him still driving like this."

With the race now entering the Alps, the first big test for Thomas's overall race lead is expected on stage 13. The loss of Geoghegan Hart is undoubtedly a blow for the Welshman and the whole of the INEOS set up. Nevertheless, Thomas is hopeful of a good display.

“It changes our tactics, also for Friday. We had two options, but that's not the case anymore," Thomas reveals. "We are still with a strong team and good morale, so that's good to see. However, we certainly aren't getting ahead of ourselves."