Geraint Thomas delivers brutal put down to former riders after criticism of Giro d'Italia Stage 13 alteration

ByThe Editorial Team

Updated 20/05/2023 at 11:36 GMT

Ineos Grenadiers star Geraint Thomas was asked for his opinion on criticism from former riders, some of whom had suggested that current competitors had overreacted with their safety concerns for Stage 13 of this year's Giro d'Italia. He made what appeared to be a reference to the spate of doping in previous eras of cycling as he dismissed what they had to say.

Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) hit out at criticism from older riders by delivering a withering putdown, as he prepared for Stage 14 at the Giro d’Italia.

Friday’s Stage 13 was held in dreadful conditions and it forced a planned 200km course to be reduced to just 80km, with the first climb expunged from the course.

That led to some comments from former riders who felt the race might have gone ahead without any alterations due to safety concerns, but speaking to Eurosport, the current Giro pink jersey holder dismissed the comments with a swift putdown.

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When it was put to him that a lot of riders who competed in the 1980s and 90s were disappointed with the decision of the peloton, Thomas said: ”A lot of things happened in the 80s and 90s that we don’t do now, which we’re proud of, so they can say what they want.”

Thomas' comments appeared to be a thinly-veiled dig at the spate of doping in previous eras of cycling.

Discussing the action on Stage 13, won by Einer Rubio, Thomas was relatively stoic over the outcome.

Asked whether he was surprised about a lack of attacks from his GC rivals on Friday, he said: "Yeah a little bit. But at the same time, we saw quite a strong headwind for a lot of the [final] climb, and the way a lot of the boys were riding, it put everyone off.

“We were expecting more, but that didn’t materialise. There are hard days to come for sure.”

'Arrogance came over him!' - Breakaway react to Thibaut Pinot attacks

Adam Blythe, Robbie McEwen and Dan Lloyd had their say in the Eurosport studio after the day's racing on Stage 13, and the trio all agreed that emotions seemed to scupper Thibaut Pinot's best intentions.

Pinot repeatedly launched swashbuckling attacks on the very dramatic, at times chaotic and weather-affected route. But it was Rubio whose composure shone through in a thrilling finish as he took an unlikely win.

"It is almost like he forgot to be a bike racer," Blythe began on The Breakaway. "He rode all the way up that climb on the front, kept attacking, kept being brought back, kept attacking.

'It was daft' - Reaction to Pinot's dramatic attacks on chaotic Stage 13

"If you do that three or four times, you'd be like 'I'm not doing this anymore, I'm just going to save myself because they just keep catching me'. So for me, it was quite daft of him really, I think that is the politest way to put it.

"It was just like he unattached his brain. I think maybe a little bit of arrogance came over him thinking 'I'm a lot better than you guys, I'm going to keep doing this' because why else would you keep riding the whole way up that climb on the front?"

Read the full story here.

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