Tadej Pogacar had 'big role' in waiting for Geraint Thomas after crash at Giro d'Italia - Nathan Van Hooydonck

ByRob Hemingway

Published 24/05/2024 at 18:53 GMT

At one stage, it looked like disaster for Geraint Thomas on Stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, as the Ineos Grenadier hit the deck in the closing kilometres. However, the Briton's fellow GC contenders chose to sit up rather than capitalise, a move that was seemingly led by maglia rosa Tadej Pogacar, as Nathan Van Hooydonck pointed out on Eurosport's 'The Breakaway' show.

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) "played a big role" in the decision to wait for Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) after the Briton suffered a crash in the closing moments of Stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, believes Nathan Van Hooydonck.

With just over 6km to the finish in Sappada, Thomas tumbled off his bike when touching wheels with Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) at slow speed, hitting the floor and needing a replacement bike from his team car.

In some circumstances, an accidental crash like that might have seen Thomas' GC contenders charge up the road in a bid to make up time, but an act of sportsmanship saw them wait for the momentarily stricken 37-year-old.

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"It was very nice to see," former Visma-Lease a Bike rider Van Hooydonck said on Eurosport's 'The Breakaway'.

"Pogacar played a big role I think, just going to the front saying 'we're waiting for G to come back'.

"I think the situation there, if it were still a climb coming up, or if [Romain] Bardet would have attacked for example, the situation is completely different.

"Everybody saw him crashing, there were no attacks going on, so it was normal that the favourites waited for him."

'Very silly crash' - Thomas hits deck late on Stage 19

Robbie McEwen, alongside Van Hooydonck, added: "It's just one of those moments.

"It really is a lack of concentration, a fatigue moment where Geraint looked over his shoulder one way, and when you do that you tend to stray off your line."

Dan Lloyd said it was the type of incident that "happens so easily" and that could have ended up a lot worse.

Pogacar 'played big role' in decision to wait for Thomas, says Van Hooydonck

"There's nothing you can do," he continued. "On this occasion, it can happen in an instant.

"[It's] nobody's fault, those things just happen on the way into the finish line when no one's really attacking any more.

"It was quite a slow-speed crash, so in some ways he was even more lucky not to break a bone, because when you slap the floor like that at slow speed, you tend to have the most chance of doing serious damage."

Pogacar, when interviewed afterwards by Eurosport, revealed why he and the leading group had effectively neutralised racing until Thomas returned.

'It shows that everybody has respect' - Pogacar on waiting for Thomas after crash

"I think it shows that everyone has respect to everyone," the Slovenian said.

"Here in this group no one wanted to pass Thomas in that kind of way.

"So yea it's a lot of respect and I hope he's OK after the crash, it's unfortunate after going all day in control and then this stupid moment.

"But I hope he's OK and we can have a great show tomorrow [on the final mountain stage]."

'Stupid mistake' to crash, says Thomas

Meanwhile, Thomas blamed no one but himself afterwards.

"It was just a stupid old mistake," he said.

"I was just looking over my shoulder and they moved a bit, just overlapped the wheel and touched down, but luckily got the spare bike straightaway."

Stage 19 was won by Andrea Vendrame, with Thomas eventually rolling over the line alongside all the other GC leaders.

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