Geraint Thomas withdraws from Tour de Suisse following stage 3 crash

Geraint Thomas has withdrawn from the Tour de Suisse after crashing during the third stage, INEOS Grenadiers confirmed on social media before the start of stage 4.

The British rider, who was building shape ahead of the Tour de France, fell heavily in a sharp turn during stage 3, but managed to pick himself up and soldier on to finish the stage. Speaking to Swiss broadcaster SRF after the stage, Thomas said:

"I just hit a lip on the side of the road, really, it's my fault. I just kind of got my foot caught behind me and then twisted my knee and hamstring. It was a dead leg, I struggled to bend it for the first minute or so, but once I got on the bike and started rolling, it freed up a bit, but yeah it's just a bit sore and the muscles and stuff just a bit strained, but it's all okay."

Thomas soldiered on to the finish line, eventually crossing in 133rd place, 15:01 behind stage winner Quinn Simmons. The decision to withdraw from the remainder of the Tour de Suisse has been taken as a precautionary measure due to bigger goals ahead. 

Both Thomas and the INEOS Grenadiers will be aiming for a quick recovery and return to full health ahead of the upcoming Tour de France in less than three weeks. The 112th edition of the Tour is set to be the final time that Thomas takes to the start line in the race, as he announced in February that he will retire from cycling at the end of the 2025 season.

Without one of their star riders for the remainder of the Tour de Suisse, the INEOS Grenadiers will look to the remainder of their team to see if they can achieve success via a stage win or strong GC result; Laurens De Plus, Lucas Hamilton, Bob Jungels, Ben Swift, Andrew August, and Victor Langelotti.