Team Sky's Geraint Thomas withdraws Giro d'Italia

Geraint Thomas after Stage five of the Giro dItalia in Messina. Pic: Team Sky/Russ Ellis

The crash took place at the top of Blockhaus with the Team Sky rider badly hurting his shoulder. The cyclist endured the rest of the stage, fighting back to limit his losses, Even with the problem, the Welshman bounced back to record second place in Tuesday’s Individual Time Trial.

Yet, the injury was aggravated over two days of tough racing, prompting the decision to withdraw from the Giro.

The 30-year-old said: “I’ve been suffering since my crash on Sunday. I’ve had an issue with my shoulder which is manageable, but my knee has also been getting worse each day.

“Obviously it’s never nice to leave a race early, especially when it’s your main goal of the season, but I have to look at the bigger picture. I’d love to continue, but it would be a case of trying to survive each day rather than racing.

“I’ll turn my attention to the Tour de France now, and I want to arrive there with the same good form I started the Giro with.

“I want to thank all the staff and riders here. It’s been great fun and I wish them all the best for the remainder of the Giro. I’ve really enjoyed racing in Italy again. The fans have been amazing and I’ll be back.