"We are like the clowns of a circus," harsh criticism from Geraint Thomas about safety among cyclists

Geraint Thomas had a little scare during the ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia, a mishap when exiting a roundabout caused him to fall, but luckily he was able to recover quickly and did not finish the stage without losing a single second in the general classification. Despite this, the British rider ended the day quite angry at what he considers a serious lack of safety.

Geraint Thomas criticizes the safety of the Giro d'Italia

The first week of the Giro d'Italia 2024 ended in Naples with what could be considered a "quiet" stage, but the truth is that this tranquility seems very different when you are in the middle of the peloton.

Geraint Thomas went down today in the stage. Everything is fine with him. He didn't lose time and is in 3rd place in the #GC, almost 3 minutes behind Pogacar. #Giro #GiroNoDSports #Giro2024 #GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/58Wfzs3FAI

— BikeBlz (@BikeBlz) May 12, 2024

At the end of the race, Geraint Thomas made some statements expressing his discomfort both with the chaos of overtaking he perceived during the race and the condition of some of the roads they rode on.

"We talk a lot about safety these days, but this really wasn't safe. Sometimes we are like clowns in a circus. You could hear the chains of the bikes jumping all the time"... "That's not good. It's a bit scary when cyclists are constantly coming from behind to pass you."

"There were also many potholes on the road. I'm glad I made it through the stage in one piece. The finish was very chaotic, but the guys managed to protect me again today. That way, I was almost always in a good position."

During the same statements, he admitted that he might be being a bit grumpy and expressed his gratitude for the upcoming rest day.

"I'm glad I don't have to see anyone from the peloton right now. I'm now a grumpy old man"... "Yes, I'm looking forward to the rest day."

It is worth noting that Geraint Thomas came to this Giro with the difficult task of trying to be a rival for a Tadej Pogacar who so far seems unreachable. Nevertheless, Geraint finishes the first week third in the general classification, almost 3 minutes behind Tadej, and with good feelings for the next two thirds of the race.