They make 'em tough in Wales
They make 'em tough in Wales
Stage 16 of the Tour de France was dramatic for lots of reasons. For starters, it was won from the breakaway by Ruben Plaza, a Spanish veteran rider who has won only one other Grand Tour stage in his ten years as a pro bike racer.
With its fast and technical descent, the stage was also cited by many as a key stage where Vincenzo Nibali might claw back some time on his GC rivals, which he duly did. And of course, we got to enjoy the continued frustrations of Peter Sagan in his quest for a stage win – with the Slovakian having to settle once again for second place.
However, the hero of the day was Geraint Thomas, who attempted to cut down a telegraph pole with his own face after being taken out on the descent by Warren Barguil, proving that he is one of the roughest, toughest, baddest bike riders in the peloton.
But we’ve known that for a while. Following Thomas’ exploits on the run-in to Gap on the edge of the French Alps, it seems like the perfect opportunity to look back at Thomas’ crash and his other hardman exploits.