Watch Geraint Thomas’ huge Tour de France scare as he crashes and lands on back on stage 16 – The Sun

GERAINT THOMAS crashed and painfully landed on his back at the Tour de France in a massive scare for the defending champion.

The Welshman, 33, needed a replacement bike after coming off on a sharp corner during the opening miles of stage 16, the day after a rest day and landing on his left upper back and shoulder.

It was the side of the body where the radio transmitter was held, with an earpiece reaching around into his ear.

Thomas was seen gingerly getting back up and waiting patiently for a replacement bike before getting a replacement Pinarello Dogma F12, which retail for around £10,000.

Team Ineos leader Thomas is 1min 35sec behind Yellow Jersey wearer Julian Alaphilippe going into the last five competitive stages of the race before stage 21 in Paris on Sunday.

Commentating on Eurosport, Sir Bradley Wiggins said: "The way he went down, he's got no cuts on his arms or anything like that, but he's gone quite hevily on his back.

"You noticed his radio is to the left of his spine and he's ripped the skinsuit from that part and just next to it as well, which suggests he's gone down hard.

"The radio can dig into you if you land on that part and it's not ideal for today.

"He did change bikes and he was trying to straighten his brake levers."

Wiggins had a similar scare in 2011 when favourite to win the Tour de France as he crashed and landed on his collarbone during a seemingly innocuous collision, ending his race.

But the 39-year-old went on to win in Paris 12 months later — and he hopes the Cardiff rider is able to get back on his original bike.

Wiggins added: "In an ideal world he's spent most of the Tour on that bike and he'll want to change back to his first bike.

"No matter how much measure a spare bike to the tee, it always feels different, especially when you've spent the best part of two weeks on the same bike.

SPARE BIKE NOT THE SAME

"Just little things like the handlebar tape, they don't change the handlebar tape on these Tours, they're like memory foam, they start welding to your hands as to where you hold your hands.

"You get on a brand new bike and it's not ideal.

"We were talking about this stage being a rest day stage for a lot of people.

"At some point he'll probably want to change back to his first bike because he'll feel more at home on it, unless there's some damage to the lever that they can't fix that bike.

"They've got the team doctors in the team car of the Ineos car, but they always like to go in house, he knows his medical history."

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