'It's frustrating': Geraint Thomas on losing Tirreno-Adriatico lead due to jammed chain
Geraint Thomas describes how he lost the Tirreno-Adriatico race lead due to a stuck chain: "I was yanking it to try to get it out and it wouldn't come out"

Geraint Thomas on stage four of Tirreno-Adriatico. Photo by Yuzuru Sunada

Team Sky's Geraint Thomas leaves the Tirreno-Adriatico's queen stage "frustrated" by a mechanical issue that saw him lose 34 seconds and the overall leader's blue jersey.
Thomas sat at the head of the action when the race reached its critical point at 1.5 kilometres out. He shifted to his big ring and his chain became stuck.
"I can't believe it," Thomas said.
He stopped over the line at the top of the 11.75-kilometre climb, 1335 metres up in central Italy's snow-covered mountains.
"It just came off and it got stuck. I was yanking it to try to get it out and it wouldn't come out and neutral service couldn't do it either. I don't know how it happened, just one of those things."
A curse appears to be over Thomas in the week-long stage race from Tuscany to Marche. Last year, in the first day's team time trial he lost around one minute and 30 seconds when Gianni Moscon suffered a wheel failure. It appeared the crucial moment as he finished an eventual fifth overall at 58 seconds.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Reminded of those problems and now this year's mechanical issue, he said, "I guess that's bike racing , but it's frustrating at the moment."
Former Sky team-mate Mikel Landa (Movistar) won the stage from an attack. Thomas tried to limit his losses, but slipped to fifth at 26 seconds behind leader Damiano Caruso (BMC Racing). Sky's Michal Kwiatkowski sits in second at one second.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWVoFpEyh_I
After Thomas suffered his mechanical problem and got going again, he benefitted from the work of team-mate Chris Froome, who helped pace him to the finish.
"Geraint didn't lose everything, he's in good form and we can try again tomorrow and then there's the TT in the last day," said Froome. "The race is not yet over for us."
>>> Tirreno-Adriatico 2018: Latest news, reports and race info
Froome, who is aiming for the Giro d'Italia in May, surprised those watching the race when he lost ground at 2.5 kilometres to go. He finished 1-04 behind the leaders.
"I feel all right pretty much in this first big test," Froome said. "I'm not up, up there, but I know that there's work to do before the Giro and I'm content more or less with my condition. It's ok, we are in March."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Can anyone stop Primož Roglič or Juan Ayuso from winning the Giro d’Italia?
Roglič and Ayuso's form suggest they are the two outright favourites for overall victory in Rome next month
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How to watch Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025: Everything you need to live stream the cobbled Belgian Classic
All the information on broadcasters and live streams for Dwars door Vlaanderen on 2 April, as Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky take on the cobbles.
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'An unprecedented opportunity for brands to be part of the evolution' - Ineos Grenadiers sponsor hunt steps up with sales agency partnership
Sportfive have been employed to find "non-endemic global partners for the team"
By Adam Becket Published
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'My biggest victory' - Juan Ayuso seals Tirreno-Adriatico overall, as Jonathan Milan sprints to victory on stage 7
Spaniard looks ahead to Giro d'Italia after claiming second GC victory of his career
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'They’re racing with their hearts again' - Robbie McEwen on Ineos Grenadiers' bright start to 2025
The British squad have already won four times in 2025
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers are entertaining so far this year, but how long will it last?
The British WorldTour squad have won four times already in 2025, but more than that, they have been fun. Is this the new dawn?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Caleb Ewan says he was put in a 'bad situation' by Jayco AlUla before he joined Ineos Grenadiers
Ewan joined Ineos Grenadiers in January after spending just one year with Jayco AlUla
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'There's no bull****, that's what I've always liked' - Geraint Thomas's first BC coach Rod Ellingworth on the retiring Welshman
The 2018 Tour de France winner will step away from professional cycling at the end of the season
By Tom Thewlis Published