"We're sometimes just like clowns in a circus", Geraint Thomas slams Giro stage and finale around Napoli

Despite a fall and no lost seconds, Geraint Thomas was not pleased, to say the least with the stage after the ride, won by Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike). The 37-year-old rider was particularly frustrated with the course.

"There's a lot of talk about safety, and this was just not safe," the INEOS Grenadiers leader explained to Eurosport. "We're sometimes just like clowns in a circus. My chain was bouncing up and down. It's not comfortable at all. It's also quite scary when you see some riders' desperate moves as they bounce through all the big holes scattered around. I'm really relieved to have come through this stage unscathed, if I'm honest."

Fortunately, the Welshman, currently third in the overall standings, had the support of his teammates. "The final was really chaotic. But the guys have been really good at looking after me all week, so I was usually in the right position." Thomas finished the stage in 32nd place, well positioned at the front.

Rest day is a blessing for Thomas: "Glad to be able to step out of this peloton"

The day after this ninth stage, on Monday, the entire Giro peloton has a rest day. And Thomas welcomes it. "First of all, I'm very glad to step out of this peloton with all these riders, says an old man now," Thomas laughs to the cameras. "But yes, it's quite nice."

More details will soon emerge regarding the severity of his crash, which happened just before the finale. "Geraint is okay. He hurt his elbow, but he got up quickly like a cat after the fall. That's good," team director Zak Dempster noted.

In Thomas's crash, several other riders hit the asphalt as well. Teammate Tobias Foss and Maximilian Schachmann (BORA-hansgrohe) were also involved. The three, who fell at a slippery roundabout, fortunately managed to rejoin the peloton.

Narváez races to entertain fans

INEOS trump card Jhonatan Narváez, who is rightly considered to be in good form, also spoke to Eurosport's camera. The Ecuadorian broke away on the last climb and attempted to secure the victory through a solo effort. He seemed poised to succeed brilliantly, except that he was personally reeled in by Tadej Pogacar (aiding Sebastian Molano) and a number of sprint lead-outs. About twenty meters from the finish, his effort failed, and he rolled over the line in eleventh place. "I actually thought I had it, but now I stand here empty-handed."

"We performed brilliantly in the first stage, and I came very close again today," Narváez continued in his race analysis. "It's disappointing, but that's cycling for you. The moment I broke away was my last chance to escape. What’s great about racing is that sometimes you achieve good results and sometimes not so good. You just learn to keep fighting and surviving. The most important takeaway, however, is that my preparations were adequate to get this far. Having a bit of fun is part of my style too. I like doing things differently—it's something I really appreciate. I race the way fans hope to see racing."