Owain Doull has revealed how he was lucky to escape with a cut to his foot after being caught-up in a crash on the opening stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour.

The Cardiff-born rider’s belated World Tour bow with Team Sky was marred by the incident just 1km from the finish of Thursday’s stage.

Doull – just back from an appendix op – said the injuries could have been worse after a brake rotor from Marcel Kittel’s disc brakes sliced through his shoe.

“My shoe’s cut the pieces, that’s definitely brakes that did that,” said the 23-year-old who also suffered a badly gashed back which needed treatment.

“It’s gone straight through my shoe into my foot. That’s lucky it is not my leg.
“If that had been my leg it would have cut straight to it.

“My shoe took the brunt of it. My foot is fine.

“That is definitely it because nothing else could cut quite like that. It is like a knife.”

German sprinter Kittel is the only rider in Abu Dhabi using the controversial disc brakes which have been re-introduced this year on a trial basis.

But now there have been calls for them to have covers on the rotors – and if not be banned again due to the dangers.

Wales’ Olympic champ Doull added: “Covers needed? Yes for sure.

“I don’t think I can make that call [to end the trial] but in my opinion, unless there are covers on them then they are pretty lethal to be honest.”

Doull went down as the sprint battle hotted up with Britain’s Mark Cavendish surviving the carnage to take the win.

“I’m not too sure how the crash happened, it’s always going to be sketchy in a sprint,” added Doull, who is confident of continuing in the race.
“I was on Cav’s wheel and I think it was a tight squeeze in that roundabout. Space for two or three, and we all ended up on the floor.

“I’m a bit sore, but apart from that, I’ll be fine.”