Geraint Thomas says cycling chiefs could look at F1-style starts to avoid a repeat of the neutral zone crash that left his Giro d’Italia hopes in tatters.

Wales’ 2018 Tour de France champ suffered a fractured pelvis when he crashed in Sicily after a loose water bottle hit his front wheel.

Thomas admits the neutral zone can be mental as riders jockey for position behind the race judges in the car ahead.

But the 34-year-old says an F1-style start – where drivers stay in their grid position behind a safety car on the warm-up lap – could be the answer.

“Looking back, there are definitely some lessons to learn’ said Thomas of the stage three crash that denied him a real crack at a second Grand Tour crown.

“There are so many times when neutral zones are just mental. For instance in the Tour (de France), if it’s a windy day, you know on kilometre zero, when the race starts there’s going to be crosswinds, it’s not neutral – you’re racing.

“In Formula One, they’re all staying behind each other and warming up their tyres and you stay in that position; in a bike race, you’re racing.

“The only thing that’s different is that you have the judges in the car setting the pace. For this, for sure we could have gone a bit slower.”

Thomas, speaking to S4C, added: “The reason why the bottle was on the floor was because it was a bumpy road and it just bounced out the bottle cage – it happens quite a lot.

“But if we were going a bit slower, the bumps wouldn’t have had as much of an impact and the bottle wouldn’t have come out, so I definitely think neutral zones could be a lot slower, but it was unavoidable at the time.”

Thomas had to ride the last 27km of the stage suffering from the heavy crash including an 18km climb on the slopes of Mt Etna.

But he knew at the end that he had lost too much time to be a contender for the victory even before x-rays revealed the fractured pelvis.

“I was just thinking about the disappointment of it all and having dark thoughts, basically,”said the Ineos Grenadiers rider of that ride to the summit.

“Just thinking about all that work that I’d put in. In the nine weeks leading up to the race, I’d seen my family maybe twice. It was a hell of a long time away.”

Thomas, who missed son, Max’s first birthday on the Friday before the Giro started, added: “I was getting told every morning what to eat, and I stuck to that plan for six weeks.

“We were all committed 100 per cent. I got into the Giro in great shape. But for it all to end as it did, I didn’t even really get going, didn’t get a chance to show how good I was, it was a disappointment and that’s what was going through my head.

“It was an 18km climb at the end, over 10 miles, and I thought ‘there’s no way I’m going to lose just a few minutes, it’s going to be over 10’, and it ended up being twelve.

“So then it was the realisation that the race for the GC was probably over anyway. It was certainly one of the longest climbs I’ve ever done, mentally.”

Thomas has been recuperating back at home in Cardiff with his family knowing one of the oddest seasons of his career – with the Grand Tour calendar altered due to COVID-19 – is over.

And he admits he has allowed himself to enjoy a few beers – knowing he will pay for it when the training for next season finally gets underway.

“I’ve seen a specialist, and they’ve said two weeks without the bike, no riding,” said Thomas. “And then another MRI in about a month and just limit the walking.

“But it’s the off season anyway, so I’ll just enjoy the time at home. It’s just a strange feeling, because when you finish a season, even if it’s been bad, it’s tough and long – you’ve done a lot of racing and you’re looking forward to the break.

“Whereas this one, it feels like I was just about to get going and now the season’s done. It’s quite strange not doing anything, it doesn’t feel like I’ve earned this break physically, even though mentally, I definitely have.

“I haven’t shown people what I could have done, but that’s the way this year is and you’ve got to keep it in perspective.

“My troubles are minimal compared to what’s going on in the world right now, so I’ve just got to look forward to next year and enjoy the beers.

“I’ve had a few since I crashed out, not gonna lie! I’ve made the most of that, and it’ll make November and December a bit harder as always, burning off the Welsh cakes and the beers, but there we go.”