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Cape Town - Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert rode 60km with a broken knee cap to finish a gruelling stage of the Tour de France despite his heavy fall on a daring descent.
According to the Stuff website, Gilbert fell heading down the notorious Cold de Portet-d'Aspet, the same route where Italian cyclist Fabio Casartelli crashed and died during the 1995 Tour.
Gilbert, 36, lost control on a sharp bend before crashing into a low stone wall and flipping over into a ravine.
Despite the incident which left viewers fearing the worst, Gilbert, who was shaken and bleeding, jumped back on his bike to ride the remaining 60km to complete Stage 16 on Tuesday.
Gilbert, riding for the Quick-Step Floors team, later tweeted an image of his legs which revealed his heavily swollen left knee in sharp contrast with his right.
Scans confirmed a broken knee cap which ended his Tour.
When you have a broken knee cap and decide to keep going for another 60km ?? pic.twitter.com/cGoidtQH3w
— PHILIPPE GILBERT (@PhilippeGilbert) July 25, 2018
