Philippe Gilbert had a terrifying crash during Stage 16 of the Tour de France, but escaped without serious injury. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images) Belgian cyclist Philippe Gilbert is a little banged up, but largely unscathed after a terrifying crash during Stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday. Gilbert, who rides with the Quick-Step Cycling team, was descending the Col de Portet-d’Aspet and leading the breakaway when he took an aggressive line on a turn. His back wheel began to falter and he lost control of his bike. He couldn’t stop, and managed to unclip before his bike crashed into a low stone wall. He went careening headfirst over the handlebars and tumbled into a ravine. Scary moment as Philippe Gilbert crashed while descending the Portet d’Aspet. Good news: he is back on his bike and racing. #TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/iIHFsUSIim — NBCSN Cycling (@NBCSNCycling) July 24, 2018 It was a scary moment, especially since that particular pass is where cyclist Fabio Casartelli crashed during the 1995 Tour de France. Casartelli was not wearing a helmet and sustained significant head and face injuries during the crash, and he died in the helicopter on the way to the hospital. Thankfully, Gilbert didn’t sustain any major injuries, which is miraculous considering the speed he was going and how he went over the handlebars of his bike. Gilbert got help climbing back up to the roadway and doctors attended to him immediately. He had a bloody elbow and knee, but was able to get back on his bike and continue the Tour. Everyone was thrilled to see Gilbert emerge from the crash with just a few scrapes, since it could have been so much worse. His team shared a supportive message on Twitter, and so did Team Sky. You gave us quite the scare, @PhilippeGilbert. Several minutes after crashing, Philippe is back on the bike and in the race.#TDF2018 — Quick-Step Cycling (@quickstepteam) July 24, 2018 We’re relieved to see Philippe Gilbert back up and racing after a bad crash while descending the Portet d’Aspet. Great to see a thumbs up as he gets back on the bike 👍👊 — Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 24, 2018 – – – – – – Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher. More from Yahoo Sports: • Kawhi Leonard apparently ghosted David Robinson • Phillies fan expertly catches homer while holding a baby • A former Royals star is wrecking his local softball league • Cowboys TE offended by ‘humpty-dumpty’ body in Madden 19<doc-sep>Get email updates with the day's biggest stories Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Philippe Gilbert has revealed the horrific results from the crash he endured during Stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday. On the descent of Col de Portet d’Aspet, the stretch of road which claimed the life of Italian Fabio Casartelli following a crash during the 1995 Tour, the Belgian lost control and went tumbling over a wall. After falling into a ravine, Gilbert was fished out by a combination of neutral service mechanics and staff from his team car. Incredibly, the 36-year-old road another 60km to the finish line with blood seeping through his bandages and down his leg. (Image: @PhilippeGilbert/Twitter) (Image: AFP) Gilbert has since taken to social media to reveal he suffered a broken knee cap and posted a picture that shows intense swelling. He captioned on his snap: "When you have a broken knee cap and decide to keep going for another 60km." (Image: Internet Unknown) The Quick-Step Floors rider's Tour is over with x-rays later confirming he will be out of action for four to six weeks. Gilbert's only consolation came when he received the day's combativity award. (Image: Velo) (Image: Velo) He later told the Quick-Step Floors official Facebook page: "I’m very grateful for all the messages I have received on my phone and social media, and also to all the riders who passed me and asked me how I was. “I’ve got a lot of support from the cycling family and it’s then that you see that it’s really a nice sport. You appreciate it when you get support in hard moments like that."<doc-sep>
Quick-Step Floors's Philippe Gilbert has abandoned the 2018 Tour de France through injuries suffered in a scary crash on a descent on stage 16. The former world champion had attacked from the 46-man breakaway on the slopes of the third climb of the Col de Portet-d'Aspet with 71km to go, and had gained over a minute's advantage as he crested the category two ascent. As he looked to extend his advantage, Gilbert was pushing it on the descent with his team-mate and eventual stage winner Julian Alaphilippe behind. But on a left-hand bend, the Belgian came in with too much speed and locked up as he tried to brake, realising he was heading into the road-side wall. He crashed into the wall and was flung from his bike into the ravine on the other side. The 36-year-old re-emerged eventually, giving a thumbs up to camera and remounting his bike, despite having suffered cuts, with a particularly severe gash on his left leg. Gilbert was given the most combative rider award after the stage for finishing despite the crash. See more After visiting the X-ray truck after the stage finish in Bagnères de Luchon, it was then confirmed Gilbert would not begin the 17th stage on Wednesday, and was later diagnosed with a fractured patella. Quick-Step Floors are down to five riders remaining after stage 16, with Tim Declerq unable to finish the stage through stomach problems and Fernando Gaviria abandoning last week on stage 12 to Alpe d'Huez. The Belgian team have had a remarkably successful Tour so far though, with Gaviria claiming two stage wins and the yellow jersey, and Alaphilippe also taking two stages and a commanding lead in the king of the mountains competition.