The Tour de France is several weeks of gruelling cycling and a test of strength, both physical and mental, that it's any wonder people come out alive doing it. Philippe Gilbert managed to break his knee cap and cycle for another 60km. For most of us riding a bike is a leisurely thing to do, even at a most intense it's usually just a cycle to work, a bit of exercise, or pretending we're moving because we're actually just on a machine in the gym. Loading… The Tour de France is not something people in Britain ever used to take much notice of until Mark Cavendish started winning loads of stages, then Bradley Wiggins won the whole thing and Chris Froome won it three times- now we can't get enough of the damn thing! Advert 10 This summer Geraint Thomas is leading, which I'm sure you all knew because since the World Cup finished you've had nothing else in your life. Anyway enough of the boring stuff we know you like the harsh, weird and brutal injuries. Step forward Philippe Gilbert who crashed out of the Tour yesterday with a big crash: CRASH! @PhilippeGilbert can't regain control of his bike, disappears over roadside barrier and flies into the undergrowth in the middle of this descent. He re-emerges moments later and bravely returns to the saddle. #TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/nmj0KzK55K - ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 24, 2018 Incredibly he was able to get back on the bike and finish the 16th stage but revealed afterwards on social media that he'd broken his knee cap, before announcing the race was all over for him: Advert 10 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 Thank you all for the support after yesterday's crash. I have done everything I could to continue in @LeTour, but unfortunately it's not longer possible with a fracture of the patella. As always I will come back stonger! #TourDePhil #TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/FVobfmxhfz - PHILIPPE GILBERT (@PhilippeGilbert) July 25, 2018 The race was just four stages short of coming to Paris, where the race ends of the Champs Elysees when the Quick-Step Floors rider had to call it a day because of the horrid crash.<doc-sep>Philippe Gilbert is no quitter. The cyclist broke his left kneecap during a devastating crash on Stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday, but kept going to finish off 60 kilometers to complete the rest of the stage. Gilbert posted a photo of the gruesome knee injury on Twitter early Wednesday. Video of the accident showed Gilbert veering out of control on his Ported d'Aspet descent and flipping over a stone rail after his bike crashed. Gilbert ultimately bowed out of the Tour de France once he realized the severity of the injury. "Unfortunately it's no longer possible with a fracture of the patella," he tweeted, thanking his fans on social media for support. "As always I will come back stronger."<doc-sep>Philippe Gilbert was forced to withdraw from the 2018 Tour de France on Tuesday after a grisly crash on Stage 16 left him with a fractured kneecap. The Quick-Step rider was 57.2 K from the finish and in the lead when he lost control on a downhill bend and flew headfirst over a wall and into a ravine. Although he was helped back onto his bike to finish the 218K stage—eventually won by French teammate Julian Alaphilippe—Gilbert emerged from the X-ray truck suffering from the crash. His team said doctors discovered the fracture after further tests at a hospital in Toulouse, meaning Gilbert had to pull out of the race. Gilbert lost control on a downhill bend and crashed into a wall. The impact threw him off his bike and into a ravine several meters below the road. Tim de Waele Getty Images “I want to say that I’m happy to be here after that tough moment,” he said. “This isn’t how I wanted to finish my Tour, and leaving it like this really hurts.” Quick-Step bosses panicked when Gilbert went over the wall, as it was on the same descent, albeit several kilometers below, that Italian Fabio Casartelli died in a horrible crash in 1995. Negotiating a left-hand bend at a high speed, Gilbert failed to brake in time, skidded, hit the wall, and was thrown from his bike onto rocks several meters below the road. TV footage showed officials helping him climb back out and onto the road, where he jumped gingerly back on his bike despite his bloody injuries. Gilbert won most combative rider on Stage 16, which he finished after coming back from a nasty crash that broke his knee. Justin Setterfield Getty Images “We played it well,” Gilbert said. “I attacked to put a little bit of pressure on our group. I wanted to help Julian. Tactically, we did well, but I crashed and it was all my fault. I simply took the wrong line. “I fell onto rocks and, when I landed, I thought I’d been broken apart,” he added. “I’ve had a lucky escape.” After getting pulled back up to the road, Gilbert flashed a thumbs-up to let viewers know he was OK. NBC The Tour de France ends on Sunday in Paris. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section Cycling Philippe Gilbert at the side of the road after a fall during the 16th stage of the race Philippe Gilbert has posted a picture of severe swelling around his broken knee cap following a race-ending crash at stage 16 of the Tour de France. Gilbert suffered a heavy fall on the descent of the Col de Portet-d'Aspet, where Fabio Casartelli crashed and died during the 1995 Tour. The 36-year-old Belgian locked up on a left-hand bend and flipped over a low stone wall into a ravine. However, he climbed out and rode a further 60km to complete the stage. Gilbert has since been ruled out of resuming the Tour after a scan revealed he had sustained a fractured kneecap in the crash.<doc-sep>
Quick-Step Floors rider Philippe Gilbert has revealed the horrific injury he suffered during Stage 16 of the Tour de France. Belgian Gilbert lost control of his bike on a fast descent and crashed into a wall before disappearing head first into a ravine on Tuesday. He remounted and finished the stage but his Tour has come to an end after breaking his knee cap. Philippe Gilbert has revealed the horrific injury he suffered during Stage 16 of Tour de France Belgian Gilbert lost control of his bike on a fast descent and crashed into a wall on Tuesday After disappearing head first into a ravine, he remounted and finished the stage We've all been very scared, but @PhilippeGilbert is ok and will go back on the bike. 💪 Après une grosse frayeur, @PhilippeGilbert semble aller bien et va repartir. 💪#TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/Xtrjyw3QSf — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 24, 2018 Gilbert posted a picture of his swollen left knee on to Twitter on Wednesday. He wrote: 'When you have a broken knee cap and decide to keep going for another 60km.' The tweet came after announcing he could no longer continue in the race in a video post on the social media platform. Gilbert is helped back to the road after crashing over a wall during Stage 16 on Tuesday Belgian Gilbert sits on the side of the wall he crashed into and flipped over on Tuesday A close up of Gilbert's injury after crashing during Stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday The caption read: 'Thank you all for the support after yesterday’s crash. I have done everything I could to continue in @LeTour, but unfortunately it’s not longer possible with a fracture of the patella. 'As always I will come back stronger!' Gilbert was awarded most combative rider for the stage on Tuesday and he collected the trophy with heavy strapping on his left leg. He was awarded most combative rider and he collected trophy with heavy strapping on his leg