Jul 26th, 2018

Jul 26th, 2018

Belgian Philippe Gilbert has revealed the gruesome injuries he sustained after his horrifying crash during the 16th stage of the Tour de France.

Gilbert was leading the stage when he failed to brake in time for a left-hand bend, and was sent flying over a wall.

He was helped back onto his bike and completed the remaining 60 kilometres of the stage, but subsequent x-rays have confirmed he suffered a race-ending injury.

“When you have a broken knee cap and decide to keep going for another 60km,” he wrote on Instagram while posting an image that showed the full extent of the damage.

Gilbert’s accident happened on the same descent where Italian rider Fabio Casartelli was killed in a horrific crash in 1995.

(Instagram) Philippe Gilbert has revealed the extent of his injuries following his Tour de France crash.

“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.”

“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. I’ve had a lucky escape.”