With a skid and a fall, Geraint Thomas’s pursuit for time trial gold was dramatically downgraded to a salvation mission for bronze on Thursday.

He achieved that lesser target, which was solid going in the circumstances of a crash just two minutes into the 37.4km trial, before then raising questions about whether the race in Wolverhampton was sufficiently well organised.

His reservations centred on the absence of barriers during his reconnaissance lap of the circuit on Wednesday. With that intel available, he might have better judged the sharp left-hand bend that wrecked his chances, but instead he shot in too fast, expecting a gentler turn. In breaking, the Welshman’s rear wheel kicked out, hit the barrier and deposited the former Tour de France winner on the tarmac.

Geraint Thomas’ hopes of winning gold in the time trial were scuppered by an early crash

The Welsh international was the joint favourite for the 37.4km time trial in Wolverhampton

It cost the favourite around 30 seconds, which was galling because of the eventual margin of 28.49sec to the winner, Rohan Dennis of Australia, who won in 46min 21sec. England’s Fred Wright was second.

Thomas, no stranger to time trial crashes, applied the blame to himself, but did point to the organisation of the race.

He said: ‘The recon I did was in traffic so there’s no barriers up or anything, so it’s pretty pointless, really, other than knowing where the hills and downhills are.

However, Thomas approached the second left-hand bend too quickly and crashed. He was later pictured with cuts and bruises on his knees (seen above) 

Thomas managed to get back on his bike and complete the race, finishing in third place 

‘But it’s my fault at the end of the day. I was thinking it’s a sweeping left but suddenly there are barriers in the way and it’s like, “Oh s**t”.

‘You are used to seeing the course for what it is exactly going to be. But it was just not as organised as what we are used to, basically.’

Wright, the son of the actor Philip Wright, who has appeared in Eastenders and Line of Duty, took a surprise silver despite starting closer to the amateur racers than the bigger hitters of their sport.