Thomas sunk, Yates dropped in Giro d'Italia stage three

FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Tour de France - The 27.5-km Stage 13 Individual Time Trial from Pau to Pau - July 19, 2019 - Team INEOS rider Geraint Thomas of Britain finishes. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

MOUNT ETNA, Italy (Reuters) - Geraint Thomas's Giro d'Italia challenge was effectively over before the first climb on Monday after the Ineos-Grenadiers rider was dropped during the third stage following an early crash.

Britain's 2018 Tour de France champion hit the ground in the neutral zone before the start and lost touch with the main pack ahead of the final ascent to Mount Etna, an 18.8km effort at an average gradient of 6.6%.