Sir Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas avoid Scheldeprijs pile-up

Sir Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas avoided being caught up in a major pile-up in the final kilometre of the Scheldeprijs race in Belgium.

However, Team Sky colleague Elia Viviani crashed into barriers and had to go to hospital.

The cobbled race, won by Katusha's Alexander Kristoff, is the penultimate outing before Sunday's Paris-Roubaix.

Wiggins will make his last appearance for Team Sky in Paris before he leaves to front his own outfit, Team Wiggins.

Italian rider Viviani, who was vying for a podium finish in Flanders, suffered pain in his arms and ribs after the accident and was taken for X-rays.

"It was fortunate that none of our other riders were involved," said Team Sky sports director Servais Knaven. "It was a nasty crash."

Paris-Roubaix is one Europe's classic races and is renowned for its rough terrain and cobbles.

Wiggins confirmed last month that he intends to race for his new set-up at the inaugural Tour of Yorkshire in May.

Kristoff's Scheldeprijs victory was his second in four days having won the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.