Geraint Thomas looks certain to win Tour de France after keeping yellow jersey
Written by News on 29/07/2018
Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas looks certain to win the Tour de France after keeping the yellow jersey in the race’s penultimate stage.
Thomas, who would become the first Welshman to win the tour, held an overnight lead of two minutes and five seconds over Dutch rival Tom Dumoulin ahead of the 31km (19 mile) time trial.
Stage 20 was a race against the clock from Saint-Pee-Sur-Nivelle to Espelette.
“G”, as he is affectionately known, was on course to win the stage on Saturday but eased up in the closing stages, allowing Dumoulin to finish first.
The Sunweb rider is the world time trial champion, and he stayed true to form by powering over the technical course in a time of 40 minutes 50 seconds to leave Thomas 14 seconds behind.
Team Sky’s Chris Froome, a four-time winner and the current holder of the Tour de France, was one second behind Dumoulin and came second.
There was brief confusion when the timing splits appeared to show Froome had beaten Dumoulin by one second to take the stage, though it was soon corrected.
Thomas’s third place in the time trial has virtually secured his place on top of the podium on Sunday, where he will be the sixth British winner of the tour in seven years.
There was one significant scare for Thomas when at 19km in his bike almost slipped from underneath him on a right-hand bend.
He has led the way for much of the 2018 race and traditionally the final stage in Paris is a procession for the holder of the yellow jersey.
The 32-year-old will carry a lead of one minute 51 seconds into Sunday’s final leg.
Sprinters will fight it out for glory on the Champs-Elysees before the tour’s overall winner is honoured.
Thomas was embraced by his wife Sara and Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford at the finish, and appeared to wipe away a tear.
He said: “I can’t believe it. “I’m welling up. I don’t know what to say.
“It is just overwhelming.
“I didn’t think about it all race and suddenly I won the tour.”
The Welshman will become the third British winner of the race, joining Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, with the Team Sky trio winning six of the last seven editions of the race.
The two-time Olympic track champion but has spent the bulk of his road career in the role of selfless teammate.
Team Sky’s performance manager Rod Ellingworth, who has worked with Thomas since he was a teenager, said: “He’s often been committed to someone else in the team and he never falters in that.
“He’s somebody you would take into battle with you for sure. He’s really committed, dedicated to the team.”
(c) Sky News 2018: Geraint Thomas looks certain to win Tour de France after keeping yellow jersey
