And pepper
Tour is on the verge of tumbling out of control as temperatures and emotions come to the boil.
Once the race restarted Sky let a big break go and rode at a good tempo as the GC contenders contented themselves with keeping their powder dry for today’s monumental effort.
“We were expecting fireworks and a lot of attacks but it didn’t really materialise,” said Thomas. “There were a few on the final climb but the boys were strong and controlled that.
“In terms of actual racing it was a pretty uneventful day. The team are really riding well and we are all buzzing off each other.”
At the front it looked like Britain’s Adam Yates, leading by 15 seconds, might grab a notable stage win, but he crashed on the final descent, which let Julian Alaphilippe nip in for his second stage win of this Tour.
Now it is all about today’s stage when the gloves will come off. The riders will start with an F1-type grid with the leading GC riders at the front, and must negotiate 65 madcap kilometres of which 38.5km are straight up and 26.5km are straight down..
“We are definitely expecting attacks, maybe from the gun,” said Thomas.
“It’s a crazy day, a lot of climbing in a short space of time, most of it at threshold. That last climb is super hard, maybe the most demanding of the Tour. It is going to be decisive.”