THOMAS ON THE BRINK
Selfless star has cycling’s biggest prize within grasp
GERAINT THOMAS, the man who has spent an entire career helping others, is poised to claim the greatest prize in cycling for himself.
After a brilliant ride to claim second in yesterday’s Stage 19, the Welshman extended his overall lead in the Tour de France to two minutes and five seconds.
Only cruel luck – and Thomas has known some in his time – can deny him after a faultless race so far.
Thomas just needs to finish the job now with a rock-steady ride in the 31km individual time trial this afternoon to become the most popular and trusted Tour de France winner of the modern era. “I’m certainly in a good position but I’m
still trying not to get carried away and think about winning the Yellow Jersey,” said Thomas.
He added: “It’s obviously getting closer and closer. I’ve got a nice advantage but I’ve still got to be on the ball. It’s never comfortable.”
Welsh and British flags could be seen all over the mountains yesterday as Thomas and Sky rode superbly to fight off numerous attacks from his closest rivals. Then, with the touch of a champion, Thomas sprinted away at the death to take second place behind stage winner Primoz Roglic and claim yet another six seconds off the field.
The Welshman leads from second-placed Tom Dumoulin and is a further 19 seconds clear of Roglic in third, ahead of this afternoon’s climactic time trial.
The winner will be known this evening. Tomorrow’s final stage into Paris is ceremonial and largely consists of drinking champagne and posing for pictures, although the Yellow Jersey is formally required to cross the line on the Champs Elysees. You will search in vain for anybody with a bad word to say against Thomas and that includes all his main opponents.
“I do it the right way and the team do it the right way,” he said last night in answer to some of the doubters. “We train super hard. There is nothing I can do to prove it but it will stand the test of time.
“The team are phenomenally strong. We have myself, Froomey, Egan Bernal – the brightest talent in a long time – and Luke Rowe, who is super strong in the Classics. It is not just having good legs but good heads. There is nothing more to say. I work super hard and I’ve had some bad luck but it’s nice to know that the work is paying off.”
Victory would also see Thomas elevated to top table in the Welsh sporting pantheon alongside Sir Gareth Edwards, Lyn ‘the Leap’ Davies and – remarkably – two former school colleagues from Whitchurch HS in Cardiff.
Both the recently retired Lions rugby captain Sam Warburton and Wales and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale attended Whitchurch at the same time as Thomas.