Geraint remains on course for Tour win

GERAINT Thomas is now potentially just four days away from being the Tour de France champion after the Welshman safely negotiated the first of three defining stages in the Pyrenees.

The 32-year-old Team Sky star retained his yellow jersey and all of his one minute 39 second lead over team-mate Chris Froome as they both finished in the main peloton after stage 16 from Carcassone to Bagneres-deLuchon.

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, in the polka dot jersey as King of Mountains classification leader, won his second stage of the race with Thomas, Froome and all of the main General Classification contenders coming in some nine minutes later.

The first day in the Pyrenees proved to be something of a phoney war as Team Sky were content to let the breakaway have its day and comfortably controlled the peloton to ensure there were no threats to their advantage.

It was a less than dramatic end to a stage which had been stopped at one point as riders were affected by a spray used by police to break up a farmers’ protest on the road from Carcassonne.

Several riders, Froome, needed affected by a spray.

The protestors had rolled large hay bales into the road 29 kilometres into the 218km stage, and then clashed with police who tried to remove them. including Thomas and treatment after being

After a spray was used by officers, it appeared to get into the eyes of several riders, with world champion Peter Sagan also among those affected. The race was stopped completely while they received medical attention and washed their eyes. After a 15-minute interval the race resumed with a short neutralised section before the flag was dropped once again 33km into the stage.

Farmers’ protests are nothing new at the Tour, but the incident will add to the intense security situation in this year’s edition.

Froome was jostled and spat at on Alpe d’Huez, while 2014 winner Vincenzo Nibali saw his race ended after he was brought down in a tangle with a fan on the same mountain.

Mitchelton-Scott’s Yates led on the descent into Bagneres-de-Luchon after attacking three kilometres before the summit of the Col du Portillon, cresting the mountain with a 22-second advantage.

But the 25-year-old Lancastrian crashed with 6.5km to go, allowing Quick-Step Floors’ Alaphilippe to zip by and take his second stage win of this Tour.

Yates was quickly back on his bike, and followed home Bahrain-Merida’s Gorka Izagirre to finish third.

The main contenders crossed the line in a group some nine minutes after Alaphilippe to mean there is no change at the top of the general classification.

Thomas continues to lead by one minute and 39 seconds from team-mate Chris Froome, with Team Sunweb’s Tom Dumoulin a further 11 seconds behind.

Today will not be as comfortable as the riders embark on a short but brutal 65km stage 17 from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Saint-LarySoulan, featuring the first category climbs of the Col du Peyresourde and the Col de Val Louron-Azet and finishing with the hors category Col du Portet.

Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, currently in the third place, and the likes of Primoz Roglic, and Romain Bardet are almost certain to try and use this stage as a springboard to try and attack Thomas and Froome.

However, if Thomas can survive with his lead intact he will have what essentially is another recovery day on Thursday as stage 17 is a flat run from Trie-sur-Baise to Pau when the GC riders will move aside to give the sprinters an opportunity.

Friday then sees the final big mountain stage, a 200.5km grind from Lourdes to Laruns featuring the signature climb of the Col du Tourmalet half way through.

Stage 20 on Saturday, when the GC will be decided, is a 31km individual time trial over a hilly parcours from Saint-pee-sure-Nivelle to Espelette before Sunday’s ceremonial run-in to Paris where the sprinters will have their final say on the Champs Elysees.