Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Over to you, lad!
IT’S KID BERNAL’S NOW
GERAINT THOMAS was carried out on his shield – but vowed to be back.
And as the valiant Welshman crossed the line here with new champion-in-waiting and team-mate Egan Bernal, Thomas had a smile broader than Cardiff Bay.
With only today’s processional ride into Paris ahead, Colombian sensation Bernal will become the youngest winner of the Tour for 110 years, and thirdyoungest ever, at 22 years 195 days.
Yet Thomas, 33, said: “I still believe I can win this race again – a lot of people probably don’t, but that spurs me on.
“The difference between this year and last year is like night and day. This year, every little thing that could go wrong did go wrong.
“Even in the build-up it wasn’t plain sailing.
“But I stayed positive and kept fighting because that’s what I do.
“But it’s not about me tonight – it’s all about Egan. What an incredible performance by him.
“To cross the line with him here was an amazing feeling and I feel proud of him.
“If I’d finished second behind the rider from another team, I might not feel the same way, but the fact Egan won makes it OK in the end.”
Thomas was forced to write-off his Tour warmup programme after a heavy crash – and he hit the deck three times defending the Yellow Jersey itself.
But Bernal, the first Colombian to win this event has the aura of a champion. And Team Ineos principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, has now masterminded seven Yellow Jersey triumphs in eight years.
In the general classification, Bernal heads for the Champs Elysees 1min 11secs ahead of Thomas, with Dutch stayer Steven Kruijswijk a further 20 seconds back.
Long-time leader Julian Alaphilippe, whose front-running made the 2019 edition arguably the best Tour, as a race, for 30 years, fell to fifth in the GC.
Bernal’s Yellow Jersey, which he wore for the first time on Friday night, was never under threat once a storms forecast had seen stage 20 condensed into a 36.6-mile climb.