G’s Tour timeline
Thomas’s consistent progression up the GC ladder, starting with the first time he rode the race and continuing through his focus on the Classics and his time as a domestique, is striking. 2007
Thomas rides his first Tour, in the colours of Pro Conti team Barloworld. Later admits he thought very seriously about abandoning. 140th 2008-2009
Skips the Tour, but rides the Giro d’italia in 2008, coming fifth in the prologue and going on to finish the race. 2010
Joins Team Sky. Comes second in the Tour’s cobbled stage three behind Thor Hushovd, hinting at a love of Classics to come. 67th. 2011
Thomas’s Tour progression continues, with four top-10 stage finishes and a GC position of 31st. Got the combativity award on Bastille Day. 2012
Rides the Giro ahead of the Olympics, where he wins team pursuit gold, but misses out on helping Bradley Wiggins to GB’S first Tour win. 2013
Back on Tour, where he crashes on stage one, breaking his pelvis. Does he continue to Paris? Of course he does. 140th. 2014
Back on form for the Yorkshire Grand Départ. Following top10s in Flanders and Roubaix, Thomas finishes 22nd on GC. 2015
A solid build-up with second in Tour de Suisse sees Thomas improving yet again, with a sixth place behind the main contenders on stage 10’s summit finish and breaking into the top-20 overall. 15th 2016
Exactly the same GC finish as the year before, plus a seventh on the super-scenic Pont d’arc time trial. 15th 2017
Things start superbly in rainy Düsseldorf when Thomas takes yellow in the prologue, only to crash out of a Grand Tour for the second time that year on stage nine, breaking his collarbone: DNF. 2018
This one we all know. Goes into the Tour the man to beat, wearing the national champion’s jersey and having won the Dauphiné. Takes yellow in the Alps with a brace of mountain victories, including on Alpe d’huez, and holds it to Paris. 1st. 2019
Comes into the race in superb form, inserting himself into GC top-five at Planche de Belles Filles on stage six. But teammate Egan Bernal is better. A one-two for Ineos. 2nd.