Past master Geraint back and after Tour
FIRST VICTORY SINCE 2018 AUGURS WELL
GERAINT THOMAS powered to his first win in three years and admitted: “It’s nice to finally break the duck.”
Britain’s 2018 Tour de France champion had not finished a stage race on top of the podium since he wore the Yellow Jersey on the Champs Elysees in 2018.
But a powerful ride on the 11-mile final time trial at the Tour of Romandie – which earned him third on the stage but eased him past overnight leader Michael Woods – gave Thomas his first win in Ineos Grenadiers colours.
It was glorious compensation for his crash fewer than 100 yards from the finish line 24 hours earlier, when he lost control of the handlebars in icy conditions.
With the 2021 edition of Le Tour just seven weeks away, Thomas looks in good form. He said: “Bike racing is about winning. It’s not like I haven’t been performing since I won the Tour – I’ve been up there, but it’s nice to finally win.At the start of the year I said the goal was the Tour. I didn’t put too much pressure on myself early on, but I seem to have come into some good shape pretty soon.
“It was all about trying to take the jersey today and to get around safely. I’d have loved to have gone for the stage win, but the last descent was a bit wet. I’m very happy, especially after the little mishap yesterday, which wasn’t ideal. That definitely made it more of a challenge.”
Thomas took victory by 28 seconds from fellow Ineos rider Richie Porte, with stage winner Revi Cavagna’s team-mate Fausto Masnada climbing to third, a further 10 seconds back.
The Tour of Romandie has often been an accurate barometer of form ahead of the Tour de France – its previous winners include Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.