CLIMB IT CHANGE
GERAINT THOMAS is relishing a Yellow Jersey shoot-out with Thibaut Pinot in the Alps and blustered: Bring it on.
Unlike six of the last seven Tour de France races, this year’s edition is not a procession of Team Ineos (formerly Team Sky) juggernauts but a real bunfight for the top step of the podium in Paris on Sunday.
Where Sky previously flexed their muscles like a parade of military firepower on Red Square, defending British champion Thomas and his Colombian sidekick Egan Bernal face three days of lung-bursting climbs to christen new sponsors Ineos as champions.
Although the Prince of Wheels trails leader Julian Alaphilippe by 1min 35secs in the general classification, conventional wisdom suggests that the charismatic Frenchman’s challenge will fade.
And Pinot, just 15 secs behind Thomas and the strongest engine going up the Tourmalet at the weekend, looks like the best bet for a first home win on Le Tour in 34 years.
Pinot will enjoy huge support among the galleries when the Yellow Jersey is decided on consecutive days of cycling at altitude later this week.
But Thomas, who turned hostile crowds into rocket fuel 12 months ago, when he won back-to-back Alpine stages at La Rosiere and the Alpe d’Huez, said: “I’d love it, I’d relish it. Bring it on.
“The main thing is, going into the Alps, I feel motivated to try and finish this Tour off strongly.
“There’s more than one way to win this race and we’re still in a super-strong position.
“Everyone has ups and downs, but it’s how Still in box seat after 11 days in the Yellow Jersey, but is expected to fade in the three brutal Alpine stages. (+ 1min 35sec): Patchy defence of his title, but strong finish on Prat d’Albis on Sunday showed he is up for the fight. (+ 1min 47sec): Dutch dark horse is only 12 seconds back on Thomas and can not be written off. (+ 1min 50sec): The new bookies’ favourite looks the strongest climber, could be first ‘home’ winner of Le Tour since 1985. (+ 2min 2sec): Still in with a genuine chance, but Team Ineos likely to give Thomas first crack at retaining his crown. (+ 2min 14sec): Third in the warm-up Criterium du Dauphine and the German has impressed again on Le Tour.
you deal with them that really matters.
“Everyone loves having a go at our team, whatever we do – they say we are all robots, it’s all science, but I don’t care whether people enjoy it or not. It’s all about winning the race.
“It’s definitely not boring now and Alaphilippe has had a big part to play in that, but it will be even nicer if I win the Tour again.
“For me, it has been a slightly up-and-down race compared to last year, but I’m itching to reach the Alps – for obvious reasons I have got very good memories of them.”