Thomas misses chance for yellow jersey but eyes opportunities ahead
18 July 2018 07:23
The pre-race prediction ahead of stage 10 of the Tour de France on Tuesday was that Team Sky's Geraint Thomas would inherit the yellow jersey from Greg Van Avermaet (BMC). It was a sound hypothesis given that Thomas came into the Tour as the Critérium du Dauphiné winner and had not put a foot wrong during the opening nine days of racing. The Welshman – a superior climber to Van Avermaet on paper – started the first Alpine test 43 seconds in arrears, but ahead of the other GC contenders. However, a gutsy ride from Van Avermaet – in which he infiltrated the day's break and even extended his GC lead to over two minutes – ensured that Thomas would remain second overall and therefore miss out on the yellow jersey.ADVERTISEMENT Team Sky's tactics on stage 10 were clear for all to see. They kept the break at a respectable distance but never once set a pace that suggested that they wanted to propel Thomas into the lead. Their objectives at this year's Tour are based on long-term success – and that means yellow in Paris. The British team set a fast but not unmanageable pace on the final two ascents before the finish at Le Grand-Bornand, and while a handful of GC prospects struggled after Monday's rest day, the stage ended in a relative stalemate. "I said before, it's the Tour de France, so you can't have the jersey just because you want it. Fair play to Greg. He got himself in the break, and that’s what he did last time he had the yellow jersey [in 2016], so we expected it," Thomas told Cyclingnews as he freewheeled to the Team Sky bus after the stage.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com.read full article
