Cycling: Geraint Thomas (Sky) wears the yellow jersey on the second rest day of the Tour de France. The Brit is considered to be a very talented and complete professional, but very few people have actually guessed him as the winner of the tour. Teammate Chris Froome is placed directly behind him. The experts don't agree: Can Geraint Thomas win the Tour de France, or does he have to make room for Chris Froome in the end?
Geraint Thomas wins two mountain finishes in a row
After the announcement before the start of the Tour de France that Chris Froome had been cleared of all doping charges , the top favorite for the French Grand Tour seemed clear. But now it appears that the four-time winner might not live up to his favorite status. The competition within his own team is fierce. Geraint Thomas, after winning the Critérium du Dauphiné, has now also won two consecutive mountain finishes at the Tour de France. This hasn't happened in the Tour de France for many years. However, far more significant than the results is the fact that Geraint Thomas has shown hardly any weaknesses. The Briton seems to have matured into a complete racer – and above all, a general classification contender. In the overall standings, he leads his teammate Chris Froome by 1 minute and 39 seconds after 15 stages . Since Geraint Thomas is also considered a strong time trialist, it will now be difficult for Chris Froome to secure his fifth Tour victory.
Check out the highlights from today's big mountain test at #TDF2018 as Geraint Thomas powered his way into the race lead with a stage win 🎥 @VelonCC pic.twitter.com/eYnxICNOKU
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 18, 2018
Chris Froome is running out of options
The Alps are already behind us. Chris Froome failed to make up any time on his teammate and compatriot Geraint Thomas during the three mountain stages. On the contrary, Froome hasn't been able to gain any time on any stage so far. It has always been Geraint Thomas who has been able to increase his lead second by second. However, it should also be mentioned that the majority of the gap was created on the very first stage . There, Froome was involved in a crash, losing a significant 51 seconds to Thomas . In previous Grand Tours, such a mishap was usually not a problem for Froome. Thanks to his strong team and tactical finesse, he had always managed to turn the tables. This time, however, that won't be enough, because Geraint Thomas can rely on the same team. He doesn't seem to be any weaker, if anything, he seems even stronger.
Check out the highlights from a big day out, finishing on the famous Alpe d'Huez. That Welshman is still in yellow! #TDF2018 @GeraintThomas86 @VelonCC 🎥 pic.twitter.com/4AqABg3Mam
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 19, 2018
Geraint Thomas vs. Chris Froome: Which winner does Sky want?
The 2018 Tour de France isn't over yet. The Pyrenees still lie ahead. Nevertheless, it looks like this year's Tour winner will definitely come from Team Sky. Even though Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) and Primož Roglič (LottoNL-Jumbo-Visma) aren't far behind, the performances of Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome have been too impressive. So the question arises: which of the two will get to win the Tour de France when the team management has such a difficult choice? Officially, it's still stated that Chris Froome is the captain and Geraint Thomas his key support rider. But with each passing day in the yellow jersey, the questions and doubts grow. One thing is clear: Sky wants a fifth Tour victory for Froome, because it would elevate him to the ranks of the greatest professionals of all time. At the same time, however, it's unlikely that Thomas will lose nearly two minutes to Froome. Will cycling fans therefore witness a team order ? Will Geraint Thomas have to relinquish his place in the sun to Chris Froome? This could happen if he performs poorly on a mountain stage and loses time in the time trial. However, if this were to occur, Team Sky would become even more unpopular in cycling.
1-2 on GC at #TDF2018 . What a pair of riders @GeraintThomas86 @chrisfroome 👍👈 pic.twitter.com/M0FAbPikKO
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 19, 2018