2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas at present has a ringside seat on how the Tadej Pogačar-Jonas Vingegaard battle for this yr’s race is growing, and the Ineos Grenadiers star is in little doubt who, on present type and after 9 levels, is almost certainly to come back out victorious general.
“I’d say Jonas [Vingegaard],” Thomas informed Cyclingnews when requested on the primary relaxation day whom he at present felt can be carrying yellow in Nice in slightly below two weeks time.
2020 and 2021 Tour winner Pogačar at present leads Vingegaard, additionally a double Tour champion in 2022 and 2023, by 1:15, with debutant Remco Evenepoel sandwiched between the 2 on the provisional podium at 33 seconds on the UAE Team Emirates race chief.
However, Vingegaard might have better endurance on the longer ascents, Thomas argued, which might have extra affect long-term given all the Pyrenees and a lot of the Alps are but to come back.
“There’s a whole lot of lengthy climbs in the long run of the Tour as properly and it will not be concerning the punch then, it’s going to be a very completely different race. So from subsequent weekend on [in the Pyrenees], I assume that favours Jonas, as you’ll count on from the development he’ll have as properly,” Thomas informed Cyclingnews.
“I can’t think about Pog’ will get higher however whether or not he will get a lot worse – we’ll see.”
Thomas’ observations are born not solely of his close-up view of what´s occurring on this yr’s Tour. He additionally has appreciable expertise of racing for prime honours in a Grand Tour himself towards each riders, first ending third to Pogačar when he gained the Giro just some months again, and beforehand inserting third towards Vingegaard and the Slovenian when the Vimsa-Lease a Bike rider gained the Tour for the primary time in 2022.
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In phrases of how the Pogačar of the present Tour de France compares with the Pogačar of the latest Giro d’Italia, profitable six levels and sweeping all earlier than him, Thomas replies “It’s powerful to say.”
“He’s nonetheless tremendous sturdy, however we’ve solely had one huge mountain day and Jonas was shut there. Pog’ gained more often than not on the descent [off the Galibier] so I feel it’s so much nearer than what folks may assume.
“I feel it’s going to be an attention-grabbing last week for positive. I feel he [Pogacar] is unquestionably no weaker and this second week fits him so much.
“If something, I’d say Pog’s going to be pleased with the lead he’s acquired proper now, however we noticed what occurred final yr” – when Vingegaard overhauled the Slovenian within the last week of the Tour by a colossal margin – “so I feel Visma might be quietly assured for the place Vingegaard is correct now.”
Thomas himself is at present on new terrain, racing the Tour de France after finishing the Giro in what’s successfully his first ever Giro-Tour ‘double’. In 2017 he additionally rode each races, the one different event he has completed so regardless of having 21 Grand Tour on his palmares, however he deserted each, too, due to crashes and subsequent accidents.
Regarding Sunday’s eventful and chaotic stage throughout the off-roads round Troyes, he mentioned together with his typical wry humour, “I’ve acquired a number of extra gray hairs after that, however possibly that’s simply the mud and I’m kidding myself…”
“The first couple of sectors have been the worst and after that, it didn’t essentially cool down however you discover your home within the peloton”- in Thomas’ case culminating in 62nd on the road, in the principle group of favourites.
“It was definitely irritating. I’m right here to assist [the team’s GC contenders], a distinct function for me [to the Giro] and the factor I struggled with yesterday was you’re on the finish of the road and that’s positively a bit extra messy.”
“You’re form of shedding the boys after which I positively realized how I have to do my very own issues actually. I have to let Kwiato [Michael Kwiatkowsk] and Ben [Turner] information the GC guys, not essentially observe them however simply get there myself after which meet up with them, moderately than attempt to observe when it simply will get…too onerous to remain on the wheel. So even at 38,” he concludes with one other wry smile “I’m nonetheless studying.”
For Thomas there’s so much about racing the Tour this yr, regardless of this being his thirteenth, that is still nonetheless one thing of a voyage at midnight. As he factors out, different Julys he’s recognized the place he’s coming in at, form-wise, and kind of what to anticipate of himself. This time, having accomplished the Giro, it is a very completely different story, and as he says, one which is throwing some surprises at him.
“Now I really feel a bit extra up and down, like as an example each day you may have your minimal normal and it appears like I can nonetheless hit that. But the best way I really feel doing that varies quite a bit,” mentioned Thomas.
“And then even within the Giro on the punchy days, I felt like I used to be missing a bit and that´s one thing I uncared for in my coaching once I look again during the last couple of years.
“I felt it extra firstly of this yr’s race, popping out of corners and stuff, however that was possibly due to not racing for the reason that Giro and stuff. But then generally, I positively really feel like I lack a bit on the dash days, and so forth. They take only a bit extra out of me than they usually would do.”
Thomas isn’t fully positive if the discount in his bandwidth within the Tour, relating to accelerations and high-intensity racing generally, is all the way down to age, or not doing as a lot particular coaching for it during the last couple of seasons or doing two Grand Tours back-to-back. But regardless of the direct trigger, or mixture of them, when mixed with the tiredness that a lot racing in three months can deliver, that punchiness, he says “is the very first thing that goes.”
Still, like Vingegaard within the second and third week, Thomas is hoping that he’ll have the ability to flip issues round and construct on his appreciable resilience to begin making extra of an affect. Should that be the case, he might have the ability to issue a extra high-profile function into what he’s already doing.
“I’d positively wish to strive on a stage to see what I might do however it all depends upon the sentiments on the day. I’m simply feeling so random for the time being. There are positively some levels we will take a look at and possibly go up the highway to assist Carlos [Rodríguez, Ineos GC leader] or whoever. Or go for a stage myself. But for now, it is day-to-day”
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