Tour de France 2019 news - Geraint Thomas set for victory, says Bradley Wiggins
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Updated 15/07/2019 at 07:49 GMT
Geraint Thomas can "definitely" defend his Tour de France title after an opening week which has crushed the hopes of some of his General Classification rivals, according to Bradley Wiggins.
Great Britain's Geraint Thomas rides with cyclists in the pack during the sixth stage of the 106th edition of the Tour de France
Image credit: Getty Images
Thomas went into the 2019 race with questions surrounding his lack of preparation and having to share Team Ineos leadership with young pretender Egan Bernal. But after the opening eight stages, Thomas appears perfectly placed to repeat his win from 2018.
The Welshman is currently fifth in GC, 1:12 down on yellow jersey Julian Alaphilippe. But, crucially, he has four seconds on Bernal after putting time into his team-mate on Stage 6 with a superb showing at La Planche des Belles Filles .
Other potential GC challengers like Jakob Fuglsang, Adam Yates, Nairo Quintana and Mikel Landa are all trailing in the wake of the two Ineos riders, and while Groupama - FDJ's Thibaut Pinot currently has 19 seconds on Thomas, Wiggins feels his former team-mate's mentality gives him a big advantage.
"With his age and his experience, this must be about his 10th Tour now, I think because of his mental strength and his laid-back character, his focus, the way he approaches things he is very laid back, I think he could win a second Tour, definitely," said Wiggins, speaking on Monday's episode of The Bradley Wiggins Show.
He has proved it this week. As long as things don't go drastically wrong for him I think he is in the position to win it.
"Bernal is not far behind, but he has got team orders, are they still going for G? We just don't know at this stage. But the sad thing is, I just can't see anyone in that top ten at the moment that has probably got the balls to take him on.
"These guys probably will be looking at that going, 'I can get on the podium here'. I can't imagine any of them thinking, 'I'm going to try and win the Tour'."
Even a dramatic crash on Stage 7 failed to derail Thomas and Wiggins' guest on Monday's podcast, former Team Sky DS Sean Yates, who masterminded Wiggins' own victory in 2012, agrees that Thomas is now the man to beat.
"G is in the perfect position, like Bradley says," said Yates. "He is so cool, he is strong mentally and obviously physically and he has shown that over the past and especially last year when he won the thing.
For me, he didn't have an ideal winter. Lots of commitments and stuff but he is a big motor. And he hasn't overraced this year for sure. He has done the training so for me, obviously barring disaster which can be for anyone, he's not got it in the bag but he is certainly on the right track.
Yates also feels that Ineos have dominated proceedings in France and are set up for victory with their rivals having been "intimidated" by Dave Brailsford's team.
"There's only, from what I am looking at now, one team that really know what they are doing and can safely say that if they get things right they have got a 99.9% chance of winning," Yates added.
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Highlights: Stage 7 delivers thrilling sprint finish and Groenewegen win
"They know how to do it because they've done it many times before. I think a lot of teams are intimidated. I'm looking at the way other teams are riding, the opposition, all things being equal obviously G as defending champion he has a fantastic chance to repeat that.
"Barring disasters, I think other teams are just kind of psyched out."
Listen to the full episode for more from Wiggins and Yates on:
- How the GC battle looks after one week
- Reactions to the news that Richard Carapaz could be joining Ineos
- Fresh insights into the day at the 2012 Tour when Chris Froome ‘broke his promise’ and attacked Wiggins
- A story which shows why everyone loves Peter Sagan
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