Tour de France: ‘It can all change’ – Geraint Thomas pinpoints Pyrenees final day for ‘difficult’ GC charge
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Published 18/07/2022 at 16:39 GMT
With six stages to go, Geraint Thomas sits third in the General Classification at this year’s Tour de France. The 2018 winner is 2’43” behind leader Jonas Vingegaard and 21 seconds behind two-time reigning champion Tadej Pogacar. Stream the Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.
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Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) declared “you've got to keep believing” when pinpointing the final day in the Pyrenees as crucial for who will win the Tour de France this week.
The 2018 winner currently sits third in the GC standings, 2’43” behind leader Jonas Vingegaard and just 21 seconds off two-time reigning champion Tadej Pogacar
The final week kicks off with Tuesday's 178.5km Stage 16 from Carcassonne to Foix, and with Thomas expecting Pogacar to go on the attack, the Welshman knows a near-perfect display is needed from his team in the Pyrenees if he wants to win a second Tour title.
"We are still in a good place," Thomas said on Monday’s final rest day.
"They're going to be tough days for sure. I think Pogacar looks intent on attacking any moment. We are going to try and look at it as a three-day block, as everyone probably will.
"The hardest will probably be the last of those three days, and no matter how it looks after the second day on Wednesday I think it can all change on the last day in the Pyrenees, because that's a super-hard day.
"It's certainly going to be difficult, there are two incredibly strong riders in front of me, not just one. But you've got to keep believing.
"As a team we're certainly going to try and make the most of anything we can and keep racing the best we can. We're just trying to get to Paris as quick as we can, and that's all we can do."
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Tour de France Stage 16 profile and route map: Carcassonne – Foix
After Tuesday’s hilly Stage 16, both 17 and 18 are mountain stages – the first a 130km ride from Saint-Gaudens to Peyragudes, the second 143.5km from Lourdes to Hautacam.
Thomas predicts a game of cat and mouse between Vingegaard and Pogacar in the Pyrenees, but remained coy on his own chances despite admitting he is posting some of his best-ever numbers.
"As we saw yesterday [Sunday], Vingegaard had a little crash and Covid is still rife, so all that comes into play. But purely from a racing point of view, we've got that steep last 3km of a climb tomorrow [Tuesday] then downhill to the finish, I don't think it's too technical," said Thomas.
"The next two days, I just think they're [Vingegaard and Pogacar] going to be attacking the hell out of each other at will.
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"Jonas might try and give a psychological blow at the end and try and gap Pogacar, but it's only going to be exciting to watch for everyone at home - maybe not for those trying to follow them."
He added: "Without sounding too cocky, when I won I never went 'full', I was suffering and it was hard, but I never felt like I had to ride 'full gas' for 5k, whereas I have here.
"The numbers are good here, some of the best numbers I've done, so I'd definitely say it's a similar level more or less."
The Tour de France concludes on Sunday, with the potentially crucial Stage 20 ITT on Saturday.
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Stream the Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.
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