Geraint Thomas reacts to Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France stage win
'I’ve got to say I was a little surprised...I hope he doesn’t hear me say that, but I thought he always had a chance’

Geraint Thomas said he was a little surprised by Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France stage win, but added he always thought the sprinter had a chance.
British stars Cavendish and Thomas both rank amongst the most successful graduates from the British Cycling Academy, once led by Rod Ellingworth, and have each gone on to their own successes.
Deceuninck - Quick-Step sprinter Cavendish put in a storming performance on stage four of the 2021 Tour de France to win his 31st stage, five years since his last.
Speaking after the stage Thomas, a former team-mate of Cavendish at Team Sky, said: “Good old Cav. It’s great to see him win.
“I’ve got to say I was a little surprised...I hope he doesn’t hear me say that, but I thought he always had a chance.
“To win today is awesome for him. It’s great to see.”
In the last 12 months, Cavendish has gone from fearing the premature end of his career with Bahrain-McLaren, to dominating in sprints with his old team Deceuninck - Quick-Step, bringing to an end three winless years.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Meanwhile Thomas, winner of the 2018 Tour de France, is focussed purely on taking him the yellow jersey after the three weeks, but was forced to battle through injury on stage four after he dislocated his shoulder in a crash the previous day.
Thomas crashed early on stage three to Pontivy and looked to be out of the race, before a race doctor popped his shoulder back into place at the road side, allowing the Welshman to continue the race.
On day four, Thomas was able to enjoy a sedate pace in the bunch and avoided trouble ahead of the stage five time trial, where he will hope to move up on general classification.
>>> Five talking points from stage four of the Tour de France 2021
Speaking after stage four, he said: “[My shoulder] was okay actually, it was better than I thought it’d be. It’s just sore.
“I got through it as best as I could and once I got into the final I just thought ‘stay with the boys and don’t let that wheel go and focus on that’.
“I feel worse now [after the finish]. I’m looking forward to a massage and getting ready and all the other jazz the physios use on me.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
Tweets of the week: Disaster at the Volta, Tadej Pogačar's special warm-up, and GB's cyclists go to the footie
Behold the memes from Filippo Ganna's chalked off stage win
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Polarised and polarising: the Ombraz Viale sport a quality lens, a comfortable fit but the armless design won’t be for everyone
Armless glasses aren't for everyone but I've truly loved these as a piece of crossover gear for running, biking, kayaking and casual wear.
By Samantha Nakata Published
-
'There's no bull****, that's what I've always liked' - Geraint Thomas's first BC coach Rod Ellingworth on the retiring Welshman
The 2018 Tour de France winner will step away from professional cycling at the end of the season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I never really had a Plan B' - Dan Martin on his cycling career and getting into running after retirement
The two-time Tour de France stage winner takes part in Cycling Weekly’s Q&A
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It is time to change goals' - Egan Bernal's coach confirms Ineos Grenadiers exit
'I want to thank all the cyclists I have had the opportunity to coach over the past ten years' Xabier Artetxe says in LinkedIn post
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Geraint Thomas represented 'all the best things about the golden era of British Cycling' - tributes paid to retiring rider
Former and current teammates and other figures from within pro cycling react to the Welshman’s decision to retire at the end of the current season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'You can’t keep doing it forever' - Geraint Thomas confirms retirement at end of 2025
'It would be nice to go to the Tour one more time' Welshman says
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Marlen Reusser, Sam Welsford and Marc Hirschi hit the ground running: 5 things we learned from the opening races of the season
Several high profile riders enjoyed victory at the first time of asking after off season transfers to new teams
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Rider airbags being considered as part of new safety measures from UCI
World governing body still undecided on radios, gear restrictions, regulations surrounding rim height and handlebar widths and wider rules in sprint finishes
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Changing the final Tour de France stage in Paris is an exciting prospect but I think it should be for one year only
The race's organisers were reported to be exploring the possibility of bringing the cobbled streets of Montmartre into the race’s final stage in Paris this summer
By Tom Thewlis Published