‘I don’t feel pressure to prove it wasn’t a fluke’: Geraint Thomas looks ahead to Tour de France 2019
The reigning champion is calm and confident on the eve of the race


Geraint Thomas says he feels no pressure to prove his Tour de France victory wasn’t a fluke.
The Team Ineos rider starts the 2019 edition as reigning champion and overall favourite after an emphatic but surprising victory last season.
Welshman Thomas has had a turbulent opening half of the season as he prepared for his Tour defence but was confident on the eve of the race, which starts on Saturday (July 6) in Brussels.
>>> Five things to look out for during the first week of the 2019 Tour de France
The 33-year-old, speaking with BBC 5 Live’s podcast Bespoke, said: “I don’t feel pressure to prove that my win wasn’t a fluke, or whatever negative angle people want to take from it.
“It’s actually less pressure. If a rider hasn’t quite fulfilled their potential in Grand Tours, they might be too eager to attack too soon or too much, to get too emotional, but I think I can be more chilled, more calculated.”
Team Ineos have been forced to rethink their Tour de France 2019 strategy in recent weeks, after four-time winner Chris Froome suffered devastating injuries in a crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné last month.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Froome’s absence from the Tour leave the Ineos leadership open to Thomas, who will be supported by Colombian superstar Egan Bernal.
But Thomas has suffered his own setbacks this year, most recently crashing out of the Tour de Suisse, pulling out of Tirreno-Adriatico due to stomach problems and being forced to abandon a training camp due to bad weather.
>>> Watch out for these debutants at the Tour de France 2019
Despite the hitches, Thomas was upbeat just days out from the biggest race of the year: “I’ve been super-motivated and pushing to try to win it again, because it was an amazing feeling winning last year and I want to experience that again.
On the potential shared leadership with the bookmakers’ favourite Bernal, Thomas said Team Ineos have two cards to play with the youngster a strong support rider if he feels capable of the win.
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.
-
Be seen all year round with 35% off Magicshine bike lights in the Amazon Big Spring Sale
This is your last chance to seize a deal on some of the best bike lights with daylight running features. Act fast, as the sale ends at midnight tonight
By Matt Ischt-Barnard Published
-
Fabio Jakobsen forced to halt cycling for 'foreseeable future' due to iliac artery flow limitations
Dutch sprinter set to undergo surgery in order to attempt to fix the issue
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'An unprecedented opportunity for brands to be part of the evolution' - Ineos Grenadiers sponsor hunt steps up with sales agency partnership
Sportfive have been employed to find "non-endemic global partners for the team"
By Adam Becket Published
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'They’re racing with their hearts again' - Robbie McEwen on Ineos Grenadiers' bright start to 2025
The British squad have already won four times in 2025
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers are entertaining so far this year, but how long will it last?
The British WorldTour squad have won four times already in 2025, but more than that, they have been fun. Is this the new dawn?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Caleb Ewan says he was put in a 'bad situation' by Jayco AlUla before he joined Ineos Grenadiers
Ewan joined Ineos Grenadiers in January after spending just one year with Jayco AlUla
By Tom Thewlis 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
-
'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