'It should be enough': Thomas takes confidence ahead of final Tour de France test on stage 20
Geraint Thomas confident of defending 2-05 lead in the Tour de France final time trial after extending lead on final mountain stage

Geraint Thomas in yellow at the 2018 Tour de France (Sunada)

Geraint Thomas (Sky) believes that the 2-05-minute advantage he has in the 2018 Tour de France "should be enough" for overall victory in two days in Paris.
Thomas survived the last big mountains on stage 19 in the mammoth climbing day over the Tourmalet and Aubisque to finish in Laruns. He leads Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) and at 2-24 minutes, Primož Roglič (LottoNL-Jumbo) in third.
>>> Five talking points from stage 19 of the 2018 Tour de France
"Surely it is enough," Thomas said of his lead. "We'll see. It should be enough but we will see."
The Welshman faces the final 31-kilometre time trial to Espelette on Saturday against Dumoulin, the current world time trial champion, and Slovenian Roglič who is a very accomplished rider against the clock.
Coming out of Friday's test with a two-minute lead, Thomas could relax a bit. He faced multiple attacks from Dumoulin, Roglič and other rivals further down the overall classification when they climbed the Bordères and Aubisque.
"I will be a bit more relaxed but I still have to get through," Thomas said.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"It was a big day today. I needed to get that ticked off. It's a bit like an Olympic final, the day of tension. Obviously it comes down to tomorrow but I can take confidence from how I am riding."
The attacks today drew out Thomas, who marked Roglič and Dumoulin when helpers Froome and Egan Bernal drifted behind. However, he kept calm under pressure.
"I had to make him [Dumoulin] do everything. It's the first time I have seen him get a bit tired," Thomas added.
"I just put the pressure on Dumoulin to close. Tom wanted to attack me. I just stuck to Tom and made him close most of the gaps and it worked really well.
"I was able to respond to the attacks and the descent was fast. I never thought I was going to get dropped but it was hard for sure."
The only loss on the stage was to Roglič, who slipped ahead on the 20-kilometre descent and gained 19 seconds at the finish line. With the 10-second bonus, he also leaped ahead of Froome to move to third overall.
Thomas and the team must now rest before the "tough" time trial near the Spanish border town of Biarritz.
"It's certainly better than being two minutes behind," Thomas said. "It's a tough course but we'll see."
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
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Can anyone stop Primož Roglič or Juan Ayuso from winning the Giro d’Italia?
Roglič and Ayuso's form suggest they are the two outright favourites for overall victory in Rome next month
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How to watch Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025: Everything you need to live stream the cobbled Belgian Classic
All the information on broadcasters and live streams for Dwars door Vlaanderen on 2 April, as Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky take on the cobbles.
By Tom Davidson 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