Top Banana: Tour de France stage 6 – Geraint Thomas

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 6 – Geraint Thomas

They said he was playing second banana but his performance on La Planche proved Geraint Thomas is still top. In normal times it would be unimaginable to award our daily prize to the reining champion. These are not normal times. 

Racing Top Banana Top Banana 2019 Tour de France Tour de France 2019

Before the 2019 Tour de France began, it seemed few – punters, pundits, his own team – actually believed that Geraint Thomas had won the last edition of it. Despite having the number 1 pinned to his back, the Welshman managed to successfully convince us that he shouldn’t really be considered among the favourites.


Ineos granting him no more than co-leadership added to that sense. It seemed like a sop at best, an insult to his abilities at worst. Certainly it offered support to suspicions that Thomas wasn’t capable of retaining the title. Otherwise surely his employer would have backed him outright, obliging Egan Bernal to serve as super.


The five seconds he lost to the Colombian on Monday seemed to confirmed preconceptions. It wasn’t much but then neither was the climb. If he was going to be up there, he would have been, well, up there, right?


Everyone – even he – said La Planche Des Belles Filles would not be a Geraint Thomas climb. Especially with the nose-bleedingly steep final 900 metres, Bernal was better suited to it. We all agreed about that. The best Thomas could hope to do was not lose too much time to his team-mate.


Instead he gained; pegging back the five and picking up four more. The way he did it, as well, was astonishing, remarkable, majestic. While others ground up that final slope or traversed from side to side Thomas remained in his saddle and spun. It just didn’t look that hard.


Waiting to follow Julian Alaphilippe’s attack until he was ready, then dropping his GC rivals and making his way up to the maillot jaune with ease. Despite not needing to he was able to stay with, and then pass before the line, the spindly, supremely motivated Frenchman. Alaphilippe would have dearly loved to have kept the yellow jersey on his back; Thomas just wants to be wearing it in Paris. At this point it’s looking more than possible.


We’re only six stages in. There’s still a long way to go. So much that can and will change. That said: shots fired.


The Rouleur Top Banana goes to an unsung hero of each stage of the Tour de France – not the winner, not the yellow jersey – but a rider whose efforts deserve recognition

 

 

The post Top Banana: Tour de France stage 6 – Geraint Thomas appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Racing Top Banana Top Banana 2019 Tour de France Tour de France 2019

READ MORE

Mark Donovan

From WorldTour rejection to Giro d'Italia stage hunting: Mark Donovan is back at cycling's top table

The Q36.5 has had a near-three-year hiatus from cycling's Grand Tours, but now riding better than ever he's once again looking to be in the...

Leer más
Mads Pedersen

Mads Pedersen is at the peak of his powers

A second stage win and a return to the maglia rosa is a fitting reward for a rider in some of his best ever form

Leer más
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage four preview: A fast finish in Lecce

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage four preview: A fast finish in Lecce

A chance for the pure sprinters to take a stage win as the Giro resumes in Italy's heel

Leer más
The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe rider will next be able to take time on his rivals during stage seven's mountain-top finish and stage nine's gravel. Does he...

Leer más
La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

The Dutchwoman’s victory in La Vuelta España Femenina is a product of exemplary teamwork from FDJ-Suez

Leer más
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage three preview: A tough Albanian farewell

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage three preview: A tough Albanian farewell

A stage full of climbing will keep the GC contenders on their toes, but it could be a day for an escape group to grab...

Leer más

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE