Geraint Thomas compared his Tour de France jour sans as being like “a cheap little Ikea nail”, after he slipped out of fourth place overall on Friday’s 19th stage to La Toussuire.

Thomas dropped to 15th on GC, 27-24 behind team-mate Froome, having finished exactly 22 minutes behind stage winner Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) atop the ski resort.

Looking tired, yet nonetheless willing to talk to the media, the Welshman admitted he didn’t think his top five dreams would end on today’s 138-kilometre Alpine stage.

“I don’t even know what happened, actually,” he said. “I was just empty today.

“It [having a bad day] was always going to happen, but I was hoping it was going to come on Monday.  I just didn’t have anything.

“As they say, sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail. I was a cheapy little Ikea one today. It was terrible.”

Thomas was buoyed upon hearing that Movistar’s Nairo Quintana had only gained 32 seconds on Sky team-mate Chris Froome on the 18-kilometre finishing climb.

“That’s all good,” he added. “One more day to go.”

Geraint Thomas: Where it all began