Geraint Thomas: Returning to Tour de France as champion is a 'much more intense' experience
The defending Tour champion says the biggest change is he now gets asked many more questions, especially in the absence of Chris Froome
Geraint Thomas (Ineos) has said that returning to the Tour de France as defending champion has been a much more "intense" experience, one that has been amplified by the absence of team-mate and fellow Tour winner Chris Froome.
Speaking on his new podcast with fellow Welshman and Ineos rider Luke Rowe, the pair discuss the opening week of the Tour, sharing the frustrations and anxieties of being involved in the biggest race of the year.
>>> We spoke to the person who took ‘that’ picture of Geraint Thomas’ Tour de France crash
"It's been stressful, but as a first week of the Tour it's the best I've ever done," said Luke Rowe, who as Ineos' road captain is often tasked with guiding the squad through a hazardous first week of fast racing and crashes.
"I just s**t myself every time with 3km to go," Thomas adds, "and you're sat behind the sprinters and they are these big guys bouncing around, chopping each other, throwing their bikes. You've got to stay in their slipstream, but you're thinking you just want to get to the finish in one piece.
"Especially after stage one, when I did have a buffer but ended up toppling over...you just dread those finishes."
The stresses on the bike don't necessarily end as soon as the peloton crosses the finish line, with Thomas saying the added media attention at this year's race following his surprise Tour victory in 2018 has been intense.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thomas said: "I've boycotted- I don't list to journalists anyway, they've got a right...[Rowe interrupts: 'chip on their shoulder'] something, haven't they, to make a story. A lot was made of [me losing time to Egan Bernal on stage three], and then a lot was made of mine and Egan's leadership.
"It was a little mistake from me, suddenly because I'm a second behind the back rider, which was actually Egan, and they give the time to Michael Matthews (Sunweb) who is five seconds up the road so you lose five seconds, which is a bit frustrating."
Rowe added: "In the cycling world, stories like that will get written but when it's the Tour de France, you're the defending champ, Egan is co-leader with you, he's in the front split, it just gets blown out of proportion, everyone's questioning your form."
"It's the first week, there's not a lot going on, that's the biggest change from last year, when Froomey's been here before and I haven't been the reigning champ, I get half the questions," the 2018 Tour winner said.
Thomas revealed that frustration with the media questioning his form was part of the reason he decided to lay down a marker on stage six's summit finish on La Planche des Belles Filles, where he finished fourth, taking time out of all of his GC rivals.
"No-one gave a s**t before, now it's so much more intense. I want to stop swearing but it's bulls**t. People trying to make stories, journalists trying to over-analyse and be too clever. That's why it was good to put a marker down and put everyone in their places."
Despite this flash of frustration, Thomas then returned to his usual wry self, saying "this is another reason why we're doing this podcast, so we don't have to speak to journalists any more."
Thomas currently sits fifth on GC at the 2019 Tour de France, four seconds ahead of team-mate Egan Bernal and trailing Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) by 19 seconds.
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
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
Bike rental schemes hit record numbers in the UK, almost topping 25 million hires
An average of 67,565 rides were taken a day between September 2022 and September 2023, an increase of 24%
By Adam Becket Published
-
Egan Bernal says he has regained his pre-crash form, but others have improved
Colombian, who suffered traumatic training accident in 2022, aiming for return to Tour de France
By James Shrubsall Published
-
'It was one of the hardest days of my life' - Rain and cold lay waste to Tour of the Alps
Juanpe López takes stage three victory, while Geraint Thomas finishes three minutes down in inclement Austrian weather
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It was time to change': No regrets for Rod Ellingworth after leaving Ineos Grenadiers
New Tour of Britain race director says he is still on good terms with Dave Brailsford after resigning from team last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published