Geraint Thomas all but seals Tour de France win with third place in time trial
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Geraint Thomas effectively sealed his first Tour de France title on Saturday by protecting the yellow jersey in the penultimate stage time trial.
Thomas, a Welsh rider with Team Sky, takes a lead of one minute, 51 seconds over Tom Dumoulin into the mostly ceremonial finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday.
External Link: tourdefrance tweet: Stage 20 Etape 20 GeraintThomas86 TDF2018 MaillotJauneLCL
"It's just overwhelming," Thomas said. "I didn't think about it all race, and now suddenly I won the Tour."
Dumoulin won the stage by one second ahead of four-time champion Chris Froome, who leap-frogged Primoz Roglic into third place overall.
At the finish there was some confusion as to whether Froome or Dumoulin had won the stage due to a timing error but it was soon confirmed that the Dutchman came out on top, clocking 40 minutes, 52 seconds over the hilly and technical 31-kilometre route.
"After a difficult day yesterday I did not think it was possible," Froome said. "I'm very, very happy. Being on the podium with Geraint is a dream."
Thomas finished third in the 20th stage, 14 seconds behind, but that was more than enough to protect the lead of more than two minutes he had at the start of the day.
Wearing an all-yellow skin suit while riding a bike in the red, white and blue colours of the British flag, the 32-year-old Thomas was the last rider to start.
With a few drops of rain falling, Thomas was quick to regain control when his wheel appeared to lock up coming around a tricky, tight corner early in the route.
"I felt good. I felt strong. I felt really good, actually. I heard I was up and maybe I was pushing it a bit hard on some of those corners," Thomas said.
"Nico [Portal, Team Sky sports director] told me to relax, take it easy and just make sure I won the Tour. And that's what I did."
At the finish, Thomas let out a loud scream and held his arms out wide in celebration. He embraced his wife, Sara Elen, as soon as he got off his bike.
"The last time I cried was when I got married," Thomas said as he teared up.
Thomas is poised to become the third British rider — and first Welshman — to win the Tour after Bradley Wiggins and Froome. He can also make it Sky's sixth victory in the last seven years.
He claimed the yellow jersey by winning Stage 11 in the Alps, followed that up with another victory atop Alpe d'Huez a day later and then defended his advantage through the Pyrenees.
Thomas was a support rider during Froome's title rides but he became Sky's undisputed leader when Froome cracked in the gruelling 17th stage through the Pyrenees.
An all-around rider who began his career on the track, Thomas helped Britain to gold medals in team pursuit at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics before turning his full attention to road racing.
It marked the first time in 12 years that the Tour passed through the Basque Country and fans waving the region's red, green and white flags lined the entire route in front of the area's traditional half-timbered houses.
It was Dumoulin's second career stage win in the Tour, having also won a time trial in 2016. The Dutchman has now won six TT's overall at the three Grand Tours — the Tour, the Giro d'Italia and the Spanish Vuelta — and he is also the time trial world champion.
External Link: letour tweet: The World Champion delivers!
He is also the first Dutchman in 30 years to finish second at the Tour.
"It's amazing to finish second in the Tour de France," Dumoulin said. "I'm 27 years old and hopefully I'll get stronger, especially in the mountains, and hopefully one day I will be able to win."
American rider Lawson Craddock, who broke his shoulder in the opening stage and sits last overall, also broke down into tears upon reaching the finish.
"It's been an incredibly testing Tour de France for me," Craddock said. "I wasn't sure I could make it this far, and I just enjoyed crossing the finish line today. It was the final test to make it to Paris."
Craddock has personally donated US$100 per stage since fracturing his scapula on stage one to the Greater Houston Cycling Foundation — and encouraged others to match his donations.
The campaign has currently raised over US$150,000 to help restore the Alkek Velodrome in Houston that was damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
External Link: Lawson craddock tweet: PARIS, HERE I COME
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