Chris Froome has pledged to do everything he can to help his teammate Geraint Thomas secure a first yellow jersey after watching his chances of a fifth Tour de France vanish on the 2,215m-high Col Du Portet.
While Froome floundered during the 17th stage from Bagnères‑de‑Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan on Wednesday, Thomas gained time on his rivals and now leads his nearest challenger Tom Dumoulin by 1min 59sec – with Froome a further 32sec back in third. Whisper it but the race is now the Welshman’s to lose.
“‘G’ has ridden such an amazing race he deserves to be in yellow and fingers crossed he holds it until Paris,” said Froome, who lost 48sec to Thomas on the day. “He looks pretty strong and I imagine he’ll be able to finish it off. He’s got an almost two‑minute lead on Dumoulin which is a pretty comfortable buffer. We just need to look after him for these next few days.”
Froome, who holds all three grand tour titles, also confirmed he would ride in service of his teammate. “That’s professional cycling, that’s what a team is all about. I’m happy just to be in the position I’m in. I’ll still fight for the podium and obviously we want to see ‘G’ up there in yellow.”
However, Thomas, who finished stage 17 in third place behind the winner, the Colombian Nairo Quintana, refused to get carried away. “I am feeling good but I can’t let any complacency creep in,” he said. “I have to keep fuelling and eating and drinking as best as I can.”
However, he did admit to feeling upbeat as he attacked all his main rivals on general classification at the end of the stage. “It was a tough start to the final climb and everyone was on the limit,” he said.
Albert Secall (@albertsecall)
Froome was very angry: “Fuck you!” @BorjaCuadrado @ProCyclingStats @DiarioMarca_ @diarioas @CiclismoInter @teledeporte @esport3 @pedrodelgadoweb @Eurosport @antoalix pic.twitter.com/2JEFpjCneM
“But as it went on I was feeling better and better. And then Froomey said on the radio with five kilometres to go that he wasn’t feeling super and that gave me confidence – because, if Froomey was suffering, everyone was suffering. But I was feeling good. This is definitely the strongest I have ever felt in the third week of a grand tour.”
Meanwhile Dumoulin himself played down his chances of being able to pull back two minutes over Thomas. “He was stronger than I was and I have to deal with that,” the Dutchman said.
“I saw Froome was in difficulty but I didn’t know if it was a bluff so I waited a bit with my attack but I didn’t have the legs to drop Thomas and Roglic.
“I’m focused on myself and I will always keep a bit of faith and hope. But so far Thomas has proven the strongest.”
Quick guide
Wiggle High5 to fold
British-registered women’s cycling team Wiggle High5 will not return in 2019, owner Rochelle Gilmore has announced. The team, which launched in 2013 and employs 17 riders plus 14 full-time members of staff, had reportedly been struggling to find a title sponsor for next season.
“Thank you to all the athletes, staff, partners and especially the fans that got behind the team when we registered back in 2013 and all the way through those six years,” Gilmore said. “It’s been fantastic and we couldn’t have done it without each other.”
Closure of the team leaves British sisters Lucy and Grace Garner to find a new home, while Scotland’s Olympic track champion Katie Archibald also rides for the team when competing on the road. Two of the team’s biggest names, Elisa Longo Borghini and Audrey Cordon-Ragot, have been linked with a move to join Lizzie Deignan in the newly-formed Trek squad.