Geraint Thomas admits shock after hearing he was new leader of the Giro d'Italia: "At first I thought it was a joke”

Although surely not in the way he would have wanted, Geraint Thomas is the new Maglia Rosa at the Giro d'Italia. The Welshman admits that when he first heard the news of Evenepoel's abandon, he just assumed it was fake news.

“I received a message from Remco before the news came out. He sent me that he is positive and had to give up,” the former Tour de France winner revealed in a rest day press conference. "At first I thought it was a joke, especially after that Primož Roglič thing, but it turned out to be true. Remco wished me continued success. I also wish him the best. I hope he is back on the bike soon.”

The "Primoz Roglic thing" that Thomas mentions there are the rumours that had been spreading that the Slovenian could have covid after the numerous positives found in the Jumbo-Visma set-up, with Thomas himself making a cheeky comment about Roglic's impressive ride on stage 8, commenting "not bad for a guy with Covid."

Unlike Thomas's joke in regards to Roglic however, the Evenepoel new is sadly true. “This is very disappointing. Not only for Remco and his team but also for the race. And also for myself, even though that may sound crazy," the INEOS Grenadiers leader continues. "I was really looking forward to a nice battle for the standings. Just yesterday I thought I should make up minutes in the third week. I didn't expect to be leader on the first rest day. We don't have to hunt anymore, but we don't plan to race differently."

Alongside Thomas, his teammate Tao Geoghegan Hart is also in a brilliant position in the overall standings, just 5 seconds behind the Welshman in third place. “I now have the pink jersey, but Roglič is still very close in the standings. And there is not only Roglič," says Thomas. “Tao and I are on an equal footing. If it turns out that he is stronger, I will be happy to work for him. In the end, it's all about the team's interest. I'm sure Tao will do the same for me. We are not afraid of certain riders, but of course I have a lot of respect for Roglič. He is certainly a danger, but then again, so are the other riders in the provisional top-10. The Giro d'Italia has actually yet to start. There are at least five more tough mountain stages to come.”