Geraint Thomas to aim for stage victories as GC hope dwindles - "Winning the Tour will be really difficult. The podium is the goal now"

The seventeenth stage of the Tour de France concluded with Tadej Pogacar’s third stage victory in the tour. Ineos Grenadiers rider Geraint Thomas finished in fourth place, 2 minutes and 7 seconds behind Pogacar.

Pogacar’s teammates Mikkel Bjerg and Brandon McNulty led the breakaway, and Thomas was dropped soon by them. McNulty positioned Pogacar with 300m to go, which led to his victory. “I didn't think they were going to drive so dominantly today. Certainly, Mikkel Bjerg was really impressive today. He really made me suffer," said Thomas.

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He continues, “It felt better to pick my own pace and not go all the way into the red. So I decided to wait for the group behind us. That way, I could then keep riding at a tight pace until the top of the final climb.”

Thomas continues to hold his third position in GC, but the time difference between yellow jersey has now increased to 4 minutes and 56 seconds against his previous record of 2 minutes and 43 seconds in stage 16. “I was able to keep the difference with the group in front of me fairly constant, but in the end, I lost some time. Winning the Tour will be really difficult. The podium is the goal now,” concluded Thomas.

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