Geraint Thomas: "We've got a super-strong team and the main thing is we ride well together"

Geraint Thomas has become a name to take into account for the overall classification after his recent win at the Tour de Suisse, and he will be one of INEOS Grenadiers' protected cards at the start of the race in Denmark.

"I'm feeling good. I think the Tour de Suisse showed I'm in decent shape and we'll see how it goes. We've got a super-strong team and the main thing is we ride well together, are aggressive together and ride off each other well," Thomas said in an interview with BBC Sport. "We've been doing that all year so hopefully we can continue doing that."

Thomas will be part of a diverse INEOS Grenadiers team that comes with two other leaders - Daniel Martínez and Adam Yates. Getting through the first week without loosing any of it's cards will be a big challenge for the British team, who hope to then disrupt the Slovenian dominance in the mountains. "Everyone's talking about the Slovenians and Jumbo-Visma, but there's a lot of good guys who can perform well," he added. 

"The first week we've got the riders to do well and hopefully that puts us in the best place to limit the risk of unfortunate things happening. But as we all know, on the cobbles so much can go wrong where skill and everything isn't involved, it's pure luck. I think we can be aggressive and take on the first week, but a lot depends on the weather conditions as well. On the cobbles if there's a head-wind as well then the differences are going to be small," the 2018 Tour winner pointed out. As a former classics rider, Thomas should fare well in the cobbles, alongside the likes of Dylan van Baarle, Luke Rower and Filippo Ganna specially. However supporting Martínez and Yates will also be a priority for the team, leaving less options open for that day.

"But we're in the mind-set of going into the race, taking opportunities as much as we can and just enjoying the racing - as I have been the whole year really. The first week suits me a little more than some of the GC guys... but until we get to the proper Alps that's where we'll all know where we stand really," Thomas aknowledged. "I've obviously won the race and come second the following year and I'm a lot closer to the end of my career now than I am the start, but I've got a lot of experience and just want to enjoy the races now."

"Since November, Dani and Adam have been the leaders of the team and it's still that way. Obviously I'm going well and want to be there in the mix and help them and take an opportunity if it comes, but I'm pretty chilled and will take what comes," he concluded. He will be an outsider for tomorrow's time-trial in Copenhagen which should see him ride high into the top places, and ahead of his fellow leaders at INEOS.