"I felt really good and could do my job" - Geraint Thomas happy with sensations ahead of Giro d'Italia

Geraint Thomas could be racing his final Giro d'Italia next May, and he's looking to get ready for the Corsa Rosa with an intense week of racing at the Tour of the Alps. He's served a key role for Tao Geoghegan Hart's victory on the opening day and was happy with his sensations.

“We already knew at altitude training in the Sierra Nevada that Tao was doing well. He and Pavel are in good shape,” Thomas told Wielerflits after the end of the stage. “We wanted to take control and see what would happen on that penultimate climb. Laurens De Plus rode an incredibly fast pace there, very solid.”

INEOS took control of the stage and then Thomas sacrificed his chances to work for Hart and Sivakov. Thomas paced through the final valley run up to the final kilometers where the winning moves came, then detaching off the small leading group to cross the line 1:38 minutes down on Hart who now leads the race. “There were a number of attacks, but we were able to control them. We knew that if we could hold it together until the last 500 meters that Tao would have a great chance to win," the Welshman added. 

"And he finished it off nicely. I really had to concentrate when De Plusky was leading, he was really strong. But I felt really good and could do my job here in the valley towards the final climb. Tao then finished it off nicely." Thomas will now have a more direct domestique role as the team looks to take the lead of the race all throughout the five days.