"If you're gonna put that stage on, leave the GC on" - Major Tour de France stage dilemma has Geraint Thomas questioning reason behind organisers' decision
Cycling
Geraint Thomas saw the 2027 Tour de France route reveal and had one major takeaway - with the Montmartre circuit returning once again for the Grand Tour's big finale, the organisers should not neutralise general classification times during the stage.
The cobbled climb arrived at the Tour last summer, and has been used on stage 21 two years in a row, providing a high-stakes opportunity for attackers to try and deny the sprinters on what has traditionally been a Champs Elysees finish for the fast men.
Wout van Aert went solo to the line in 2025 before Mathieu van der Poel left everything on the road to hold off the sprinters by mere millimetres in a nail-biting finale that has left a positive impact on fans of the Tour.
With Montmartre back once again for 2026, Geraint Thomas and Laurens de Plus reacted to the route reveal on the Watts Occurring Podcast, where the two noted an unusual stage 20 that appears to be a sprint stage.
Mathieu van der Poel beat Tadej Pogacar and the sprinters in Paris
Thomas doesn't want GC neutralisation in Paris
This mean's that the usual final week mountains battle will conclude on stage 19, with De Plus suggesting that the winner will already be known some way before the bunch rolls into Paris: "I haven't seen a Grand Tour with stage 20, like, a sprint day."
However, INEOS Director of Racing Thomas believes that the GC battle doesn't have to be over on stage 19, pointing to the neutralisation of general classification times either before or during the Montmartre circuit.
The former Tour winner questioned the logic behind the move, dismissing safety as a concern given the amount of hazards the bunch race through over a three-week journey around France. Thomas sees no reason for times to be taken before the finish line if the showpiece finale is added.
“Well, not unless they leave the GC open, which I think they should. Explain this to me, right? You race over cobbles, you do crazy stuff all through the race. They never stop the time yet,” Thomas said.
"What about the other 20 days?"
“Why do you need to stop the time with three laps to go? Just because it's Paris? Safety, mate. Like, what about the other 20 days? If you're gonna put that stage on, leave the GC on. It's no different to any other stage, in my mind.”
Assessing the route itself, Thomas believes that Tadej Pogacar can't be overlooked as the favourite to win an historic sixth Tour. Furthermore, he sees huge potential for Remco Evenepoel to grab hold of the yellow jersey and carry it into the first big reckoning with the high mountains on stage nine.
He added: “I still think Pog's still the out-and-out favourite... I think it's great for Remco. He can take the jersey on stage seven, and then he can, you know, go into that first big test on stage nine in yellow."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
Loading
2 Comments