“It was just lambs to the slaughter” – Geraint Thomas reacts to Tour de France breakaway experiment
Cycling
Geraint Thomas made his presence known in Stage 7 of the
2025 Tour de France, slipping into the breakaway in what will be his final
appearance at the race. Though the former Tour winner was dropped on the first
ascent of the Mur de Bretagne, his move into the early attack was a brief flash
of aggression from the winner of the 2018 edition.
“It was a bit of a big fight for the break, so it was kinda
like – OK, I’ll try, because if it’s a decent size then you never know,” Thomas
told ITV after the stage. “You could tell that UAE and Alpecin wanted to
control, but just because someone wants to control, you don't let them.”
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His group never had much hope. Thomas was part of a five man
move that never gained significant time on the peloton, and in the end a Tadej
Pogacar victory was inevitable.
“In the end it was only five of us and they didn’t give us
any time – it was just lambs to the slaughter, mate.”
Despite the outcome, Thomas said there were a few silver
linings to being out front.
“Well, you’ve just got to accept it. You could ride real
hard and try and make it harder for them, but then you just dig yourself into a
hole anyway, so it’s kind of like you just keep chopping off and hope, you just
go deep,” he said. “But it was always going to be hard. At least there were
positives – I didn’t have to fight in the peloton all day.”
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Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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