Geraint Thomas has 'improved in every area' since 2018 Tour de France win - INEOS director

Geraint Thomas is better now than when he won the Tour de France in 2018, according to INEOS Grenadiers racing director Rod Ellingworth, despite the Welshman sitting a distant third in the general classification this year. With two stages remaining in the 2022 Tour, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) holds the yellow jersey and a 3’26” lead over defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).

Ad/> Thomas is the best of the rest, sitting in a podium position with more than three minutes separating him from fourth-placed David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), but 8’00” behind the imperious Dane. Tour de FranceThomas says Ineos 'lacked belief’ in him before Tour10 HOURS AGO Although this year’s GC battle has proved to be a shoot-out between Vingegaard and Pogacar, Ellingworth has been encouraged by the 36-year-old’s performance.

«I think the team performance this year has been very good, and it's been great to see Geraint do what he's doing,» Ellingworth told Cyclingnews. “He's got all three places on the podium now, which is something, and he's proved that he's capable of improving.

It's not like he's the same as when he won, he's actually getting better." Tour de France Stage 20: Route map, how to watch as final time trial plays into specialists' hands Opinion: Laporte’s maiden Tour win a worthy prize for Jumbo's signing of the season Laporte ends French drought with shock Stage 19 win as Jumbo-Visma's stellar Tour continues The absence of injured Egan Bernal was a blow to INEOS Grenadiers’ hopes this year, but Thomas’ consistency over the last three weeks led Ellingworth to suggest his performance has matched, or even surpassed, his yellow jersey win four years ago. «When he won in 2018, it was a very well put together race for