‘We’ve got to keep believing’ – Geraint Thomas not giving up in Tour de France

Geraint Thomas will keep believing in his chances of winning a second Tour de France this week but knows he faces an uphill challenge to dislodge race leader Jonas Vingegaard and defending champion Tadej Pogacar in the Pyrenees.

Thomas reached Monday’s final rest day third overall, two minutes and 43 seconds off Vingegaard in yellow, and 21 seconds behind Pogacar, who appeared on course for a third straight title before suffering on the Col du Granon on Wednesday.

Thomas, the 2018 Tour winner, has seen his deficit to yellow double in the last week but said he would keep fighting until Paris, with one eye on Saturday’s lengthy time trial – almost 41km between Lacapelle-Marival and Rocamadour – as an opportunity.

“It’s certainly going to be difficult with two incredibly strong riders in front of me and not just one,” Thomas said. “We’ve got to keep believing as a team and hopefully try and make the most of anything we can, keep racing best we can…

“All we can really do is get to Paris as quick as we can. Jonas and Tadej, if we don’t pass them we don’t and that’s that.”

Thomas put time into Pogacar when he cracked on the Granon, though not quite enough to move up to second. Pogacar and Vingegaard then both distanced the Welshman on the short climb into Mende on Saturday – the sort of explosive effort Thomas knows he cannot deliver.

But on climbs like Alpe d’Huez, Thomas let his two younger rivals go at each other while riding his own pace and getting back on their wheels.

“There’s no point in my trying to match the explosivity of Vingegaard and Pog when they attack like they do on those climbs,” he said. “It’s better for me to ride a bit more steady and get back to them.

“I knew on Alpe d’Huez they wouldn’t really carry on