Tour de France 2019 - Bradley Wiggins calls on Geraint Thomas to return to peak condition
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ByEurosport
Updated 05/06/2019 at 06:42 GMT
Bradley Wiggins has urged Geraint Thomas to rediscover his best form to successfully defend his Tour de France crown.
Geraint Thomas
Image credit: Getty Images
Thomas tightened Team Sky’s grip on the Tour de France when he handed the British outfit their sixth title in seven years in 2018.
The now 33-year-old produced a near flawless performance to become the third British and Team Sky rider to triumph after Wiggins in 2012 and Froome (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) - but Thomas opted against racing at the Giro d'Italia in order to focus on trying to win a second Tour this summer.
Ahead of his yellow jersey defence, Thomas took third place at the Tour de Romandie last month to show signs that he is starting to find form once more after a slow season thus far.
"I’d like to see Geraint back at the level he was at last year to try to win another tour," he said on The Bradley Wiggins Show.
"It won’t be nice watching him as I know only too well coming back to a Grand Tour.
"It doesn’t always happen, but it’s happened to Froome actually, it happened in 2014, and it’s not nice watching them go through that – a different level to where they were the year before.
"We’ll see in the next couple of weeks, we’ll see in the Dauphine. It’ll be great to see him back going head to head with Froome.”
Four-time Tour de France winner Froome will be deperate to make it number five, and like Thomas, opted against taking part in the Giro - and there have been suggestions that Team Ineos' senior riders will fight it out to claim victory this year.
Froome is seeking to join an elite club alongside Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain in winning five Tours.
Wiggins believes Thomas will be happy to support Froome - but only if he knows his chances of winning the Tour are remote.
“Last year he would have been in that final week. I think he flagged that in his book, didn’t he? Because he was on the form of his life – this is mine to lose now, I’m not going to get dropped – he knew he wasn’t going to get dropped.
If he knows he’s not better than Froome, he’ll support Froome. He’ll like that. He’s the most selfless rider when he needs to be, G.
"I think Froome has got a fifth tour in him for sure. We’ve not seen the form this year that gives us a clue that he’s going to do that.
"But he’s done that in the past. He’s been at this stage in the past, he’s been at the Dauphine under form and had his best tours with poor form before.
"You can never underestimate, I don’t know. But I’d just like to see G at that level that he was last year.”
Listen to the full episode for more from Brad, Orla Chennaoui and Dan Lloyd on:
- Returning to a normal life after tackling a Grand Tour
- Reviewing a 'brutal' Giro d'Italia
- What was wrong with Simon Yates
- Hugh Carthy's big arrival
- And a look ahead to the Tour de France and the Geraint Thomas/Chris Froome dynamic
The Bradley Wiggins Show returns for the Tour de France with episodes dropping on July 8, 15, 22 and 29. Your indispensable guide to the biggest cycling race of the year. or
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