The Welshman Geraint Thomas gains the 105ème Tour de France

The Welshman Geraint Thomas of British TEAM SKY, just like Chris Froome, gained its first Tour de France left this year Noirmoutiers on July 7th.

The 105ème edition of the Grande Boucle saw the French gaining 3 stages (2 less than last year) including 2 in mountain (in the Alps with Large–Bornand at the 10th stage, then in the Pyrenees with Bagnères–of–Luchon at the 16th stage) thanks to Julian Alaphilippe (Quick–Step) and Arnaud Démare (Groupama–FDJ), winner with the sprint in Pau.

If France gained the shirt with the pea of best climbing thanks to Julian Alaphilippe who succeeds Warren Barguil and precedes it this year, as well as the white shirt which rewards the best young person for the Turn with Pierre Latour (AG2R, 24 years) who precedes the Colombian Egan Bernal (SKY, 21 years) just like his compatriots Guillaume Martin (WGG, 25 years) and David Gaudu, the youngest child of this edition (21 years), it does not have any representative among the 3 first of general classification and this for the second time since 5 years. The green shirt which rewards the winner of the points score for the Tour de France, points allotted at the time of each stage for the first runners to cross the line of the intermediate sprints, and the fifteen first of each stage, was gained for the 6th time by the Slovak sprinter Peter Sagan who enters the legend and equalizes the record of the German Erik Zabel. Arnaud Démare is 3rd of this ranking while Julian Alaphilippe is 5th and the winner of the Turn, Geraint Thomas is in the 8th place.

One will retain this 105ème edition that for the 6th time, a British runner gained the Grande Boucle over the 7 last years, the United Kingdom not having gained during 108 years until 2012; if 218 runners started from Noirmoutiers, there remained only 145 on arrival about it on the Champs Elysées which saw the sacring of Geraint Thomas who at the 32 years age became yellow jersey after his 9th participation (Cadel Evans had been crowned in 2011 at 34 years).

This year saw a British podium for first and the 3rd walk with Welsh Geraint Thomas (32 years) and the British born in Kenya Christopher Froome (33 years) who belong all the 2 to formation SKY; the second place having returned to Dutch Tom Dumoulin (27 years) of the Sunweb formation, victorious of Giro 2017 and second this year, moreover had a presentiment of like favourite for the editions to come.

Christopher Froome as for him knew a Tour de France animated starting with his fall at the time of the first stage following a fall then “the aggression” of a spectator hustling it at the time of the 12th stage of July 19th. All the problems encountered at the time of the 17th stage of July 25th, in spite of the assistance of its fellow–member Egan Bernal made him lose many seconds compared to Geraint Thomas but also his chances of possible a 5th yellow jersey given to the leader of general classification while adding the times carried out on each stage.

Geraint Thomas is the first Welshman of the history of the Tour de France to gain the yellow jersey and becomes thus the pride of his Cardiff hometown. This success is related to its 2 consecutive victories in the Alps, in Rosière then in the Alpe d‘Huez, by which it settled at the head then, until the last stage of the Pyrenees.

Before directing itself towards the large lathes, the Welshman passed by the cycle–racing tracks just like Bradley Wiggins, the first victorious British of the Turn in 2012. He devoted himself to his career on road after having been Olympic champion in Beijing in 2008 then in London in 2012 although having gained Paris–Roubaix juniors in front of his future teammate of Sky Ian Stannard in 2004. He took part in great races until his sacring on the Tour de France this year for his 9th participation (2007, 2010,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 and 2018) of which Giro (2008, 2012 and 2017) and Vuelta (2015), Paris–Nice 2016 and the Rally of Dauphine last June.

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VERONIQUE YANG

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