Thomas plans to finish in the pink at the Giro d'Italia

The message from Geraint Thomas expressed the sentiment shared by the rest of the peloton.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

“Alright son, you’ve had your fun,” Thomas quipped in a post on social media after the third stage of the Giro d’Italia. “Let’s just have a nice quiet day tomorrow?”

It was a comment aimed at Tadej Pogacar, Thomas having spent the final couple of kilometres of stage three clinging to the coattails of the pink phenom. It had been a sprinters’ day from the minute the route was unveiled, a first stage favouring the fast men after a gruelling start to the Italian adventure, but Pogacar – as is often the case – wished to rip up the roadbook.

His audacious attack ultimately fell short but it was further proof that he means business having taken the pink jersey a day earlier. It felt instructive that it was Thomas who was able to go with him. This is not a competitive field of general classification contenders on paper, the best of the peloton largely held back for a French battle royale in July, leaving the Welshman as Pogacar’s likeliest rival for a place at the top of the podium in Rome.

“He is the massive favourite, but stranger things have happened,” Thomas told The Guardian ahead of the Giro. “It’s three weeks – it’s different to any other race. Anyone can have a bad day. I’m not one to play mind games. I’ll be doing my thing – try to stay consistent, good and strong all the way through.”