Geraint Thomas finds himself in 5 Giro d'Italia lead

Ineos Grenadiers contender plots racing peak for Grand Tour's final week

-  Tom Davidson

It might not have come under the circumstances he would have liked, but Geraint Thomas began this week in the pink leader's jersey at the Giro d'Italia.

The Welshman, having finished runner-up in Sunday's individual time trial, ended the stage second in the general classification. Come dinnertime, however, and after news of Remco Evenepoel's untimely Covid positive, Thomas found himself bumped up into the race lead.

"It's strange," he told the press on Monday's rest day. "I kind of thought I'd be going into the final week - well, I still could do with minutes to make up.

"I guess I've done plenty of years' racing and I tend to normally be pretty consistent. In the third week, I tend to be strong as well. With the slow buildup, that was the thinking that I could hopefully be at my best for that last week, and we're still hoping that's the case."

Just shy of his 37th birthday, Thomas is showing no let-up in his ability to challenge. He gained valuable seconds on stage eight then in the following day's time trial was just nine-hundredths of a second off the stage winner, Evenepoel.

No doubting Thomas