The stage 12 summit to Plateau de Beille witnessed the arrival of Geraint Thomas replacing Richie Porte as Chris Froome’s right-hand man in the mountains.
Along with Porte, who has confirmed he is leaving Team Sky next year to pursue his own general classification ambitions, Thomas calmly reeled in attacks by Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) in the final third of the 15km hors catégorie climb to ensure Froome remained in the race’s malliot jaune.
Thomas' efforts were met with praise by Froome, who singled out the 28-year-old as a challenger for the top-five overall and possibly a podium in Paris.
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“I was very fortunate to have Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas all the way to finish with me there,” Froome said of his teammates' composure in dealing with attacks from the best climbers in the world. “Obviously Geraint’s done a fantastic job up until now, he’s right up there on GC. I think the other GC contenders are going to have to look after him now as well.
“I think he could potentially be up there on the podium, potentially top-five," Froome sake. "Anything is possible.”
Throughout Thomas’ career, the Welshman has been a consistent and successful performer at the classics before turning his attention to stage racing and grand tours. For Thomas to blossom as a cyclist and fully fulfil his talents, calls have been made that he focus on stage racing or the classics, forgetting that some of the greats of the sport, such as Merckx and Hinault, successfully combined the two.
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