After twenty-one stages and over 2,000 miles of racing, Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) was crowned the 2018 Tour de France winner. The Welshman's win was based on four foundations: a flawless opening nine days in which he was the only contender to avoid time losses, an extraordinarily strong Team Sky squad, his ability to pick up bonus seconds, and of course strong legs in the mountains.
Cyclingnews looks back at when and where the 2018 Tour de France was won.
Stage 1 - 201km Noirmoutier-En-L'Ïle - Fontenay-Le-Comte
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In hindsight, this was the beginning of the end for Chris Froome's Tour de France challenge. He may have steadily climbed the overall standings after an auspicious start but to concede 51 seconds due to a late fall and a frantic chase ensured that Thomas was always one step ahead of his erstwhile team leader.
Froome occupied second overall from the Alps until the stage to Luchon, at which point his hopes of retaining his Tour title began to fade. Thomas' ascendancy can also be traced to the opening day in which little happened until a spate of falls saw Froome and every other Team Sky rider lose time. Thomas was the sole rider for the British team to make the first group of 63riders. In a race of formulaic consistency, the time gain was substantial, and arguably the day Thomas truly ignited his Tour challenge, with Richie Porte, Adam Yates, and Nairo Quintana all losing significant ground.
Top three on GC after stage 1:
Stage 3 - 35.5km Cholet (TTT)
Stage 6 - 181km Brest - Mûr de Bretagne Guerléda
Stage 12 175.5km Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arc - Alpe d'Huez
Stage 17 - 65km Bagnères-de-Luchon - Saint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet)
Stage 19 200.5 km Lourdes - Laruns
Stage 20 31 km Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle - Espelette (ITT)
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/where-and-how-geraint-thomas-won-the-tour-de-france
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