A week after the Tour de France concluded in Paris and Cyclingnews look back at the 10 on GC, their performances and whether they should take aim at the Tour once more in 2019.
Name: Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)
Age: 32
Highlight of the 2018 Tour: Overall victory
Tour report: A consummate performance from a rider who had never challenged for a Grand Tour before this July. Thomas’s ascendancy began on stage 1 when he was the only Team Sky rider not to lose time, and it carried all the way through the first week. In the Alps Thomas claimed back-to-back stage wins and yellow and never looked close to cracking when the pressure came in the final week. Off the bike he played down speculation of any possible rift with Froome, while his team nullified much of the opposition out on the road.
Best non-Tour result of 2018: Winning the Criterium du Dauphine.
Tour 2019? Only time will tell. Will Thomas embark on a Wiggins-style quest and turn his attention to the Giro d’Italia and Classics or will he look to defend his title next summer? Related to all of that is his contract situation, although few would bet on him leaving Team Sky.
Name: Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb)
Age: 27
Highlight of the 2018 Tour: Second overall, and a stage win.
Tour report: Runner-up at his second consecutive Grand Tour but Dumoulin proved the strongest challenger to Team Sky’s dominance once more. He lost time in the first week and rarely had Thomas on the ropes in the final week, but the Dutchman’s consistency and final flurry in the time trial ensured he kept Froome and Roglic at bay. Mr. Consistency and joint youngest rider inside the top 10, alongside Bardet.
Best non-Tour result of 2018: Second overall, and a stage win at the Giro d’Italia.
Tour 2019? It’s hard to evaluate Dumoulin’s Grand Tour campaign as a failure but two second places will sting, especially as he beat Froome at the Tour only for Team Sky’s plan B to show up and claim yellow. Next year the focus for Dumoulin has to be on one Grand Tour, whether it’s the Tour or the Giro.
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Name: Chris Froome (Team Sky)
Age: 33
Highlight of the 2018 Tour: Third overall
Tour report: Present at the key moments but never able to dictate the outcome or decide the race. Froome lost close to a minute on the first stage and from there Thomas chipped away at the established hierarchy with stronger performances in the mountains. Froome deserves credit for the way in which he looked to publicly quell speculation of a possible rift, and the manner of his support when it was clear that Thomas had the form to win.
Best non-Tour result of 2018: Winning the Giro d’Italia.
Tour 2019? Still hunting that fifth Tour de France title that would put him alongside the likes of Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain – a line you would have struggled to keep a straight face for back in 2011.
Name: Primoz Roglic (LottoNL Jumbo)
Age: 28
Highlight of the 2018 Tour: Winning stage 18, almost making the podium in Paris.
Tour report: Roglic started the Tour as a dark horse having never challenged for GC over three weeks, but this year’s Tour highlighted the Slovenian as a genuine contender for the coming years. He dovetailed superbly with Kruijswijk and put Team Sky under pressure on a number of stages. Arguably the strongest rider in the final week.
Best non-Tour result of 2018: Winning the Tour de Romandie.
Tour 2019? With this year under his belt Roglic can return in 2019 with the aim of at least making the podium.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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