«I feel good to be honest – says Thomas on the rollers – It was nice to see that the group was now small and we tried to do somethingI hadn't planned on falling, but it happened. Pidcock was with me and helped me get backHe's very good at these things. Sometimes it's inevitable, we know it can happen sometimes, and it has, but in the end, it could have ended worse. I didn't realize Roglic was there too, while I saw Jack Haig on the ground and I tried to get back on my feet immediately and finish the race well."
Relaxed and fresh
The cobbled stage has just finished and the Ineos Grenadiers rider turns his legs on rollers that squeak and make him laugh a little and a little he asks the mechanic to make them stopThe companions arrive one by one. Van Baarle, the winner of the Roubaix, stops longer than the others and also gets closer to the two Rod Ellingworth, the head of performance of the Team Ineos GrenadiersThey conspire. And when they've cleared things up, the Dutchman gets on the bus, while Geraint continues to wander around and suddenly signals to the journalists still waiting for him.
He tells his story in three sentences, no more. But he smiles and appears super sereneAnd this, at the end of such a tough stage, is synonymous with freshness and good humor.
Let's talk to the boss
Looking at it closely you have the feeling that the Welshman has a free head and consequently strong legs. At these levels it can be taken for granted that the great athlete has values of excellence, especially someone like that who has won a Tour and a few titles between world championships and Olympics. The fact is that often those values are not expressed. And perhaps being in a Team Ineos no longer destined to win the Tour, has allowed Geraint to get there with the necessary lightness to go fast while having fun.
That's why as soon as he gets on the bus, we approach Ellingworth, who had been driving it since his track days. And smiling we tell him that it seems to see the lightweight Nibali of the GiroStarted without pressure and finished just a step away from the podium.
«I think Geraint is doing really well – he confirms – you can see it. Just look at the numbers and his mentalityOver the years he's gained a lot of experience, I think he's seen a lot. A race like the Tour is built day by day, and he's done well all year. His commitment to the team has been wonderful. And I find it very nice to hear him say that he's having fun at the races this year."
So, is the Tour just the end of the road?
It's a pleasure to work with him, but he's not the only one. There are a lot of nice guys, I've been on this journey together since DecemberIt's a great group that works hard for each other. Yes, there are really some good vibes.
Do you think the comparison with Nibali at the Giro is fair?
Thomas probably runs with the same attitudeI think he also has the respect of the group, because he has already won the Tour and has nothing to lose. He is certainly older and wiser than when he started., but I think he's doing really well even in this very young group. We also have two new coaches who are working well; Nibali also changed trainers, right? We are moving, we have new ideas.
Wiggins is often seen at the Village, and Froome just showed up wearing his new jersey. Thomas is the last of that group. What's changing in the team?
Eventually people move on. Some quit, some go elsewhereSome rely on their experience and continue, like Froome. You don't forget guys like that, but there have been many changes over the years. Competing is competing and you have to adaptYou have to be smart and I think Thomas, but also Martinez and Pidcock will do well.
You've always won at least one Grand Tour a year. The Giro is gone, but the Tour and the Vuelta remain...
We have always said over the years that We are a stage racing team, it's our main targetWe've always wanted to win a major Giro. It's our history, it's what we've always done. Carapaz finished second in the Giro this year, I think he had a great raceThe team played a great game. We were beaten by Hindley by a very narrow margin, but that's sport after all. It's about competing, and I think that every team tries its best to try to winWe can't win them all, but that's certainly the goal. And as a consequence, winning.
