Thomas goes on a training ride on the first rest day of the Tour REGIS DUVIGNAU/REUTERSGeraint Thomas spent the first rest day of the Tour de France 72 seconds behind the yellow jersey worn by Julian Alaphilippe, but the Team Ineos rider believes that the race could not have gone much better in the opening ten days. With the crosswind chaos of Monday’s stage enabling Thomas to take second place on the General Classification, and his team-mate Egan Bernal only four seconds behind in third, the significant question marks over Alaphilippe’s staying power heading to the Pyrenees have left the Ineos co-leaders in prime position. Alaphilippe has been playing down any local expectations that he can hold yellow for much longer and Thomas sounded quietly confident. “I won’t say we were happy, but we didn’t mind him gaining a few…

Source: The Times July 16, 2019 23:00 UTC