Defending champion Geraint Thomas admits he was feeling “weak” and it was a case of damage limitation during Sate 14 of the Tour de France. The Team Ineos rider slipped behind the leading group with around 1km to go of the 117.5-km mountain trek from Tarbes to Col du Tourmalet on Saturday and he ultimately had to be content with an eighth-place finish.
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Frenchman Thibaut Pinot won the stage ahead of compatriot and overall leader Julian Alaphilippe, who now holds a two minutes and two seconds advantage over Thomas in the General Classification standings. Thomas revealed after the stage that he had not felt at his best throughout Saturday’s ride and that meant he had to adopt a damage-limitation approach.
“I just wasn’t quite on it from the start, really,” Thomas told Eurosport. “I just felt quite weak, and at the end I just knew that I had to try to pace it. I didn’t really attempt to follow them when they kicked. “I just felt quite weak, and at the end I just knew that I had to try to pace it.
I didn’t really attempt to follow them when they kicked. “Maybe I should’ve just tried to stay with them, but it was just one of those days. It was disappointing, but I just tried to limit the damage. From the start, I just didn’t feel great.” The British rider will be hoping he is feeling better for the Stage 15 on Sunday, which will be a 185-km trek from Limoux to Foix.
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