Team Sky’s Thomas, who only took the race leader’s maillot jaune off Australian Michael Matthews of Orica-GreenEdge on Saturday, finished a mere four seconds ahead of two-time Tour de France victor Alberto Contador of Spain. I think riding with Froomey, living (on the French Riviera) near him, I learnt a hell of a lot.
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“I came there obviously wanting to do my best but to actually do it. I’m over the moon”, Thomas said.
Contador, a seven-times grand tour champion aiming for a third Tour de France title in his swan song season, is a bold rider and he proved it once again on Sunday. “At least I’m confident I made the show even if I didn’t succeed”.
But Contador wasn’t finished and attacked four times on the Col d’Eze before distancing Thomas.
But Thomas withstood that attack, and another from former Sky teammate Richie Porte of Australia – now leader of the BMC team – in the last kilometre. I got a bit anxious when the radio went silent near the top but as soon as I crossed the line, I heard that “G” had dropped everyone bar Ilnur Zakarin of Katusha to finish second on the stage.
Their relentless pressure began to whittle the peloton down a little, but with our whole team still up front by the time we approached the third last climb of Cote de Levens with 30km to go, everything was going to plan. “But I just had to keep fighting and never give up”, he said. “But when he went halfway of Col d’Èze, my legs went away”. Sergio really kept my morale up.
Despite finishing the stage in 11th, Thomas had done enough.
Contador appeared to be heading for a third Paris-Nice win, but Thomas recovered 30 seconds in the final descent with the help of Sky team-mate Sergio Henao and Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal).
It was one of the closest finishes in the history of the event.
“Geraint is someone I like”.
We kept them on a short leash until we got all of the numbers of those involved and found out that Belgian Tim Willems, who was three minutes down, was the best-placed rider overall. “We send each other messages when France are playing Wales in rugby, so I preferred for him to win the general classification”, he said.
“We could see that they were coming back at us, but it was just a great way to finish off a solid week of racing”.
Wellens took the final day honours after fending off breakaway partners Contador and Australian Richie Porte in a sprint for the line.
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He sits 54th on the general classification, 21:53 behind Thomas. “Now if I do attacking in some of the big races people are going to watch me, I guess”. The Welshman will then form part of a competitive-looking British team at the Rio Olympic road race in the summer, when he will be one of a number of options available to Rod Ellingworth, who is masterminding the British challenge.
