Moment of truth for Thomas as brutal scene waits

BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON, France – The Tour de France is ready for the moment of truth Wednesday , as the peloton prepares for a brutal 17th stage that could decide whether leader Geraint Thomas or defending champion Chris Froome will wear the yellow jersey in Paris.

He could also open the door to a challenger and Dutch Tom Dumoulin is one of those who wait for the first two to sneak up.

If he wins time on Thomas, the world time trial champion could still play the Team Sky duo on Saturday against the clock. Thomas leads fellow British Froome at 1:39, while Dumoulin 11 seconds ahead of Wednesday's 65km wild trek ending with the much-dreaded climb of Portet Pbad, a 16km climb of a gradient lung. average of 8.7%.

"This step is going to be mbadively decisive, there will be big gaps," Thomas said. "You can not get carried away at the start because the last climb is one of the most difficult of the Tour." Riders with a chance to win or climb the podium on the Champs-Elysees will be tempted to blow up the race from the start, with Frenchman Romain Bardet, fifth overall and an excellent downhill, the main suspect.

"It will be important to be stable on the downhill, we can easily make a mistake," warned Thomas. "Everyone is a little worried about this step." Team Sky said Thomas and Froome will not face each other, but the four-time champion is a much better descendant than the yellow jersey holder, and he knows that he must take leave. of his teammate for a chance to win the race for a fifth-fastest time. "In this last climb, anything can happen," said Thomas.

"We may have to run after someone or together, there may be big gaps, and different scenarios, as long as we do not run against each other." To spice things up, As the scene begins with a climb, the organizers have decided that the riders will initially line up in a grid formation based on the overall standings.

The idea, however, has been qualified as purely aesthetic by the riders and the staff of the team.