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PARIS (AP) – The Tour de France has a new champion, but the story remains the same in the biggest cycling race: the domination of Team Sky has no limits.
By placing Geraint Thomas at the top of the Elysées Championship on Sunday, the British team ended three weeks of racing that were sorely lacking in suspense with a sixth victory in the last seven rounds.
Once again, Team Sky drivers were untouchable on the roads of France, controlling the race Thomas became the third Briton to win the Tour after Bradley Wiggins and four-time champion Chris Froome.
Since Wiggins won in 2012 with a Team Sky jersey, the richest team in the squad has claimed every edition of the race except one In 2014, Froome collapsed and the Italian Vincenzo Nibali came out victorious.
Even the expulsion of Gianni Moscon for hitting a rival at stage 15 had no effect on Sky's well-oiled machine, the team led by Dave Brailsford Fourth "We were well behind our goals the year we started, we did better the following year and then we won the Tour with Bradley," said Brailsford, who oversaw the team. since its inception in 2010. "Chris Froome has learned a lot by riding Bradley, he has gained a lot of experience, then Geraint has learned from Chris.It is passed on from one generation to the next. still thinking about the future. "
Although Thomas has not yet extended his contract with Sky, he and Froome should be part of the team next season. At age 32, Thomas is in the best shape of his life while Froome, 33, will once again try to match the Tour's five-time winners, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Behind them, Egan Bernal, 21, has more talent. Colombian driver who participated in his first Tour this summer, Bernal did a great job for Thomas and Froome in the mountains, helping both in the last stage of the Pyrenees and despite his tireless efforts, Bernal still managed a 15th square. 19659002] In addition to Bernal, Brailsford also recruited two of cycling's top prospects, Pavel Sivakov, 21, and Tao Geoghegan Hart, 23.
"My job is four years later," Brailsford said, "Our pilots in their thirties will not be here forever, and in the next two or three seasons I'll have the opportunity to do it. To add other young people in the group.This year, Egan watched very carefully Chris, he continued to ask questions, looked at everything we do to win the Tour.It was the best experience possible for the future. "
Sky's rivals have often complained of lack of means to try to dethrone the British giant of the Tour, Sky has an estimated budget of 40 million dollars, about the twice that of Tom Dumoulin. "Of course, they have more money to spend, it sometimes makes their lives easier," says Dumoulin, Thomas' s second. "Of course, having a big budget is important. But it would be too easy to say that Geraint Thomas had a big advantage with this team. He was the strongest rider. "
Brailsford is adamant that it's not only money, but also Sky's expertise in developing talent that helps him attract the best riders."
"Bernal has a very modest income" "Compared to the average income of the World Tour, it is not much, most pilots earn more money."
David Lappartient, president of the governing body of cycling, suggested that a salary cap limiting crew spending could be introduced. Tour director Christian Prudhomme would like to see a ban on power meters monitoring cyclists' watts to make the race less predictable.
"Because of these power meters, runners know for how many kilometers and minutes they can support their effort," said Prudhomme, "because of that, the bluffing strategies have disappeared from the race, and they should come back. "
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