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The Welsh cyclist of the Sky team will be given a 1 minute and 51 seconds lead over Tom Dumoulin during the ceremonial tour Sunday at the Champs-Elysees in Paris
PARIS .- Geraint Thomas was like the virtual champion of the Tour de France on Saturday after having kept the yellow jersey in the individual time trial of the 20th and penultimate stage.
Thomas, the Welsh cyclist of the Sky team, will be offered 1 minute and 51 seconds ahead on Tom Dumoulin The Sunday ceremony tour on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, where he is to celebrate his first Grand Tour title.
"It's a bit overwhelming," Thomas said. "I did not have it in mind during the race, and now I've suddenly won the Tour."
Dumoulin won the stage with a one-second difference over the four-time champion Chris Froome, who took Primoz Roglic to third place. General classification.
"After the difficult day yesterday, I did not think it was possible," Froome said. "I'm very happy, to accompany Geraint on the podium is a dream."
Thomas was third on the stage, 14 seconds behind. It was more than enough to protect the benefit of more than two minutes early in the day.
With his completely yellow uniform and on a bicycle painted in the red, white and blue colors of the British flag, the 32-year-old Welshman
While a light drizzle was falling, Thomas quickly recovered when his wheel appeared to crash while she was passing a curve at the beginning of the road. Whatever it is, I went first after the first two checks and slowed down in the last few kilometers.
"I felt good, I felt strong.The truth is that I felt very good.I found out that I was going first and maybe I was risking too much in some corners, "said Thomas. "Nico (Portal, Sky's athletic director) told me to relax, calm down and ensure victory – that's what I did." [19659003AtthefinishThomasroaredandraisedhisarmstoexpresshisjoyHestartedkissinghiswifeSaraElenassoonashegotoffhisbike
"The last time I cried was when I got married," says Thomas, in tears.
Thomas will become the third cyclist. British – and first Welsh – to win the Tour, in the footsteps of Bradley Wiggins and Froome. He can also give Sky its sixth victory in the last seven years.
Thomas grabbed the yellow jersey with his victory in the 11th stage in the Alps and followed with another triumph, the following day, in the climb to Alpe d'Huez and defended his advantage in the Pyrenees during last week.
Thomas was a gregarious during the Froome conquests, but remained as the undisputed leader of Sky when Froome faltered in the tough 17th stage in the Pyrenees.
An off-road racer who began his career on the track, Thomas was a key player in Britain's Olympic gold medals in pursuit by the teams both in the 2008 Games and in 2012, before venturing on the road. It was timed 40 minutes and 52 seconds on the mountainous and technical section of 31 kilometers.
It was the first time in 12 years that the Tour was touring the Basque Country, and the spectators left to float the flag of the region, with the colors red, green and white.
Dumoulin won his second stage victory in the Tour, having won another timed in 2016. The Dutchman has won six time trials in the three Grand Tours – the Tour, the Tour of & # 39; Italy and the Tour of Spain – and also the world champion of the specialty.
"It's amazing to be second in the Tour de France," Dumoulin said. "I am 27 years old and I hope to be stronger, especially in the mountains, and I hope one day to win the championship."
AP
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