As one of the stars of the all-conquering Team Sky in the 2010s, Geraint Thomas knows a thing or two about what it feels like to dominate professional cycling. And get widely criticised for it, too.
But the 2018 Tour winner, now the director of racing at Netcompany Ineos, reckons the sport’s current dominant force, Tadej Pogačar, won’t care that his ongoing success at cycling’s biggest race hasn’t been met with unanimous approval.
When the world champion launched his sprint at Les Angles on Monday afternoon, there was an audible groan within the press room. A day earlier, Pogačar effectively anointed his UAE colleague Isaac Del Toro atop Montjuïc in Barcelona, as the team secured a relatively straightforward one-two on the Tour’s opening road stage.
That win in Les Angles, the result of an aggressive ride from UAE Team Emirates to bring back the break, propelled Pogačar into a very early yellow jersey. He may still be level on time with his old rival Jonas Vingegaard, but for some the Tour is as good as over.
Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates’ unflinching dominance, and willingness to stamp their authority on the race at seemingly every opportunity, has raised the question: Is there such a thing as winning too much at the Tour de France.
According to Thomas, part of the Sky team which won seven of the eight Tours between 2012 and 2019, the answer is no. But that doesn’t make UAE’s dominance any less horrifying for their rivals.
“I was really surprised they rode like that yesterday,” the Welshman told road.cc and Cyclingnews outside the Netcompany Ineos bus ahead of stage four between Carcassonne and Foix.
“I was at first kind of like, what are they actually doing? They must be going for the stage, and then obviously they were. But it’s just different, and they’re confident.
“I think Pog’s phenomenal and probably the greatest ever. So I’ve got no qualms about him wanting to win.”
Nevertheless, Thomas reckons that UAE’s aggressive style could come back to bite all but one of the team’s line-up.
“I do… well, I don’t worry about it, because I’d love them to all blow up,” he says. “But I think that is maybe a challenge for them, how well his team cope with it. Pog can. Will the others continue like that all the way through the three weeks? Maybe. But that aggression, that attitude – I would do it if I was in that position.”
Following Monday’s stage to Les Angles, Pogačar’s stage-hunting tactics were questioned by French television pundits, including former yellow jersey wearer Thomas Voeckler, with this criticism put directly to the world champion during his appearance on France TV’s Vélo Club programme.
“I don’t know how to reply to this. I don’t know how long I can keep defending this jersey – this might be the last day, you never know. You need to enjoy the moment,” the four-time Tour winner said.
“We’re here to win, and everyone would do the same, I think. There’s still a long way to Paris, and you never know what happens, so you have to race in the moment. You can’t have a Playstation and say ‘we’ll take all the time in the final week’. If you have good legs you have to use them.”
Does Thomas believe the criticism currently aimed at Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates – including to his face at the moment – will negatively impact the world champion, who noticeably appeared fed-up when receiving similar treatment at last year’s Tour?
“He won’t care less, you know. I think he’s just a champion, he’s hungry, he wants to win and that’s that, you know,” Thoms told road.cc.
“No offence, but I never used to read stuff that was written and I just stayed in my own little bubble. And I’m sure he does the same and he’s just hungry for it, he wants to win. And if you can, why would you not?
“I think the only thing that I would say, is about protecting the whole team and having a good three weeks. But it’s what it is.”
From a Netcompany Ineos perspective, does UAE’s dominance affect their own tactical approach to the race? The British team was dealt a blow ahead of the race by the loss of GC leader Oscar Onley, while despite a strong team time trial performance, a string of misfortune has seen some of their other big names, such as Egan Bernal and Kévin Vauquelin, fall off the overall standings.
Their best-placed rider, Thymen Arensman, is currently in 16th, 2.19 down on Pogačar, as Netcompany Ineos pivot to hunting a stage win, a strategy made considerably more difficult by UAE’s relentless tactics.
“It’s tough because we were on the bus yesterday thinking, I don’t really understand cycling anymore,” Thomas says.
“It’s just different, you know. If you asked everyone, every bike rider yesterday, I think a big percentage would have said, probably a break. Same with today, but now we’re like, well, will it?
“You know, what is going to happen? You don’t really know. But that’s it. That gives it a bit more excitement anyway. But I think it will be a break today, surely.”
Asked whether UAE’s tactics made it difficult to judge when a breakaway will succeed, Thomas continued: “I think it’s always a bit of a gamble. Like maybe in the past there were certain days you could say it will be, but you’ve got to buy a ticket.
“I mean, if you want to win the lottery, you’ve got to be in it to win it. And you’ve got to start with the right mindset. I definitely wouldn’t be drawn into, oh UAE, they want it together. Don’t just play into their hands, don’t just let them have it. But the whole peloton has to think the same way. It can’t just be one team… but yeah, we’ll see how the rest of the race goes.
“It’s definitely different, but I think at the same time, we haven’t had much luck when it comes to that, so that hasn’t helped. But you can’t just sit back and start moaning about that and wallow in your own sorrow. I think you just need to get out of bed and get after it. And obviously, it is a different approach.
“I think Egan performed really well yesterday. In the mountains, hopefully he can at least be active and aggressive and along with Thymen [Arensman]. And hopefully [Tobias] Foss gets round as well. But I think chasing stages is still highly motivational for the boys.
“It’s different for myself after all those years racing GC. But I think it’s just a great opportunity for the guys, like Pippo [Ganna] and Dorion [Godon], because when you have a big guy for GC, those stages are fewer. So, I think they’ve got a great chance to get after it.”
