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Tour de France: pain no barrier for Geraint Thomas as Froome’s minder Tour de France: pain no barrier for Geraint Thomas as Froome’s minder
(about 2 hours later)
The battle against pain is a perennial theme at the Tour de France and Geraint Thomas’s 2,000-mile fight to finish last year’s race in spite of a broken pelvis was right up there with the legendary episodes that have interspersed the race’s 111-year history. The Welshman crashed on the first stage in Corsica, although the fracture was not diagnosed until the next day, but he was playing a full role by the race’s final week.The battle against pain is a perennial theme at the Tour de France and Geraint Thomas’s 2,000-mile fight to finish last year’s race in spite of a broken pelvis was right up there with the legendary episodes that have interspersed the race’s 111-year history. The Welshman crashed on the first stage in Corsica, although the fracture was not diagnosed until the next day, but he was playing a full role by the race’s final week.
In the days afterwards, Thomas had to be assisted at stage starts in getting his leg over the top tube of his bike; he was not initially expected to be able to assist Chris Froome’s challenge for overall victory, but when he made it through the team time trial at Nice, there was a sense of light at the end of the tunnel.In the days afterwards, Thomas had to be assisted at stage starts in getting his leg over the top tube of his bike; he was not initially expected to be able to assist Chris Froome’s challenge for overall victory, but when he made it through the team time trial at Nice, there was a sense of light at the end of the tunnel.
“The two days in Corsica were the hardest, especially the first when I didn’t know what it was, but when I knew it was a fracture and it wasn’t going to cause any damage and I just had to put up with the pain, that made it easy. Fortunately every day it got better. It wasn’t the actual fracture that was painful, but the whole left side of my hip was numb – I couldn’t get the power out or get out of the saddle.“The two days in Corsica were the hardest, especially the first when I didn’t know what it was, but when I knew it was a fracture and it wasn’t going to cause any damage and I just had to put up with the pain, that made it easy. Fortunately every day it got better. It wasn’t the actual fracture that was painful, but the whole left side of my hip was numb – I couldn’t get the power out or get out of the saddle.
“The hip wasn’t working, all the muscles were tense. When you can’t get out of the saddle, and you constantly have to accelerate without standing up – going through all the roundabouts for example, it just takes more out of you. But I could feel it improving all the time which was good for morale.”“The hip wasn’t working, all the muscles were tense. When you can’t get out of the saddle, and you constantly have to accelerate without standing up – going through all the roundabouts for example, it just takes more out of you. But I could feel it improving all the time which was good for morale.”
The double Olympic Games team-pursuit gold medallist is one of only two Britons in Sky’s Tour de France lineup, and he is expected to play a key role in Froome’s attempt to regain his title. “Mentally you can break it down day by day. So you have the UK stages, the cobbled stage [five], a few flat days, the Vosges and then the first rest day. I’m not looking further ahead.”The double Olympic Games team-pursuit gold medallist is one of only two Britons in Sky’s Tour de France lineup, and he is expected to play a key role in Froome’s attempt to regain his title. “Mentally you can break it down day by day. So you have the UK stages, the cobbled stage [five], a few flat days, the Vosges and then the first rest day. I’m not looking further ahead.”
Thomas, together with the Austrian Bernhard Eisel – Mark Cavendish’s former wingman at HTC-Columbia – is expected to come to the fore on the flatter stages, protecting Froome and guiding him to the front of the peloton. Given the Kenyan-born, Monaco-resident Briton’s poor record when it comes to bike handling – he fell off before stage one of last year’s Tour had even started – it is a key role.Thomas, together with the Austrian Bernhard Eisel – Mark Cavendish’s former wingman at HTC-Columbia – is expected to come to the fore on the flatter stages, protecting Froome and guiding him to the front of the peloton. Given the Kenyan-born, Monaco-resident Briton’s poor record when it comes to bike handling – he fell off before stage one of last year’s Tour had even started – it is a key role.
The cobbled stage into Arenberg on day five is expected to test Froome and the others, and it is one that the 28-year-old from Cardiff will particularly relish. “If you’re racing the cobbles in Paris-Roubaix, you can take risks, you can close gaps in the group without worrying about who’s following, but with Chris you have to make sure he’s there too,” says Thomas. “It’s like driving a truck and trailer, you have to constantly think whether there is room for the trailer.The cobbled stage into Arenberg on day five is expected to test Froome and the others, and it is one that the 28-year-old from Cardiff will particularly relish. “If you’re racing the cobbles in Paris-Roubaix, you can take risks, you can close gaps in the group without worrying about who’s following, but with Chris you have to make sure he’s there too,” says Thomas. “It’s like driving a truck and trailer, you have to constantly think whether there is room for the trailer.
“It’s going to be really stressful. There will be crashes, punctures so everyone will want to be at the front, and there will be a lot of guys trying to get up there who aren’t that used to fighting for their place. It will be completely different, so I’m looking forward to it in a weird way.” “It’s going to be really stressful. There will be crashes, punctures – so everyone will want to be at the front, and there will be a lot of guys trying to get up there who aren’t that used to fighting for their place. It will be completely different, so I’m looking forward to it in a weird way.”
Froome is, he says, an inspiring leader to work for. “He’s clear, determined, professional when he’s off the bike – when we’re on training camp at Mount Teide he’s always watching his food and so on. He knows what he’s doing, every effort counts, and everyone in this group takes that attitude to training camps, to putting in the miles – it’s infectious.”Froome is, he says, an inspiring leader to work for. “He’s clear, determined, professional when he’s off the bike – when we’re on training camp at Mount Teide he’s always watching his food and so on. He knows what he’s doing, every effort counts, and everyone in this group takes that attitude to training camps, to putting in the miles – it’s infectious.”
Thomas was the youngest rider in the Tour when it kicked off in London in 2007 – “a lifetime ago” he says – but he is a comparatively senior figure at this second British Grand Départ. “I was just there for experience in 2007, we thought perhaps I’d get to the rest day. Being British and the youngest, I got a lot of publicity, but I wasn’t expected to do anything, I could just enjoy being there.”Thomas was the youngest rider in the Tour when it kicked off in London in 2007 – “a lifetime ago” he says – but he is a comparatively senior figure at this second British Grand Départ. “I was just there for experience in 2007, we thought perhaps I’d get to the rest day. Being British and the youngest, I got a lot of publicity, but I wasn’t expected to do anything, I could just enjoy being there.”
In the longer term, he is one of a strong Welsh team that will travel to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, along with his fellow Team Sky rider Luke Rowe and prospects such as Jon Mould and Elinor Barker. “I’m looking forward to that, because we only ever race as Wales at the Games. I’ll feel terrible after the Tour, but I’ll either feel terrible and go fast, or feel terrible and go terrible.” But pain, as 2013 proved, is no impediment for the rider David Millar once compared to one of the penguins in Madagascar – “cuddly on the outside, the spirit of a hired assassin within”. In the longer term, he is one of a strong Welsh team that will travel to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, along with his fellow Team Sky rider Luke Rowe and prospects such as Jon Mould and Elinor Barker. “I’m looking forward to that, because we only ever race as Wales at the Games. I’ll feel terrible after the Tour but I’ll either feel terrible and go fast, or feel terrible and go terrible.” But pain, as 2013 proved, is no impediment for the rider David Millar once compared to one of the penguins in Madagascar – “cuddly on the outside, the spirit of a hired assassin within”.