Team Sky insist they had faced a tough decision over who should lead the team at Paris-Nice, before eventually plumping for defending champion Richie Porte. The Australian’s late withdrawal, to replace the injured Chris Froome at Tirreno-Adriatico, meant it was a straight-forward decision to promote Geraint Thomas to team leader instead and the Welshman has not let them down. Olympic team pursuit champion Thomas is determined to find his niche on the road this year, and his form in Paris-Nice suggests stage racing or the Classics could both serve him well.

As team leader, he has taken control at Paris-Nice, staying in the leading groups on the first two stages despite his team-mates struggling behind crashes, before benefitting from a change of tactics as the likes of Edvald Boasson Hagen, Luke Rowe and Vasili Kiryienka put in huge shifts to keep him out of trouble. And when his moment came to strike home an advantage, he seized it.

A self-confessed lover of the Classics, stage four suited a rider like Thomas and when Tom-Jelte Slagter attacked, he joined the Dutchman to launch the stage-winning escape. Though he missed out on stage honours, Thomas now boasts the overall lead and if he can stay in the maillot jaune, Team Sky may well have found themselves yet another potential leader.