Geraint Thomas refused to be drawn on whether he could win Paris-Nice overall when he pulled on the yellow jersey after stage four – but the Welshman conceded that holding it on the uphill finish on stage six would be near impossible.
Yet, despite finding himself shorn of team-mates in the final few kilometres, with David Lopez’s valiant support ride finally coming to an end, Thomas powered into fourth place and, had it not been for Carlos Betancur’s time bonus at the finish, the Welshman would still be in the overall lead.
It was another example of the Olympic team pursuit champion’s ability on tough, undulating stages, and further proof he is relishing his position of team leader at Paris-Nice. Thomas remains handily-placed overall – just eight seconds behind Betancur in second place.
Two tough stages await for Ag2r-La Mondiale to defend Betancur’s yellow jersey, and if the attacks continue at the pace they have over the last three days, the race for the maillot jaune is far from over yet.
