168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Geraint Thomas insisted he hadn’t put pressure on himself, but there was nevertheless a sense of relief as he clinched the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de Romandie title to win a bike raౠce for the first time since he rolled into Paris as Tour de France champ𒁃ion in 2018.
The Welshman might well have raised his arms 24 hours previously, but he more than made up for that 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:bizarre crash atop Thyon 2000 with a strong𒁏 ride in the final time trial to divest Michael Woods (Israel Start-U𝐆p Nation) of the yellow jersey.
In doing so, he brouꦚght a curious barren spell to an end. It’s not like Thomas has been in the wilderness since he lifted the Tour trophy – indeed, he finished runner-up the following year – but he has struggled for momentum.
He was anonymous for all of 2019 apart from that second place, and in 2020 he was so far off the pace he didn’t make Ineos’ squad for the Tour. He bounced back to finish se𓆉cond at Tirreno-Adriatico but crashed out of the autumn Giro d’Italia after hitting a stray bidon.
"As we all know, bike racing is about winning," Thomas said. "It&rsqu♋o;s not like I haven’t performed since I won the Tour. I’ve been up there, b♌ut it’s nice to finally get the win and break that sort of duck.
"It's m🃏y first win since being a dad as well, so that's nice," he added.
Following the frustration of that Giro exit, the Tour de Romandie is the latest evidence that Thomas has hit a rich vein of early form in 2021, in stark contrast to last term. He wasn’t at his best at Tirreno-Adriatico but has certain🥂ly been close to it ever since, placing third behind two teammates at the Volta a Catalunya before arriving in Switzerland this week.
In the decisive sta♛ges he was second in the opening prologue and third in the final-day time trial, while his third place at the Thyon summit fin꧂ish should have been better after he breezed clear of every rider but Woods on the long climb.
"At the start of the year my goal was the Tour and every race was a build-up to it. I didn’t put any pressur✨e on myself to perform early but I seem t💃o have come into some good shape pretty soon," Thomas said.
"I’ve had some good races building up to this - obviously Catalunya was really good for the team, and I was third behind two teammates which was amazing to be a part of."&n🎶bsp;
A similar scena𝔍rio played out at Romandie, where he was part of a prologue podium sweep alongside Rohan Dennis and Richie Poꦅrte, and then part of a one-two on the final podium alongside Porte.
"Me and Richie came here wanting to win the race with one of us, and ♈now we’re first and second, so can’t complain," he 🍰said.
"I knew was going well. I’ve done a lot of hard work, spent a lot of time away frไom the family. I really wanted to make it worthwhile, and I’ve certainly done that."
With the yellow jersey on his shoulders and a number one back on his palmarès, Thomas can start to look ahead 🎃to t༒he Tour de France with increasing confidence. He'll head home for a break before an altitude camp in Tenerife ahead of the Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France.
"It's been a good year so far - every race I felt was getting better and better. All I ca𝓡n do is focus on what I'm doing and try🎉ing to continue to improve and go to the Tour in the best shape I can."
As f🐲or that crash, he already saw the funny side as he photoshopped himself scoring a try for Wales, but can now put it firmly in the past.
"I definitely wasn’t laughing the first hour 🍨or two after – I was pretty angry – but once it’s settled in, you’ve got to laugh at it really," Thomas said.
"You either laugh 𒆙or cry, and it&rsquo✱;s a lot better to laugh, isn’t it."
