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As his Sky teammate Sergio Henao was fighting for victory at Pais-Nice, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Geraint Thomas was locked in his own battle at 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tirreno-Adriatico, fighting for stage victory on the steep climbs in the Le Marche region𒉰 of central Italy and trying to move up in the overall classification before Tuesd꧅ay's final 10km time trial.

The 2016 Paris-Nice winner was again able to respond and mark Nairo Quintana when he attacked on the steep 1km climb on the outskirts of Fermo. However, like the rest of the select front group of nine riders that fought for victory in the centre of the historic city, he could not match Peter Sagan's late surge and so win thཧe stage.

Thomas finished fourth behind Sagan, Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) after Team Sky had ridden an aggressive race, sending Michal Kwiatkowski, Mikel Landa, Diego Rosa and Vasil Kiryienka on the attack i♚n search of the elusive winning move.

Team Sky tr꧟ie🔜d every move they could but ultimately had little to show for their display of aggression.

"I felt pretty good, the team was good," Thomas pointed out. "I didn't expect the finish to be like that. I knew it was two corners (before the finish) and I wanted to lead into the penultimate one. Then I just saw the road go up and I was just caught out of position a bit. I am just racing for the win and let the GC boys race here, I w♛as just trying to win the stage. But on a finish like tha🅺t, there's only ever going to be one winner."

Thomas' consistently strong riding, his 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:stage victory on stage 2 in Pomerance and his excellent climbing on stage 4 to Terminillo as he pursued Nairo Quintana have all lifted him to sixth overa⛎ll in the general classification, 1:23 down on Quintana.

He could perhaps move up a place or two thanks to the final 10km time trial but nothing can erase the regrets about losing 1:20 to Quintana and important seconds to other riders in the opening team time trial due to three Team Sky riders suffering still unexplained 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:front wheel failures. Who knows how Tirre🎉no-Adriatico would have play💮ed out with Thomas and Team Sky a major factor in the fight for overall success.

Thomas could be fighting for every second to win overall, just 🐼as Henao did in France.

"My legs are go♉od, but it's just a real shame about the TTT now. You look back at it... but there you go," Thomas said mixing emotion with pragmatism.

Change of goals means an easy weekend instead of the Tour of Flanders

Thomas has dedicated his 2017 to targeting the Giro d'Italia and Tirreno-Adri♉atico is an important test and a stepping-stone to the Corsa Rosa in May.

The Welshman w💛ill forgo all the cobbled Classics this spring despite his track record and huge potential on the climbs of Flanders and the pave of Paris-Roubaix.

His change of objective means a significant change to his training and his race programme. He will not travel to Belgium this spring and will not 💙be based with his Team Sky Classics squad in Kortrijk later this month🌊. Instead he will join forces with Chris Froome, keep his racing weight under control and ride the Volta a Catalunya stage race between March 20-26. Only then will he enjoy a well-deserved break and rest before preparing for the Giro d'Italia.

He is likely to watch the Tour of Flanders on te💖levision during a rare easy weekend in early April.

"Catalunya will be next for me," he explained. "I'll freshen up, go there, race hard again and then have aಞ nice easy weekend❀."

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