PAST CHAMPIONS
et’s start with you as
defending champion,
Geraint. What was it
like after you won the
2018 Tour de France?
GT: I was really busy! Chris had
warned me that my life would get a bit
mad. After the Tour I wanted to take
full advantage of my success because
you can never know what the future
has in store for you. I only started
training again in late November and I
spent January in Los Angeles on the
bike. The time difference helped me to
focus and lay down a solid foundation
for this season.
L
Team Sky became Team Ineos on
1 May so you’ll be wearing new
jerseys this July, but Team Sky
will always be a big part of Tour
de France history. What will you
remember most about the period
that’s come to an end?
CF: We won six Tours de France with
Team Sky, which was both an incredible
performance and incredibly lucky.
When I reflect on our team’s history
in this race, what immediately comes
to mind are images of the final stages
leading into Paris, with the winner’s
bike and the team’s vehicles decorated
in yellow. I can also hear the shouts of
delight in the team bus.
GT: At the end of the 100th edition
of the Tour in 2013, I remember the
Patrouille de France [national air display
team] planes flew over the Champs-
Élysées. Rolling down that mythical
avenue with one of your teammates in
yellow is incredibly exhilarating.
You’ll be starting the Tour
in Team Ineos colours for
the first time. What will this
change for you?
CF: It’s a new chapter in the life of
the team. I’m so happy that we’ve
been able to find a new sponsor
in such a short time and that the
adventure will continue with the
riders and team staff. We spend
a lot of time together over the
course of a season, so the team
is our second family. I really want
to thank Sky for their investment
over the past 10 years. At the
beginning of the year, the future of
the squad was uncertain. Ineos’s
SKY HIGH
Launched in 2010 with the ambition
of winning the Tour de France with
a British rider within five years, Team
Sky quickly raced into Tour history.
Over nine years of racing, it won six
Tours – and its domination looks set
to continue. British billionaire Sir Jim
Ratcliffe, chairman and chief executive
officer of the Ineos chemicals group,
which he founded in 1998, has bought
the current team in full, honouring all
existing commitments to riders, staff
and partners. They’ll be racing in new
Team Ineos colours, but the leadership
and talent will remain the same.
Overall Tour de France wins: 6
Bradley Wiggins – 2012
Chris Froome – 2013, 2015,
2016 & 2017
Geraint Thomas – 2018
King of the Mountains wins: 1
Chris Froome – 2015
Team classification wins: 1 (2017)
Stage wins: 17
“I’M CONVINCED
WE CAN REPEAT
WHAT WE ACHIEVED
LAST SEASON.”
– CHRIS FROOME
arrival has enabled us to concentrate
fully on our work and aim for other
great successes.
GT: A new story begins. I’m very
happy to be able to continue my career
alongside people I’ve been working
with for more than 10 years. This will
increase our motivation.
Is it easy having the last two
Tour winners sharing leadership
on the same team?
GT: Having the last two winners in
our team is a guarantee of solidity. I’m
convinced that we’ll always be honest
with each other, we’ll never race against
each other. But we won’t necessarily be
the strongest simply because Chris and
I have won the last two Tours. Cycling
always asks questions of you... It’s the
road that decides who is the strongest.
CF: We were fortunate to be able to
count on two cards in 2018. After my
victory at the Giro, I would have liked to
have added a fifth Tour to my palmarès,
but I just didn’t have the legs. I would
have been devastated and felt like I’d
let the team down if we hadn’t won. I’m
very grateful to Geraint for completing
this mission successfully. G and I have
been riding together for many years
and were previously teammates at
Barloworld. We’ve always been friends
and have developed a real feeling of
respect for each other. Geraint has
contributed to my success over the
years, and I’d be ready to support him
when needed. The important thing is
that we do what’s best for the team.
I’m also convinced that we can repeat
what we achieved last season, and
also in 2012. But if we could finish
the 20th stage with three guys in
the first three places, I wouldn’t
complain, although I’m not sure
that would be very popular...
What will be the key points
on the 2019 route?
CF: Like every year, the first
week will be difficult. You have
to manage it well in order to
avoid losing time. The finish at
La Planche des Belles Filles on
day six could establish an initial
hierarchy. The 14th and 15th
stages, in the mountains, will be
decisive, particularly the one to
the summit of the Tourmalet. And
2 0 1 9 TO U R D E FR ANCE
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