Cycling Weekly

Geraint Thomas, Mikel Landa, Racing, Top story, Tour de France 2019 - July 13, 2019

Mikel Landa says 'Geraint Thomas is now the clear leader of Ineos'

Geraint Thomas and Mikel Landa on stage 21 of the Tour de France 2018 (Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images)

Landa says his Movistar team 'have to attack to make up the time'

Geraint Thomas praises Thibaut Pinot for La Planche des Belles Filles performance at Tour de France 2019

Geraint Thomas praised rival Thibaut Pinot for his performance on La Planche des Belles Filles (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Geraint Thomas singled out Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) for praise after his performance on La Planche de Belles Filles on stage six of the Tour de France.

Thomas's double difficulty

Only 11 riders have defended their maiden Tour de France victory, the last being Spaniard Miguel Indurain. Can Geraint Thomas buck the trend and win again? The odds are against him, but he does have the strongest team in the race by his side. Pete Cossins investigates just why it's so hard to do the double the first time around.

Geraint Thomas at the 2019 Tour de France stage three (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Given the influence of innumerable factors on sporting outcomes, statistics can say a lot and nothing at the same time. Take the fact, for instance, that no first-time winner of the Tour de France has managed to defend the title since Miguel Indurain claimed his second consecutive success in 1992. Over the subsequent period, doping […]