Geraint Thomas’ Tour de France victory a popular result among cycling fans and rivals

NOT since Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France in 2011 has cycling been so universally pleased to see a rider claim the yellow jersey as it has for Geraint Thomas this past week.

Britain's Geraint Thomas, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, throws his flowers to his wife Sarah Elen on the podium after the 20th stage of the Tour de France. Picture: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

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NOT since Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France in 2011 has cycling been so universally pleased to see a rider claim the yellow jersey as it has for Geraint Thomas this past week.

The Welshman is seen as one of the sport’s good guys - a likeable bloke with an infectious personality off the bike and a blue-collar work ethic on it who has done the hard yards, deserved his chance and when it came at the age of 32, took it.

“He’s a good egg,” one of his rivals told The Advertiser this week.

Geraint Thomas on his way to defending the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. Picture: Philippe Lopez (AFP).

Thomas’ win is a triumph for cycling given his evolution in the sport has come full circle.

It started on the track where he is a two-time Olympic gold medallist in the team pursuit and progressed to him becoming a classics contender where he’s been top 10 at Flanders and Roubaix, to a stage racer where he’s won Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine to now Grand Tour champion by winning the Tour de France.

If you’re lucky enough to call him a friend, there’s someone there that’ll always have your back. Not one person that knows @GeraintThomas86 doesn’t know how much he deserves this. His loyalty & work ethic is something to aspire to in life, not just cycling. So proud of you mate. pic.twitter.com/VuWf1wwipa

— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) July 28, 2018

It is also a dream result for Team Sky. It came into the Tour surrounded by controversy with team leader Chris Froome only cleared of a doping investigation and allowed to start a week before the race.

Things only got worse with team boss Dave Brailsford’s poor choice of words to describe unruly fan behaviour as due to “French culture” and Sky’s sprinter Gianni Moscon was booted from the race after punching one of his rivals.

Thomas will be the first Welsh winner of the Tour de France. Picture: Christophe Ena (AFP).

Geraint Thomas grimaces as he sprints with France's Romain Bardet, right, and Ireland's Daniel Martin on the 19th stage. Picture: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

But even the French would find it hard to begrudge Thomas for leaving with the yellow jersey.

Sky has now won the Tour de France six times in its nine year history but has drawn criticism for the methodical way it has controlled the tempo and in doing so removed the element of surprise or unpredictability of the three-week race.

In essence it has been accused of making the Tour de France boring.

But Thomas’ win changes all of that. He is a surprise winner this year but how many are really surprised? He was second at Algarve in February and won the Dauphine in June and has finished 15th overall twice before while supporting Froome. He is a fighter - albeit a very classy one - he’s not been afraid to attack when he could have instead sat in and taken cover, and his place on the top step of the podium is a refreshing change for the sport.

Thomas in the leader’s ochre jersey at the Tour Down Under in 2013.

Adelaide has had a front-row seat to Thomas’ progression given he raced the Tour Down Under every year from 2011 to 2017 - often flying out early to log two weeks of solid training in the heat.

In 2013 he finished as high as third in the TDU when he won the Corkscrew stage.

It was a daring move up the climb when even he questioned “what am I doing?” mid-attack, but it worked.

That’s what cycling fans want to see and it’s also what they want to see rewarded.

Who dares wins and this time it is Thomas who dared to dream and made it happen.

Originally published as Geraint Thomas’ Tour de France victory a popular result among cycling fans and rivals