TdF - 2018 - Geraint Thomas MBE Traditional Cache
TdF - 2018 - Geraint Thomas MBE
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Defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) had generally been considered the main favourite for the general classification.
He had won four out of the last five editions, and was also the current defending champion at both other Grand Tours, the Vuelta a España and the Giro d'Italia.
However, in Stage 11, Geraint Thomas, a Welsh cyclist for Team Sky, took the Yellow Jersey from Belgian cyclist Greg Van Avermaet and remained in it till Paris.
Thomas had previously won three World Championships and two Olympic gold medals.
In cycling's grand tours, Thomas was initially a lead domestique to Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins in their victories. He won the first stage of 2017 Tour de France, an individual time trial, to become the first Welshman to wear the Tour's yellow jersey. He later crashed in that race, as well as the 2017 Giro d'Italia, before winning the 2018 Tour de France. He gained the yellow jersey by winning stage 11, extended his lead by winning stage 12, and retained the lead for the remainder of the event. He became the first Welshman, and the third British cyclist after Wiggins and Froome, to win the Tour. The 2018 edition of the Tour de France was post-poned by one week to minimise overlap with the FIFA World Cup.
The Tour de France
The Tour de France is a cycling stage race held since 1903 over a current period of three weeks, although it was not staged from 1914 to 1918 and from 1940 to 1946, because of the World Wars.
French cyclists have been the most successful in the event, having won 36 of the 98 tours, although their last champion was in 1985. They are followed by Belgian riders, who have won 18, including 7 consecutive titles from 1912 to 1922. Cyclists from Spain have won 13 events.
In total, cyclists from 12 countries have won the Tour de France.
The first Australian to win the Tour was Cadel Evans in 2011 after being runner-up in 2007 & 2008
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