Tom Dumoulin says he saw both Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome racing against each other.
Dumoulin says Thomas, Froome are not united
In the battle for the Tour de France 2018 title it appears to be between three men with one week remaining.
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) has the yellow jersey and a big time advantage. But his best Grand Tour placing is 15th and his undoing has been the third week.
Chris Froome is the reigning champion. But as a team mate of Thomas he faces a tricky challenge in pulling the time back on him.
And Tom Dumoulin, the Team Sunweb rider who won the Giro last year, seems like the only man able to challenge them.
There was every sign on the way to Mende yesterday that Dumoulin is getting stronger as the race goes on.
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He clearly feigned being dropped from the favourites group on the last climb before riding back on with ease.
And when he did he then attacked; his acceleration splitting what little remained of the select group.
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Dumoulin not only has the legs to challenge Team Sky but also the head.
And in the information battle that runs parallel to the action on the road, he has now done his best to lob a grenade into the Team Sky camp.
The Dutchman has said that when he attacked on the final climb of Saturday’s stage 14, Thomas and Froome raced against each other.
That is perhaps the one scenario that Dumoulin could win from and so he has suggested it is already happening.
“It’s difficult but they also are riding for their win,” Dumoulin said of trying to beat Thomas and Froome.
“I attacked first then Thomas was in my wheel,” Dumoulin explained of surging after Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) attacked.
“Froome closed the gap and attacked. And it was Thomas again who closed the gap to Froome.
“There’s always hope and belief, when you stop doing that then you better not race at all.
“I think we were pretty evenly matched today, like also in the Alps actually. We will see what that means in the Pyrenees.”
For his part, Thomas said while the key thing was that the team won the race, he hoped it would be with him and not Froome.
“The main thing is we win and don’t end up racing against other and then Dumoulin wins. Then we’d look pretty stupid,” he said.
“I can’t speak to anyone else, I’m sure (the team) would be happy for either of us to win. For me, I’d be happier if I won than Froomey.”
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