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Bradley Wiggins has said Geraint Thomas would have beaten Egan Bernal to the Tour de France title last year if the final two mountain stages of the race had not been cut short because of bad weather and landslides.
He believed Thomas would win this year’s race and said
while Chris Froome was unlikely to challenge for the overall this year, he may
do so again next year with Israel Start-Up Nation.
Wiggins added of Froome had stayed at Team Ineos it was
very doubtful if he would have gotten the chance to go for another Tour win.
But by joining Israel Start-Up Nation he’s guaranteed
himself another shot and so he saw the transfer as increasing Froome’s
likelihood of a fifth win in the French race.
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Wiggins described the move as “brave” and a clear statement by Froome that he was backing himself with win the Tour again.
This year, Wiggins said Bernal would not have automatic team leadership and in that context he believed Thomas would win the race.
“I think had we had the stage to Tignes last year completed; I think Bernal would have cracked and Geraint would have won the Tour that day,” Wiggins said on his new podcast with Eurosport, below.
On the stage Wiggins is referring to Bernal was on the attack with Simon Yates when the racing was halted, with the final climb still to come. Their gap of 58 seconds over the last climb raced was taken as the general classification time, putting Bernal into yellow.
And when the stage the following day was also cut short, Bernal had a stress-free ride into Paris to claim victory.
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Because Thomas, as defending champion last year, had to give up his chance for Bernal, Wiggins believes that must reciprocated this year if the circumstances arise.
“Now you’d have to say that, because Bernal was allowed to
win the Tour last year, with Geraint as defending champion when he was good
enough to win the Tour last year, the same should apply to Bernal this year;
that he doesn’t get the automatic right to defend the (title).
“So Geraint is open to win the race this year and I actually think Geraint will win the Tour this year, no question about it. I don’t think there is an argument within that team for me.”
Wiggins added he believed Froome would “not be at the
level” to win the Tour this year, given his lack of racing since June of last
year when he suffered such a serious crash.
He believed it would take another year to get back to the
level but “who knows with Chris, you wouldn’t put anything past him”.
However, he believed Froome still had a role to play in
the team at the Tour this year and should be selected.
“I’d take him purely on what he’s done for that team, he
has been the face of that team for a number of years now, he’s won four Tour de
Frances,” said Wiggins, adding Froome would ride for Bernal or Thomas.
But Wiggins insisted that, for him, Thomas was Team Ineos’s
best bet of winning the Tour and it was not “a given” that Bernal would automatically
get a clear shot at leading the team.
“I think Geraint Thomas played second fiddle last year to
Bernal last year to help him win that Tour and you could say Bernal got a bit
lucky with the weather last year and the stage that was cut towards the end of
the race.
“I think (this year) it’s a Geraint Thomas race but I would take Chris Froome any day of the week.”
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