Tour de France 2018: Geraint Thomas poised for title as Chris Froome salvages podium finish

Barring an accident in the procession to the Champs-Elysees on Sunday, the 32-year-old Welshman will give the team their sixth title in seven years after Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Chris Froome in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Froome had been the favourite to retain his title but he paid the price for the efforts he had put into winning the Giro d’Italia in May as he just failed to become the first man in 20 years to achieve the Giro-Tour double.

He took second place in the 31-km time trial, from Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle, won by a solitary second by time-trial world champion Tom Dumoulin, with Thomas coming home third, 14 seconds off the pace.

Overall, Thomas leads Dumoulin by 1:51 and Froome by 2:24 after the lanky Briton leapfrogged Slovenian Primoz Roglic, who cracked in the last competitive stage before Sunday’s traditionally unchallenged final leg.

Thomas topped the provisional rankings at the first checkpoint but the Briton rode cautiously to the line, taking no risks on sometimes slippery roads to all but secure his first grand tour title.