Geraint Thomas, the anti-hero turned king

News Mondays - Nicolas Jutzet

After long weeks of effort, it's all over! The history of the one-hundred-and-fifth Tour de France is written. 3351 km later, the surprises are many, as are the disappointments and injuries. As always, in the end. Will the unexpected victory of Welshman Geraint Thomas, the model team-mate par excellence, be good for a sport that seems to be at the end of its tether? Nothing is less certain. At thirty-two years of age, the man is far from being the embodiment of the future.

Team Sky stronger than the competition

Booed for doping suspicions, his team, the British superpower Sky, and his leader emblématique Christopher Froome, étaient attendus au tournant. Pour rappel, l’affaire Froome fait suite à un contrôle anormal au salbutamol. Finalement, le coureur a pu être blanchi. Le soupçon lui, reste. Tant les supporters – parfois à la limite de l’agression physique sur les routes du Tour – que les organisateurs, voire aussi les journalistes, peinaient à cacher leur désarroi face à ce nouveau contretemps pour ce sport qui se veut, après d’incessantes affaires, désormais propre. Difficile, même pour les fans inconditionnels, d’y croire encore.

However, perhaps under the impact of the negative climate and after a preparation that was inevitably disrupted by the twists and turns of the affair, the favorite Froome gradually faded into the background, in favor of a more dashing teammate, a sort of quiet force coming of age. Finally. Never really in danger, the new hero finally won with a comfortable lead of over two minutes over his runner-up, Tom Dumoulin.

L’histoire semble se répéter. Devenu leader of Team Sky to the detriment of then-hero Bradley Wiggins, Christopher Froome must in turn suffer the affront of internal degradation. At thirty-three, he looks tired, his best years behind him. For the Tour, this renewal of faces may finally herald a real change, particularly in terms of image, for the general public. New riders, new faces and confirmation that cycling is now a sport that has rid itself of its demons. For despite the negative aspects, there are many reasons to be passionate about these superhuman efforts.

Cette année encore, on aura apprécié les belles histoires. Celle par exemple de Primož Roglič, l’ancien sauteur devenu un outsider craint, ou encore l’excellent tour de Julian Alaphilippe, vainqueur du maillot à pois. Sans oublier l’hégémonie quasi mécanique du fantasque Peter Sagan qui semble au sommet de son art. Il sprinte plus vite que son ombre. Dans un autre registre, la visite du Premier ministre, Edouard Philippe, en pleine affaire Benalla restera également dans les mémoires de gens plus politisés, comme un moment clef de ces dernières semaines.

For others, the victory of a British team and its leader Welsh on French soil, in the midst of a Brexit that France hopes to turn into a comparative advantage for its financial center, acts as a sarcastic wink of fate. One thing's for sure: the Tour caravan is turning off the engine and preparing for a 2019 Tour that's more open than ever! In the meantime, we'll know more about both Brexit and the Philippe government and its ability to manage... business.

Write to the author : [email protected]