Tour de France: Froome ready to 'look after' Thomas after running out of steam

Chris Froome slipped to third in the general classification

Paris, July 26: Chris Froome all but admitted defeat in his quest for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title and vowed to help team-mate Geraint Thomas to dethrone him after fading on a brutal stage 17.

Froome ran out of steam on the short 65-kilometre ride from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan on Wednesday (July 25), slipping to third in the general classification after being dropped on the last of three gruelling climbs.

The Team Sky rider has won four of the last five editions of the Tour, but trails Thomas - who surged away to take third place on a lung-busting day in the Pyrenees - by two minutes and 31 seconds.

Thomas holds an advantage of a minute and 59 seconds over Dutchman Tom Dumoulin Thomas holds an advantage of a minute and 59 seconds over Dutchman Tom Dumoulin

"I think he's got almost a two-minute lead on Dumoulin, which I think is a pretty comfortable lot," Froome said.

"I imagine we'll be able to finish it off. We've just got to look after him now,

"I've won the last three Grand Tours and G's [Thomas] ridden an absolutely faultless race this year, so he fully deserves to be in the yellow jersey, and fingers crossed he finishes it off and gets the job done in Paris."

Big 👍👍👍 from @GeraintThomas86 #TDF2018 results after stage 17:
1. @GeraintThomas86 (SKY)
2. Dumoulin (SUN) +1:59”
3. @chrisfroome (SKY) +2:31”
4. Roglic (TLJ) +2:47”
5. Quintana (MOV) +3:30” pic.twitter.com/x961vKW7zO
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 25, 2018

Thomas was delighted to come through another major test in a daunting stage which was won by Nairo Quintana

"I was feeling really good and it was all about just defending that lead. I gained a few seconds on Dumoulin and [Primoz] Roglic - so a good day, I'm very happy." said the Welshman.

"At the bottom of the climb obviously Quintana and Dan Martin went really early and then when Roglic went we forced Dumoulin to ride.

"It was a solid place already but fortunately when it did come back together we had numbers. The boys were just incredible again, everyone was really riding out of their skin. We're riding so well as a team, that's the reason I'm in this jersey."