While the first Pyrenean day of the Tour de France brought some GC ructions, including Romain Bardet shedding minutes in the battle for the podium, the top three places in the general classification stood firm. Tadej Pogačar's long-range attacks from the Port de Lers didn't come off, while Jonas Vingegaard remained comfortable both there and on the Mur de Péguère.
Ineos Grenadiers leader Geraint Thomas showed some weakness, losing contact on the steep slopes at the top of the Péguère, but with the help of his teammates, including a now-recovered Dani Martínez, Thomas rejoined the yellow jersey and is still third overall heading to the stage 17 summit finish at Peyragudes, 2:43 down on Vingegaard.
With Bardet giving up 3:36 and tumbling to 9th, however, Thomas now has a 2:02 cushion to fourth-placed Nairo Quintana.
Speaking after the stage finish following another sweltering day in Foix, Thomas told the assembled reporters that he was pleased with his day, having raced steadily to make his way back to Pogačar and Vingegaard. Teammates Martínez and Adam Yates – who lost 1:22 on the stage – were singled out for thanks.
"It's good that the team are strong now," Thomas said. "Dani's feeling a lot better after his sickness and Castro is on his way back up as well. Obviously Yatesey and Tom as well, big shout out to Yatesy actually because he really committed to me there.
"He's out of contract this year and that can always play a different part when it comes to committing to a teammate, but he really committed to me. He was really strong, rode a good pace, and allowed me to close the gap at the top, so fair play to him."
Thomas noted that he wasn't sure how he and his rivals would fare following the rest day in Carcassonne, saying that for him it was a case of getting up the two climbs as best as he could and adding that he was pleased to gain time on Bardet, even if the 'big two' have proved to be unmovable so far.
"It's tough to do anything with the front two because they're super strong but you never know. I didn't expect Pogacar to have the day he had at Granon..." he said.
"It was hot out there and after a rest day you never quite know how people are going to hold up. It was a nervous start with that wind, but the break just went pretty quickly really. It was good for us because we had Dani there.
"It was a case of just trying to do those two climbs as best as possible. I rode my own pace as I've been doing most of the race and I came back to them just over the top. So, I gained a bit of time on Bardet which was nice, but the other guys are all still there. A decent day."
Two summit finishes lie ahead for Thomas and the remainder of the Tour de France peloton, with Peyragudes and Hautacam standing between the GC men and the final time trial before Paris.
Thomas said that the days are only going to get harder in the Pyrenees, adding that the high temperatures of recent days could have a knock-on effect. As for Pogačar and his attacking riding, he reiterated his quip that it would be fun to watch at home but not so much from inside the peloton.
"I kind of see it as a three-day block," Thomas said. "Every day gets harder, pretty much. Four solid climbs tomorrow and three the day after but they're even tougher. A lot can still happen, especially in this heat. If it affects you one day you can get through but you can pay for the knock-on, so we'll see how that goes.
"I think he'll definitely need a bit more time come the TT," he said of Pogačar. "Because Vingegaard, he can do everything. It's a tough one but they're both riding super strong, so it's interesting to watch at home, but not so much when you're trying to hang onto them."
